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Rail and rail systems senior engineer - Traction & Rolling Stock

Rail and rail systems senior engineer - Traction & Rolling Stock

Engineering and manufacturing

Level 6 - Professional Occupation

Applying rail and rail systems technical engineering skills in a broad range of management and leadership activities.

Reference: OCC0496G

Status: assignment_turned_inApproved occupation

SOC 2020 code: 8239 Other drivers and transport operatives n.e.c.

SOC 2020 sub unit groups:

  • 2121/05 Transportation engineers
  • 2123/03 Railway signalling engineers

Technical Education Products

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Alstom Transport UK Limited, Amey, Arcadis, Arup, Atkins, Babcock International Group – Network Engineering, Bombardier, Carillion plc, Costain, DB Schenker Rail UK Limited, DEG Signal Ltd, ESG-Rail, Eurostar International Ltd, High Speed Two Limited, Hitachi Rail Europe Ltd, Merseyrail Electrics 2002 Limited, MGB Engineering Ltd, Network Rail, Northern Rail, Siemens Rail Systems, Siemens Rail Automation, Signalling Solutions Ltd, Stagecoach South Western Trains Limited, SW Trains, telent Technology Services Ltd, Thales, Transport for London, Virgin Trains East Coast, VolkerRail Ltd, National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering

Summary

A Rail and Rail Systems Senior Engineer is an operational leadership role; someone who can take responsibility for people and the work in hand within a conventional or high speed railway context. They have expertise in one of the following disciplines: Rail Civils; Rail Track; Rail Signalling & Control; Rail Systems & Integration; Rail Traction & Rolling Stock; Rail Telecommunications, Network and Digital; or Rail Electrical, Mechanical or Building Services. They lead people or processes in one of these distinct areas in tasks such as managing integrated safe design, construction, installation, maintenance, renewal, or decommissioning. All with the aim of providing a safe and reliable railway. Their work will require a deep knowledge and understanding of how the railway works as an integrated, complex system from an operational perspective. They are professional engineers with rail and rail systems technical engineering skills which they apply in a broad range of management and leadership activities. They are accountability for their own work and others.

Employers involved in creating the standard:

Alstom Transport UK Limited, Amey, Arcadis, Arup, Atkins, Babcock International Group – Network Engineering, Bombardier, Carillion plc, Costain, DB Schenker Rail UK Limited, DEG Signal Ltd, ESG-Rail, Eurostar International Ltd, High Speed Two Limited, Hitachi Rail Europe Ltd, Merseyrail Electrics 2002 Limited, MGB Engineering Ltd, Network Rail, Northern Rail, Siemens Rail Systems, Siemens Rail Automation, Signalling Solutions Ltd, Stagecoach South Western Trains Limited, SW Trains, telent Technology Services Ltd, Thales, Transport for London, Virgin Trains East Coast, VolkerRail Ltd, National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering

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Mid Green occupation

Typical job titles include:

Lead Systems Engineer
Rail Plant Engineer
Senior Electrification Engineer
Senior Rail Civil Engineer
Senior Rail Mechanical Engineer
Senior Rail Systems Integration Engineer
Senior Signalling & Control Systems Engineer
Senior Telecoms Engineer
Senior Track Engineer
Senior Traction and Rolling Stock Engineer
Simulation Systems Engineer

Keywords:

Degree
Engineer
Rail
Rail Systems
Senior Engineer

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

K1: Safe and professional working practices including rail specific legislation, regulation [e.g. Common Safety Method Risk Assessment (CSM RA), CDM and Systems Integration and Requirements Management], industry procedures, safety and quality requirements, risk management and environmental impacts. A thorough understanding of the need for compliance with corporate policies including sustainability, ethics, equality, diversity, and human factors, and an ability to constructively challenge non-compliance.
K2: The scientific, technical, engineering, mathematical and design principles and practices across the railway engineering discipline, and for one specific discipline a deep understanding of how the railway functions as an integrated, complex system. Aware of new technological developments in the sector and their impact on future rail operations.
K3: How to effectively manage the delivery of engineering solutions within a railway/regulated sector, and identify new innovations and ways of working and rail innovation, project management principles, asset, data, quality and risk management and assurance systems, and business improvement processes and techniques.
K4: Business planning, including financial planning (forecasts and budgets and operational/business performance using a variety of analytical techniques), commercial impacts, contractual obligations, supply chain management, logistics and resource constraints.
K5: Research methodologies, data analytics, problem solving, continuous improvement.
K6: Team and role theory and the development of high performing teams and individuals. Have a good understanding of how to attract, recruit, develop and retain people in the sector, including performance management techniques and succession planning. A thorough knowledge of professional and railway legislative working practices and the impacts and benefits of these. Understanding of organisational change management and its history in the rail sector, transformational leadership theory and processes.
K7: Collaborative working techniques e.g. sharing best practice, including an understanding of conflict resolution, and partner, stakeholder and supplier relationship management including negotiation, influencing, and effective networking within a regulated business.
K17: The design and application of rail related Traction & Rolling Stock (T&RS) engineering systems and the various generic types of legacy or modern rolling stock in a railway environment across the whole rolling stock lifecycle.
K18: The operating principles and interfaces used in legacy and modern rolling stock types and their rolling stock sub-systems across or within their T&RS engineering subject matter area(s) (which may be discipline based – e.g. Mechanical, electrical, electronic, etc. or system based – e.g. Structures, Doors, Brakes, traction, Wheel/Rail interface, etc. or a mix of both).

S1: Keep themselves and others safe by implementing and managing safe working practices and challenging unsafe practices. Promote and comply with railway/statutory regulations and organisational or project safety requirements, including competence and safe access to railway sites. Undertake and manage risk assessments / hazard reviews.
S2: Support the technical input to the development of railway standards, specifications and means of compliance; contribute to design/development of engineering solutions.
S3: Manage value engineering and whole life costing; evaluating information from diverse sources to develop, test and cost options: drafting rail specifications or detailed designs.
S4: Deliver rail and rail systems engineering solutions effectively including planning, resource allocation and management and delivery to rail industry specifications. Manage change and risk, monitor work, and make decisions and complex critical judgements.
S5: Contribute to and attend Senior Management and Executive meetings and report on both complex technical and financial issues both verbally and in writing.
S6: Manage financial systems, forecasts and budgets and operational / business performance using a variety of analytical techniques. Able to contribute to commercial and contractual reviews within a railway/regulated industry.
S7: Use evidence based approaches to problem solving and decision making. Manage and contribute to railway research and development of products and processes with cross-disciplinary collaboration. Conduct statistically sound appraisal of data, applying root cause analysis, and using evidence drawn from best practice to improve effectiveness.
S8: Lead /manage multi-disciplinary teams to effectively delegate tasks, identifying appropriate mentorship and coaching required, in line with talent management and succession planning. Able to apply change management processes.
S9: Work effectively and collaboratively, individually and as part of a team, being aware of personal actions and the impact they may have on others. Develop and maintain effective relationships with rail colleagues, clients, suppliers and the public at their level of influence [e.g. rail industry, local authority, and suppliers].
S19: Develop, produce, alter, review and approve detailed specifications relevant to new or altered traction and rolling stock assets.
S20: Obtain and retain relevant rail industry specific technical accreditation/ licences applicable to role.

B1: Communication and influencing skills, choosing appropriate communication media to suit the audience and situation, checking for understanding, and consider and build on ideas of others to influence outcomes. Demonstrates and promotes regular communication with rail colleagues, clients, the public and other stakeholders.
B2: Professionalism, dependability, determination, consistency, resilience, honesty and integrity. Will respect others, act ethically and contribute to sustainable development of the railway. Acts as an ambassador/role model for their professional discipline.
B3: A proactive self-disciplined, self-motivated and motivational approach to work.
B4: Safe working practices, to approved rail industry standards, and ensures others do likewise. Identifies and takes responsibility for own obligations for health, safety and welfare issues. Demonstrates safety leadership at all times.
B5: Collaborative working and actively engages others in doing so. Is aware of personal actions and impact they may have on others, maintaining effective relationships with rail colleagues, clients, suppliers and the public; often a key representative of the company.
B6: A quality focus, promoting continuous improvement/different techniques [e.g. Lean].
B7: Continuous Professional Development, giving and receiving constructive feedback, and willing to learn new skills and adjust to change. Identifies, undertakes, and records CPD necessary to maintain and augment railway competences. Maintains and extends a sound theoretical approach to the application of technology in rail engineering practice recognising technological, political, and economic developments affecting the industry.

Occupational Progression

This occupational progression map shows technical occupations that have transferable knowledge and skills.

In this map, the focused occupation is highlighted in yellow. The arrows indicate where transferable knowledge and skills exist between two occupations. This map shows some of the strongest progression links between the focused occupation and other occupations.

It is anticipated that individuals would be required to undertake further learning or training to progress to and from occupations. To find out more about an occupation featured in the progression map, including the learning options available, click the occupation.

Progression decisions have been reached by comparing the knowledge and skills statements between occupational standards, combined with individualised learner movement data.

Technical Occupations

Levels 2-3

Higher Technical Occupations

Levels 4-5

Professional Occupations

Levels 6-7

Progression link into focused occupation.
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Level 5

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This is the focused occupation.
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Level 6

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Progression link from focused occupation.
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Level 7

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Engineering and manufacturing