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Rail and Transit Communications Senior Project Engineer

HNTB

Chelmsford, MAFull-time$132–207K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$132–207K/yr
Location
Chelmsford, MA
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Job overview

HNTB seeks a senior project engineer to plan, design, and implement rail and transit communications systems. The role develops engineering designs, calculations, specifications, and technical documentation for complex infrastructure projects, and supports delivery from concept through construction and commissioning. The engineer leads discipline work, coordinates with clients and other disciplines, and may mentor junior staff. Preferred experience includes railroad radio, SCADA, fiber-optic, IP-network, and operational-technology cybersecurity systems.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Railroad Radio Systems, nice to haveVHF/UHF LMR, nice to havePTC Wireless Communications, nice to haveBase Station Systems, nice to haveRepeater Systems, nice to haveDistributed Antenna Systems, nice to haveWayside Radio Networks, nice to haveRadio Coverage Solutions, nice to haveRadio Propagation Studies, nice to haveCoverage Analysis, nice to haveEDX SignalPro, nice to haveiBwave, nice to haveRF Modeling Software, nice to haveFrequency Planning, nice to haveLink Budgets, nice to haveAntenna Placement Studies, nice to haveSCADA Communication Networks, nice to haveEthernet/IP Networks, nice to haveIEC 60870-5-104, nice to haveDNP3, nice to haveModbus TCP/IP, nice to haveIndustrial Fiber Optics, nice to haveRTU Integration, nice to havePLC Integration, nice to haveControl Center Architectures, nice to haveRedundant Communication Paths, nice to haveFiber-Optic Networks, nice to haveIP-Based Networks, nice to haveLAN/WAN Architecture, nice to haveNetwork Segmentation, nice to haveLayer 2/Layer 3 Switching, nice to haveRouting, nice to haveOT Cybersecurity, nice to haveNetwork Performance Evaluation, nice to haveBandwidth Analysis, nice to haveTechnical Knowledge, nice to haveProject Prioritization, nice to haveAccountability, nice to haveRisk Anticipation, nice to haveProblem Solving, nice to have

Qualifications

Bachelor's in Engineering or Equivalent, requiredMaster's in Engineering or Equivalent, requiredPhD in Engineering or Equivalent, required8+ Years Relevant Experience, required7+ Years Relevant Experience, required6+ Years Relevant Experience, requiredProfessional Engineer, nice to have10 Years Relevant Experience, nice to have

Full job description

What We're Looking For

At HNTB, you can create a career that is meaningful to you while building communities that matter to all of us. For more than a century, we have been delivering solutions for some of the largest, most complex infrastructure projects across the country. With our historic growth, it is an exciting time to join our team of employee-owners.

We are seeking a rail and transit communications senior project engineer with experience in the planning, design, and implementation of rail and transit communication systems. Experienced in designing mission-critical communication networks supporting railway operations, including radio systems, fiber optic backbone infrastructure, SCADA communications, IP-based networks, and integrated control systems. Proven ability to develop engineering designs, specifications, drawings, and technical documentation in compliance with FRA, AREMA, APTA, and client requirements. Skilled at coordinating multidisciplinary engineering efforts and supporting projects from concept development through construction and commissioning.

This opportunity entails being responsible for the production and modification of design calculations, technical reports, engineering plans and specifications for assigned projects. This position consults with the project manager to perform research, development, calculations, design and delivery. Applies engineering techniques, procedures and design criteria for complex and cross-discipline projects. Leverages technical knowledge and experience to address design related issues or concerns, working closely with the project manager through creative problem solving, interactions with clients and by completing tasks to meet the project schedule. Develops conceptual and detailed designs and calculations to support the project completion using current drawing and technical tools, programs and software. May mentor, train and review work of junior engineer staff and provide constructive feedback. As a member of the team, you will contribute to the successful project delivery for a diverse range of projects for HNTB’s clients.

What You'll Do:

  • Uses senior-level technical expertise to consider broad range of engineering solutions.

  • Responsible for the discipline-specific planning, work distribution, and leadership and adherence to the schedule, and budget on complex or unusual engineering projects.

  • Assists in marketing responsibilities, including proposal generation.

  • Develops scope of work and level of effort and manages adherence to scope and budget on complex or unusual engineering projects within discipline.

  • Oversees completeness and accuracy of project team’s work within the technical discipline.

  • Provides technical guidance and mentoring to team members to achieve overall project objectives on complex or unusual engineering projects.

  • Coordinates technical aspects of the project with client counterpart and teaming partners at staff level for work within the discipline on complex or unusual engineering projects.

  • Leads discipline delivery on larger, multi-disciplinary projects. Works closely with other disciplines on multi-discipline projects.

  • Assists with coordination and planning of schedules, hours, and distribution of work for other disciplines on multi-discipline projects on complex or unusual engineering projects

  • Performs other duties as assigned.

What You'll Need:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and 8 years of relevant experience, or

  • Master’s degree in Engineering and 7 years of relevant experience, or

  • PhD in Engineering and 6 years of relevant experience

What You'll Bring:

  • Shows excellent technical knowledge and quality work in multiple discipline projects.

  • Prioritizes tasks and displays accountability to the project team to deliver projects that are of high quality, on-time, and within budget and scope.

  • Demonstrates vision beyond the task at hand and anticipates risks and effects of their actions.

  • Understands and supports the objectives that are responsible for successful project delivery, recognizing how multiple disciplines influence project development

  • Applies an accrued knowledge base to innovate project efficiencies.

  • Uses refined technical skills to identify problems, develop appropriate solutions, and make good decisions, knowing what tools to use for effective solutions and optimal outcomes on projects.

What We Prefer:

  • 10 years of relevant experience

  • Professional Engineer (PE)

  • Design and analysis of railroad radio communication systems including:

  • VHF/UHF land mobile radio (LMR)

  • PTC (Positive Train Control) wireless communications

  • Base station and repeater systems

  • Distributed antenna systems (DAS)

  • Wayside radio networks

  • Portable and mobile radio coverage solutions

  • Conduct radio propagation studies and coverage analysis using tools such as EDX SignalPro, iBwave, or similar RF modeling software.

  • Development of frequency plans, link budgets, and antenna placement studies.

  • Design of SCADA communication networks supporting traction power, substations, facilities, and wayside equipment.

  • Experience with:

  • Ethernet/IP networks

  • IEC 60870-5-104

  • DNP3

  • Modbus TCP/IP

  • Industrial fiber optic communication systems

  • Integration of RTUs, PLCs, and control center communication architectures.

  • Development of redundant and resilient communication paths for critical rail infrastructure.

  • Design of fiber optic and IP-based communication networks.

  • LAN/WAN architecture development and network segmentation.

  • Configuration concepts for Layer 2/Layer 3 switching and routing.

  • Cybersecurity considerations for operational technology (OT) and critical infrastructure environments.

  • Network performance evaluation and bandwidth analysis.

Additional Information

Click here for benefits information: HNTB Total Rewards

Click here to learn more about Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

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Locations:

Chelmsford, MA (Lexington)

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The approximate pay range for Massachusetts is $132,461.84 - $207,183.90. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position based on all selected locations within the state at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state.

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NOTICE TO THIRD-PARTY AGENCIES:

HNTB does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or agencies. Any staffing/employment agency, person or entity that submits an unsolicited resume to this site does so with the understanding that the applicant's resume will become the property of HNTB. HNTB will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion and without any fee owed to the submitting staffing/employment agency, person or entity. Staffing/employment agencies who have fee agreements with HNTB must submit applicants to the designated HNTB recruiter to be eligible for placement fees.

Job Type: Regular

Full/Part Time: Full time

Job Category: Engineering Group

ReqID: R-32338

How this job compares

Set against the 5,081 open Project Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 10, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$132–207K/yr
  • Massachusetts median$101–144K/yr70 salary ranges
  • US median$95–141K/yr2,656 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $170K, is 39% above the Massachusetts median midpoint ($122K) — in the top quarter of Project Engineer salary ranges in Massachusetts.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 98 open Project Engineer jobs in Massachusetts and 5,081 across the US. 3% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Massachusetts
Experience
This posting asks for at least 6 years of experience; Project Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (3,964 postings).
Education
3,124 of the 5,081 open Project Engineer jobs (61%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 10, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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