Senior Specialist, Track Infrastructure

 Reference Number : 1089 

Status : Permanent - Full-time  

Annual Salary / Hourly Rate : 102 816-127 008

Number of positions to be filled : 1 

Application Deadline : 12/13/2025

Possible Location:(Montreal, Ottawa, Brockville)

Did you know that VIA Rail is carrying out ambitious projects to modernize its services and infrastructure? From our new ultramodern train fleet to ongoing improvement of our infrastructure, we’re building the future of transportation in Canada. Working for VIA Rail is being a part of a collective effort in sustainable mobility. 

Under the supervision of the Director - Infrastructure, this person will be managing the operation and daily activities of the maintenance-of-way contractor on the main line corridors and will provide technical expertise for the preparation and execution of maintenance projects. 

The candidate's involvement, both in the office and in the field, will be primarily related to the monitoring and improvement of railway infrastructure for specialties such as: main tracks, level crossings, summer and winter maintenance of the right-of-way, maintenance programs as well as preventive and corrective work on all railway systems.

Their responsibility will be to ensure performance of the maintenance-of-way contract, deliverable are met and all activities are well coordinated between the various departments and projects. Their responsibility will also include the management of capital projects related to Track which would include identifying requirements, developing project scope and work with consultants and contractors in order to realize and follow the project in the field. The Senior Specialist must have strong project planning and coordination skills, as well as strong leadership, problem-solving and strategic decision-making abilities throughout the project lifecycle. As team leader, they are responsible for training and guiding their team through all phases of the project, from initiation to completion, while scrupulously ensuring adherence to established schedules and budgets. As an expert, the senior specialist develop a detailed project plan, closely monitor the project and produce monthly reports detailing the health and progress of the project to stakeholders and management.

In addition, the Senior Specialist is a first-rate leader. They must serve as a role model by their leadership, eloquence, charisma and professionalism. Their strong leadership guides each team member towards achieving their goals and fosters a collaborative and dynamic work environment.

Responsibilities:

Technical management:

• Lead operation maintenance for the daily activities between the various teams;
• Responsible for the coordination of the various projects/contracts and ensure the proper deployment of activities in terms of quality, cost, time and monitoring objectives;
• Responsible for compliance with regards to track inspection and maintenance requirements;
• Provides the requirements for the quality control to the Specialist, Railway Infrastructure;
• Perform PMRC (performance monitoring and regulatory compliance) to ensure the respect of the CROR rules, NETS, GEI, Recommended Method;
• Validate and review the corrective and preventive maintenance and work requested with regards to track;
• Responsible to secure the geometry test car and ultrasonic test runs;
• Development of the short, medium and long term capital plans related to track;
• Controls the track asset list;
• Explore alternative material to be more environmentally friendly.

Ensure the management, planning, progress, rigorous oversight and delivery of projects:

• In charge of capital projects related to track (planning, preparation and execution);
• Commit and mobilize internal and external resources from various firms;
• Leads project or work site follow-up meetings with internal or external stakeholders;
• Ensures the definition of needs, follow up on the planning of the work planned by the different disciplines, and communicates with the concerned stakeholders (internal and/or external);
• Establish and track the scope of budgets and financial forecasts, timelines, dependencies, risks, and issues of each project;
• Define project acceptance criteria and manage the quality process;
• Ensure robust project governance (decisions, steering committees) described in a project plan;
• Ensure that important decisions, requests for changes and the use of contingency are well documented and presented to the Portfolio Manager and Steering Committee and that impacts are validated for all groups involved;
• Ensure that the Portfolio Manager has the right level of information to make decisions;
• Organize monthly meetings, and produce and present executive summaries;
• Keep documentation and the project plan updated and provide regular status reports;
• In addition to managing projects from design to implementation, ensure responsibilities are transferred to Operations and/or to business functions, and support the company in preparing the business case for the project;
• Ensure governance is followed in the process and decisions related to procurement and contractual arrangements;
• Continuous improvement: continuously looking for ways to optimize processes to deliver faster or at least on time and on budget;
• Ensure that there is a sound communication and change management plan;
• Work closely with Signal and Communication, Bridge and Structure and Operation teams to provide technical solutions through all disciplines to ensure a safe and reliable design that integrates all requirements;
• Coordinates with the Project Management Office (PMO) (reporting and project control).

Technical expertise:

• Ensures the conformity of technical expertise and participate in the resolution of problems related to his/her specialty;
• Analyzes technical plans and specifications of projects and identifies possible impacts in order to carry out the projects;
• Ensures the operational feasibility of projects or work within operational constraints and makes recommendations;
• Defines and supervises the standards and work methodologies to be applied;
• Participates in the development of maintenance contracts and projects to ensure quality and performance control without deviating from regulatory requirements and standards;
• Establishes indicators and integrates the results of field audits to identify areas of maintenance strategy for improvement;
• Review and update technical documents related to track inspections, maintenance and work;
• Establishes annual programs and monitors monthly progress for preventive and corrective maintenance for the infrastructures under his/her responsibility;
• Involved in safety initiatives and performs investigations when incidents/accidents occurs;
• Participates in the development of tools for the prevention and prediction of wear and tear on infrastructure systems and makes recommendations.

Requirements:

• BAC in civil engineering or any other relevant field;
• Membership in the “Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec” or “Professional Engineers Ontario” (an asset);
• Minimum 15 years of professional experience in the railway industry;
• Minimum of 5 years of experience as project manager related to track projects;
• Knowledge of railway infrastructure theory and inspection;
• Knowledge of Transport Canada, AREMA and/or CN/CP standards;
• Training recognized by a North American railway (an asset);
• PMP certified (an asset);
• Practical knowledge in developing project management activities and project management tools and methods, such as Microsoft SharePoint, EPM 2010, and Project Online;
• Experience working in a matrix management environment.

Competencies: 

• Know how to mentor and lead assigned teams and be proactive;
• Ability to display leadership and influence team members by showing a professional attitude;
• Good negotiation skills and ability to influence others to sign agreements;
• Skilled in planning and organizing teamwork;
• Excellent communication skills; open to others’ perspectives;
• Be organized, rigorous, quality-conscious, team player who contributes to the success of projects;
• Ability to supervise and coordinate the work of others, to coach, to mentor and to develop staff;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within the team and with clients;
• Ability to work within tight timelines, work under pressure and manage parallel activities across multiple projects;
• Work experience in a matrix management context;
• Creativity and skill in solving complex problems; client-focused;
• Be a boots-on-the-ground type person and enjoy working in the field;
• Commitment to continuous training: Willingness to keep up to date on the management of best practices and project management tools to maintain a high level of project management expertise;
• Basic financial knowledge to assist our program managers in business case development;
• Excellent analytical skills and must exercise good judgment;
• Good verbal and written communication skills;
• Master the Microsoft Office suite;
• Bilingual (French and English).

Working Conditions: 

• Must have a valid driver's license and a vehicle for occasional business use;
• Generally, the work schedule is from Monday to Friday, as follows
• 3-4 days / week at the office or various sites within the VIA infrastructure network ;
• 1-2 day / week at home (with authorization);
• May be required to work outdoors in various weather conditions;
• Flexibility in work schedules to meet work deadline requirements;
• VIA infrastructure network is located from Halifax to Vancouver where the mainline corridor is mainly between Coteaux (Québec) to Windsor (Ontario).

At VIA Rail, we are proud to be an employment-equity employer and we strive to form teams that reflect the diversity of Canadian society. We aim to remove barriers to employment accessibility and aspire to provide an inclusive and equitable work environment where everyone is valued, regardless of their identity or differences, to enable them to reach their full potential.

If you need assistance in making the recruitment process or the position you are applying for more accessible, please let us know. Alternate arrangements may be offered to individuals who request them at any stage of the recruitment process. All information received in relation to arrangements will be kept confidential.

Note that we will only contact those who are selected for an interview.

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