Engineering & Design Manager

SYSTRA is one of the world's leading engineering and consultancy groups specialising in public transport and sustainable mobility. With over 10,300 employees, SYSTRA's mission is to design safe and sustainable transport solutions to bring people together, develop social inclusion and facilitate access to employment, education and leisure throughout the world.

For 65 years, the Group has been working alongside cities and regions to contribute to their development by creating, improving and modernising their infrastructure and transport systems, throughout the life cycle of their projects. SYSTRA is involved from the earliest stages of design through to the testing, deployment and maintenance phases. The company provides all its services in over 80 countries worldwide and generates 74% of its turnover internationally. With its new services, SYSTRA supports its clients and partners in their digital, ecological and energy transition, in order to invent the mobility of tomorrow.

Context

SYSTRA’s Mobility & Railway Business Unit is anticipating future growth, with potential rail projects in the pipeline. To prepare for these possible opportunities, we are interested in connecting with experienced Engineering and Design Managers who could support our teams and contribute to our mobility solutions.

The Engineering & Design Manager will lead and manage all engineering and design activities for a major conventional long-distance rail project, ensuring delivery of high-quality, compliant, and innovative technical solutions within schedule and budget. The role requires strong leadership, multidisciplinary coordination skills, and proven experience managing large rail design projects, ideally in the Middle East.

Missions/Main Duties

• Design Leadership & Coordination
• Lead the planning, coordination, and delivery of all engineering and design activities, ensuring integration of track, civil, structural, systems, and station designs.
• Oversee and approve all technical deliverables, ensuring they meet international and local standards, client specifications, and regulatory requirements.
• Work closely with project stakeholders, including consultants, contractors, and client representatives, to align engineering solutions with project objectives.
• Project Management
• Develop and manage scope, schedule, risk, and resources for the design team.
• Monitor progress, manage change, and ensure timely preparation of reports for internal and external stakeholders.
• Maintain adherence to project quality systems, design review processes, and document control standards.
• Technical Excellence
• Lead value engineering and innovation initiatives to optimize design and deliver cost-effective solutions.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to the engineering and design teams, ensuring best practices are applied across all disciplines.
• Serve as the primary technical escalation point for the project.
• Ensure the design consistency and quality across the various countries and technical teams involved.
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Liaise with government authorities, regulatory bodies, and third parties to secure design approvals and permits.
• Facilitate collaboration between design, construction, commercial, and operational teams to ensure seamless project delivery.
• Compliance & Risk Management
• Ensure all designs adhere to relevant health and safety regulations, codes, and standards.
• Identify and mitigate design and engineering risks, ensuring robust QA/QC and change management processes are in place.
  
  

Profile/Skills

• Education: Bachelor’s (required) or Master’s (preferred) degree in Civil Engineering or a related rail engineering discipline.
• Experience:
• Minimum 20 years’ experience in rail engineering and design, with strong track record on conventional long-distance rail projects.
• At least 5 years in a leadership role overseeing multidisciplinary teams.
• Proven experience delivering major rail or linear infrastructure projects in the Middle East is highly desirable.
• Skills:
• Deep knowledge of international and Middle East rail design codes, standards, and approval processes.
• Strong leadership, stakeholder management, and communication skills.
• Proficiency with digital design tools, BIM, and experience implementing Common Data Environments (CDE).
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
  
  

Desirable

• Chartered Engineer status or equivalent professional membership.
• Experience with sustainability strategies and digital engineering for rail infrastructure.
• Fluency in English; Arabic language skills an advantage.
  
  

Systra is an equal opportunities company; this position is open to all applicants.