Rail Design Manager

GFT is seeking an accomplished and collaborative Rail Design Manager to provide technical leadership and design oversight for complex rail and transit infrastructure projects in New Rochelle, NY. This role follows a hybrid work model, requiring regular attendance at our New Rochelle, NY office.

The Rail Design Manager provides technical leadership and oversight of the multidisciplinary design review and technical submittal process for complex rail and transit infrastructure projects. This role ensures design packages are technically complete, coordinated across disciplines, constructible, and aligned with client requirements and construction needs.

Serving as a primary day-to-day technical interface with the client, the Rail Design Manager manages design priorities, submittal workflows, interdisciplinary comment resolution, and technical escalations while proactively identifying risks that may impact construction, safety, schedules, railroad operations, testing, or commissioning.

What You'll Be Challenged to Do:

• Lead and oversee multidisciplinary design reviews and technical submittals across Civil, Structural, Track, Signals, Communications, Traction Power/OCS, Electrical, Mechanical, and related disciplines.
• Establish design quality standards, review checkpoints, and submission readiness criteria, applying Go / Hold / Revise decisions to ensure packages are complete, coordinated, and constructible before client submission.
• Develop and maintain standardized procedures for the end-to-end submittal process, including reviews, approvals, client transmission, comment resolution, resubmissions, tracking, and closeout.
• Serve as the primary day-to-day design interface with the client, coordinating priorities, managing expectations, resolving escalations, and aligning technical deliverables with project and construction needs.
• Coordinate design reviews, Requests for Information (RFIs), temporary works, and field-driven technical requirements while managing competing priorities and critical project deadlines.
• Lead interdisciplinary review comment resolution, ensuring responses are technically accurate, consistent, actionable, assigned to the appropriate discipline, and tracked through closure.
• Identify and manage design risks related to constructability, temporary works, construction sequencing, operational interfaces, and unresolved technical decisions.
• Evaluate design impacts on construction activities, safety, schedules, railroad outages, testing, commissioning, and operational readiness.
• Coordinate with Construction Management, Project Controls, Quality, Safety, Commissioning, and field teams to align design decisions and technical deliverables with project execution requirements.
• Monitor submittal schedules, outstanding comments, and critical technical issues, identifying bottlenecks and driving timely resolution.

• Hybrid (in-person and remote) work environment.
• Comprehensive benefits package including wellness programs, parental leave, and pet insurance, in addition to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance.
• Tax-deferred 401(k) savings plan.
• Competitive paid-time-off (PTO) accrual.
• Tuition reimbursement for continued education.
• Commitment to professional development, access to internal and external training programs, and support of active participation in professional organizations
• Incentive compensation for eligible positions.

At GFT, a privately held AEC firm, we innovate where transportation, water, power, and buildings converge. We call this the Infrastructure of Life. We measure our success by the strength of our relationships – that’s why we’re the employer of choice for 5,000+ of the industry’s brightest engineers, planners, architects, inspectors, designers, and more.

Our clients choose us for our expertise and prefer us for our nimble approach, creativity, and personal touch. Backed by over a century’s experience, together we’re building a lasting legacy for future generations: stronger communities, a healthier planet, and better lives.

GFT: Ingenuity That Shapes Lives™ is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veterans’ status or other characteristics protected by law.

Unsolicited resumes from third party agencies will be considered the property GFT.

GFT does require the successful completion of a criminal background check for all advertised positions. 

Location: New Rochelle, NY
Core Business Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Employment Status: Full-Time

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