Senior Traction Power Engineer- SME

Job Description

Overview

AtkinsRéalis is one of the world's leading design, engineering, and project management organizations. We connect people, data, and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. With offices around the world, AtkinsRéalis delivers some of the most challenging and impactful transportation projects across North America.

Our Rail & Transit team is seeking a Senior Traction Power Engineer -SME to support major transit infrastructure projects throughout Los Angeles, CA. This position will play a key role in construction management, engineering oversight, and project delivery support for traction power systems from final design through construction, testing, commissioning, and turnover.

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to transformational transportation projects while working alongside industry-leading technical experts.

The Senior Traction Power Engineer will provide technical leadership and construction support for rail transit traction power systems, including substations, overhead contact systems (OCS), third rail systems, power distribution, utility interfaces, and related infrastructure. The successful candidate will serve as an owner's representative and/or construction management team member Subject Matter Expert supporting project implementation from design completion through revenue service.

The position requires close coordination with contractors, designers, owners, utilities, stakeholders, and construction management personnel to ensure safe, compliant, and successful project delivery.

Your role

• Provide technical support for construction management and project delivery activities associated with traction power systems.

• Review engineering designs, shop drawings, RFIs, submittals, design changes, and field modification requests.

• Support construction oversight activities to ensure compliance with contract documents, owner requirements, applicable codes, and industry standards.

• Participate in field inspections, testing, commissioning, and system acceptance activities.

• Coordinate with contractors, design consultants, utility companies, transit agencies, and project stakeholders.

• Support resolution of construction issues, engineering non-conformances, and technical challenges encountered during project execution.

• Review construction schedules and sequencing plans associated with traction power installations.

• Monitor installation quality, safety compliance, and system performance requirements.

• Support factory acceptance testing (FAT), site acceptance testing (SAT), integrated testing, and commissioning activities.

• Prepare technical memoranda, engineering reports, field assessments, punch list documentation, and project correspondence.

• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to junior engineers and project staff.

• Participate in client meetings and represent AtkinsRéalis in technical discussions with agency and contractor teams.

• Support project management activities, including risk identification, scope review, cost evaluation, and schedule assessments.

About you

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from an accredited institution.

• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in traction power, rail transit electrical systems, transportation infrastructure, or related electrical engineering fields.

• Experience supporting design, construction, testing, commissioning, and overall delivery of rail transit projects.

• Experience reviewing engineering drawings, specifications, and contractor submittals.

• Knowledge of applicable industry standards including IEEE, NFPA, NEC, NESC, AREMA, and transit agency requirements.

• Strong understanding of:

  • DC Traction Power Substations (TPSS).
  • Overhead Contact Systems (OCS).
  • Third Rail System.
  • Negative return systems.
  • Grounding and bonding.
  • Medium-voltage and low-voltage power distribution systems.
  • Protective relaying and system integration.

• Ability to conduct field visits and work frequently in active construction environments.

• Ability to travel periodically within Southern California project locations.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Professional Engineer (PE) license in California or ability to obtain reciprocity.

• Experience supporting major transit agencies such as LA Metro, BART, Sound Transit, OCTA, Metrolink, or similar organizations.

• Experience with design-build and progressive design-build project delivery methods.

• Prior construction management or owner's representative experience.

• Familiarity with traction power modelling and system studies.

• Experience managing multidisciplinary interfaces on large infrastructure projects.

Rewards & benefits

At AtkinsRéalis, our values—Safety, Integrity, Collaboration, Innovation, and Excellence—are more than just words. They are the foundation of who we are and how we work. These principles shape our culture, guide our decisions, and inspire us to create an environment where every team member feels empowered to grow, succeed, and make a meaningful impact.

Depending on your employment status, AtkinsRéalis benefits may include medical, dental, vision, company-paid life and short- and long-term disability benefits, employer-matched 401(k) with 100% vesting, employee stock purchase plan, Paid Time Off, leaves of absences options, flexible work options, recognition and employee satisfaction programs, employee assistance program, and voluntary benefits. You can review our comprehensive benefits page here.

About AtkinsRéalis

We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.

Find out more.

Additional information

Expected compensation range is between $104,000-$173,300 annually depending on skills, experience, and geographical location.

Are you ready to expand your career with us? Apply today and help us shape something extraordinary.

AtkinsRéalis is an equal opportunity, Drug-Free employer EOE/Veteran/Disability

Please review AtkinsRéalis’ Equal Opportunity Statement here.

Upon acceptance of an offer, all candidates must go through a drug screen test and background check. AtkinsRéalis is a federal contractor which mandates a satisfactory background screening report and drug test. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for Employment in accordance with the following laws if applicable, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the California Fair Chance Act. This position is not available for individuals living or working in New York City. AtkinsRéalis believes that conviction records may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship to the following job duties: accessing company property, information, assets, and products; accessing confidential information and partnering and regularly working with or supervising other AtkinsRéalis employees and interacting with AtkinsRéalis clients including government property or ports.

AtkinsRéalis cares about your privacy and is committed to protecting your privacy. Please consult our Privacy Notice on our Careers site to know more about how we collect, use and transfer your Personal Data. By submitting your personal information to AtkinsRéalis, you confirm that you have read and accept our Privacy Notice.

Note to staffing and direct hire agencies:

In the event a recruiter or agency who is not on our preferred supplier list submits a resume/candidate to anyone in the company, AtkinsRéalis family of companies, we explicitly reserve the right to recruit and hire the candidate(s) at our discretion and without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. https://careers.atkinsrealis.com/recruitment-agencies

Worker Type

Employee

Job Type

Regular

At AtkinsRéalis, we seek to hire individuals with diverse characteristics, backgrounds and perspectives. We strongly believe that world-class talent makes no distinctions based on gender, ethnic or national origin, sexual identity and orientation, age, religion or disability, but enriches itself through these differences.