Rail and Transit Mechanical Engineering Lead
Top Benefits
About the role
Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets.
We are more than 36,000 people, in over 70 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can solve the world’s most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.
Role description:
We are seeking a highly experienced Lead Mechanical Engineer to take a leadership role in the planning, design, and delivery of mechanical systems for major rail, transit, and heavy freight infrastructure projects in Western Canada. This position focuses on essential mechanical systems—drainage, sump pumps, tunnel ventilation, and fire protection (standpipe and sprinkler systems)—across a variety of environments, including subway tunnels, elevated guideways, stations, train yards, and freight corridors.
The successful candidate will guide interdisciplinary coordination and provide technical leadership through all phases of project development, from concept design to commissioning.
A focus on high-capacity transit networks in Vancouver (TransLink: SkyTrain), Calgary (City of Calgary and Calgary Transit: Green, Blue and Red Lines LRT), and Edmonton (City of Edmonton and ETS: Capital Line, Metro Line and Valley Line), freight rail (CP, CN), National Rail (Via and Amtrack) and high-speed rail (HSR).
Role accountabilities:
In this role, you will be responsible for the growth and development of Arcadis' portfolio by establishing and maintaining strong client relationships. You will lead bids from conception through RFQ and RFP to successful completion, working closely with clients, contractors, and regulatory bodies to ensure that project requirements are met and expectations are exceeded. Your expertise in drainage and dewatering systems will be crucial as you lead mechanical design for tunnel, track, and facility drainage systems. This includes sizing of sump pits, pump stations, and stormwater controls, as well as designing and coordinating trackside and yard drainage systems for heavy freight and intermodal facilities, ensuring compliance with Class I rail and CN/CP standards. You will also integrate drainage systems with civil and structural works to ensure constructability, resilience, and maintainability.
In addition to drainage systems, you will design and deliver NFPA-compliant standpipe and sprinkler systems for underground stations and tunnels, passenger and freight maintenance facilities, intermodal terminals, and control centers. This involves performing hydraulic calculations and developing detailed layouts and specifications in accordance with NFPA 13, 14, 130, and local building codes. Your role will require you to lead the design of normal and emergency tunnel ventilation systems for subways and LRT systems, including components such as jet fans, axial fans, smoke extraction systems, and ventilation shafts. You will also manage the interface for emergency egress and conduct CFD coordination and egress scenario analysis.
Furthermore, you will lead HVAC and mechanical ventilation design for freight rail maintenance shops, fueling facilities, and logistics hubs, taking into account occupational safety, hazardous exhaust, and climate control. As part of systems integration and delivery, you will develop mechanical requirements, system schematics, and interface documents, coordinating with disciplines including civil, electrical, fire life safety, signaling, and architecture. Your role will also provide technical leadership through preliminary and detailed design, construction phase services, factory and site testing (FAT/SAT), as well as commissioning and turnover.
Moreover, the project types you will cover include urban LRT and subway systems, both underground and elevated, as well as commuter, regional, and intercity passenger rail. You will work on heavy freight rail corridors, yards, terminals, and shops. Your responsibilities will extend to ventilation and emergency systems for tunnels and shafts, and train operations centers and O&M facilities. Each of these projects will require a comprehensive understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities they present, enabling you to deliver innovative and effective solutions.
Qualifications & Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline
- Licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Alberta and/or British Columbia or eligible
- 10+ years of experience in mechanical systems design for rail, transit, or freight infrastructure
Why Arcadis?
We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It’s why we are pioneering a skills-based approach, where you can harness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximize the impact we can make together.
You’ll do meaningful work, and no matter what role, you’ll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark, on your career, your colleagues, your clients, your life and the world around you.
Together, we can create a lasting legacy.
Join Arcadis. Create a Legacy.
Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day which is why we take equality and inclusion seriously and hold ourselves to account for our actions. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We are an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. We are dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, disability, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law.
The salary range for this position is $128,000 - $178,000. The base salary represents Arcadis’ hiring range for this position. Actual salaries will vary and will be based on various factors, such as location, skills, experience, and qualification for the role.
About Arcadis
Arcadis is your global sustainable transformation partner. Proven pioneers for a sustainable future, partnering on the most transformative projects of our time.
With over 36,000 people active in more than 30 countries, we bring together the best minds from around the world to deliver intelligent products and solutions that address the challenges of climate change, energy affordability and livable cities. We go beyond traditional design, engineering, architecture and consultancy, using data-driven insights for tailored solutions in the environments we co-create.
Whether reducing flood risks in the Netherlands, strengthening New York’s coastlines against hurricanes or revolutionizing Sydney’s transit system, our world-changing solutions leave a positive and lasting impact.
Our work has helped more than a third of the world's communities become more resilient, and hundreds of clients to advance their decarbonization and net-zero goals. Together, we are committed to solving today's greatest problems; and creating a blueprint for a better, more sustainable future, designed to thrive.
Arcadis. Improving quality of life.
Rail and Transit Mechanical Engineering Lead
Top Benefits
About the role
Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets.
We are more than 36,000 people, in over 70 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can solve the world’s most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.
Role description:
We are seeking a highly experienced Lead Mechanical Engineer to take a leadership role in the planning, design, and delivery of mechanical systems for major rail, transit, and heavy freight infrastructure projects in Western Canada. This position focuses on essential mechanical systems—drainage, sump pumps, tunnel ventilation, and fire protection (standpipe and sprinkler systems)—across a variety of environments, including subway tunnels, elevated guideways, stations, train yards, and freight corridors.
The successful candidate will guide interdisciplinary coordination and provide technical leadership through all phases of project development, from concept design to commissioning.
A focus on high-capacity transit networks in Vancouver (TransLink: SkyTrain), Calgary (City of Calgary and Calgary Transit: Green, Blue and Red Lines LRT), and Edmonton (City of Edmonton and ETS: Capital Line, Metro Line and Valley Line), freight rail (CP, CN), National Rail (Via and Amtrack) and high-speed rail (HSR).
Role accountabilities:
In this role, you will be responsible for the growth and development of Arcadis' portfolio by establishing and maintaining strong client relationships. You will lead bids from conception through RFQ and RFP to successful completion, working closely with clients, contractors, and regulatory bodies to ensure that project requirements are met and expectations are exceeded. Your expertise in drainage and dewatering systems will be crucial as you lead mechanical design for tunnel, track, and facility drainage systems. This includes sizing of sump pits, pump stations, and stormwater controls, as well as designing and coordinating trackside and yard drainage systems for heavy freight and intermodal facilities, ensuring compliance with Class I rail and CN/CP standards. You will also integrate drainage systems with civil and structural works to ensure constructability, resilience, and maintainability.
In addition to drainage systems, you will design and deliver NFPA-compliant standpipe and sprinkler systems for underground stations and tunnels, passenger and freight maintenance facilities, intermodal terminals, and control centers. This involves performing hydraulic calculations and developing detailed layouts and specifications in accordance with NFPA 13, 14, 130, and local building codes. Your role will require you to lead the design of normal and emergency tunnel ventilation systems for subways and LRT systems, including components such as jet fans, axial fans, smoke extraction systems, and ventilation shafts. You will also manage the interface for emergency egress and conduct CFD coordination and egress scenario analysis.
Furthermore, you will lead HVAC and mechanical ventilation design for freight rail maintenance shops, fueling facilities, and logistics hubs, taking into account occupational safety, hazardous exhaust, and climate control. As part of systems integration and delivery, you will develop mechanical requirements, system schematics, and interface documents, coordinating with disciplines including civil, electrical, fire life safety, signaling, and architecture. Your role will also provide technical leadership through preliminary and detailed design, construction phase services, factory and site testing (FAT/SAT), as well as commissioning and turnover.
Moreover, the project types you will cover include urban LRT and subway systems, both underground and elevated, as well as commuter, regional, and intercity passenger rail. You will work on heavy freight rail corridors, yards, terminals, and shops. Your responsibilities will extend to ventilation and emergency systems for tunnels and shafts, and train operations centers and O&M facilities. Each of these projects will require a comprehensive understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities they present, enabling you to deliver innovative and effective solutions.
Qualifications & Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline
- Licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Alberta and/or British Columbia or eligible
- 10+ years of experience in mechanical systems design for rail, transit, or freight infrastructure
Why Arcadis?
We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It’s why we are pioneering a skills-based approach, where you can harness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximize the impact we can make together.
You’ll do meaningful work, and no matter what role, you’ll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark, on your career, your colleagues, your clients, your life and the world around you.
Together, we can create a lasting legacy.
Join Arcadis. Create a Legacy.
Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day which is why we take equality and inclusion seriously and hold ourselves to account for our actions. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We are an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. We are dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, disability, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law.
The salary range for this position is $128,000 - $178,000. The base salary represents Arcadis’ hiring range for this position. Actual salaries will vary and will be based on various factors, such as location, skills, experience, and qualification for the role.
About Arcadis
Arcadis is your global sustainable transformation partner. Proven pioneers for a sustainable future, partnering on the most transformative projects of our time.
With over 36,000 people active in more than 30 countries, we bring together the best minds from around the world to deliver intelligent products and solutions that address the challenges of climate change, energy affordability and livable cities. We go beyond traditional design, engineering, architecture and consultancy, using data-driven insights for tailored solutions in the environments we co-create.
Whether reducing flood risks in the Netherlands, strengthening New York’s coastlines against hurricanes or revolutionizing Sydney’s transit system, our world-changing solutions leave a positive and lasting impact.
Our work has helped more than a third of the world's communities become more resilient, and hundreds of clients to advance their decarbonization and net-zero goals. Together, we are committed to solving today's greatest problems; and creating a blueprint for a better, more sustainable future, designed to thrive.
Arcadis. Improving quality of life.