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Assistant Engineer (Electrical) - Transit Division - SF Municipal Transportation Agency (5203)

About:


The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA or “the agency”) connects San Franciscans with their communities to enhance the economy, environment and, ultimately, the quality of life in the city. As an agency within the City and County of San Francisco, the SFMTA is responsible for managing the city’s transportation network. The agency has more than 6,000 employees who are responsible for the management of all ground and some underground transportation in the city. The SFMTA has oversight over public transit, as well as bicycling, paratransit, parking and curb management, street operations, walking, and taxis.

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Temporary Exempt - This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer. The duration of the appointment shall not exceed 36 months.

  • Division: Transit Division
  • Section/Unit: Transit Program Delivery; Transit Technology
  • Work Location: 1455 Market Street, 7th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103
  • Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 8:30AM- 5:30PM

The Transit Division is currently in the process of developing and procuring a new Communications-Based Train Control system (CBTC). The Transit Program Delivery unit within the Transit Division was created in 2018 to oversee capital program and project budgets, manage vehicle and onboard equipment projects, testing and acceptance of rolling stock and technology projects that will deliver high-quality, cost-effective solutions which improve safety and the Agency’s ability to deliver quality transit service. Within the Transit Program Delivery unit, the Transit Technology Group handles the procurement, delivery, acceptance, and management of technology systems which are critical to transit operations.

The Train Control Upgrade Project is a 9-year, multimillion dollar project with the goal of replacing the existing Automatic Train Control System in Muni’s subways with a modern CBTC and expanding the supervision and limited control aspects of the Communications-Based Train Control System to the entire Muni light rail system.

Role description

Under the general direction of the Lead Train Control Vehicle Engineer, the Assistant Engineer will support the integration of the new CBTC system with the Siemens LRV4 vehicles, historic streetcars, and non-revenue (hy-railer) vehicles. The Assistant Engineer will support the successful design, fitment, and testing of all onboard equipment necessary to fully install the system on the vehicles as well as any safety recertification of the vehicles necessary to implement the new CBTC system and satisfy CPUC and FTA requirements and will support project engineering reviews related to onboard equipment installation.

The Train Control Upgrade Project will be delivered through a series of contracts with the CBTC vendor (“Supplier”) and other firms providing installation, construction support, technical expertise, and professional services. The Assistant Engineer will participate in design activities with the Supplier and other contractors related to onboard vehicle equipment. The Assistant Engineer will review consultant designs for the onboard train control electrical and communications systems and plans for integrating the train control system with the light rail vehicles.

The Assistant Engineer will also work with the vehicle manufacturer and the train control supplier to ensure quality integration between carborne train control equipment and the light rail vehicles. The Assistant Engineer will assist in the development of an installation plan to effect the deployment of the Supplier’s CBTC system equipment onboard SFMTA vehicles, and monitor execution of this plan.

In this capacity, the Assistant Engineer will perform systems engineering including failure analysis, project planning, testing, diagnostics, and performance analysis.

Examples of Important and Essential Duties:

  • Participates in activities supporting of the train control system with the Siemens LRV4s, historic streetcars and non-revenue vehicles, including design, fitment, and testing;
  • Works with the CBTC System Supplier with the LRV manufacturer (Siemens) and vehicle onboard equipment installers to support installation and vehicle integration;
  • Evaluates the CBTC System Supplier’s technical designs and installation materials for the historic streetcars and non-revenue vehicles.
  • Contributes to technical reviews between the CBTC System Supplier, the LRV manufacturer, and onboard equipment installers;
  • Responds to technical RFIs related to vehicle onboard integration and equipment, drafts responses  and clarifications to project contractors;
  • Reviews and comments on vehicle-related technical documents and correspondence from the CBTC System Supplier, the LRV manufacturer, and other project contractors;
  • Assists in the development of the migration and installation plan for equipping the entire LRV4 fleet with train control system equipment;
  • Assists in the development of the migration and installation plan for equipping the historic streetcars and non-revenue vehicles with train control system equipment;
  • Works with Rail Maintenance and SFMTA staff at the transit yards to coordinate and schedule work activities by the onboard equipment installer(s) for fitting of equipment on the vehicles;
  • Witnesses testing of train control system equipment on the vehicles and assists the project QA team in assessing the quality of installed components;
  • Tracks completion of technical requirements and evaluates the system and individual subsystems and components for acceptance;
  • Analyzes and solves electrical and vehicle sub-systems problems, such as power, EMI connectivity, and fitment for onboard train control system components;
  • Communicates with the CBTC System Supplier for technical support as needed to address system issues under warranty;
  • Analyzes related project schedules and budgets;
  • Reviews and manages workload assignment to consultants, junior staff and interns as required;
  • Performs other duties as required.

How to qualify

These minimum qualifications establish the education, training, experience, special skills and/or license(s) which are required for employment in the classification. Please note, additional qualifications (i.e., special conditions) may apply to a particular position and will be stated on the exam/job announcement.

  • Possession of a baccalaureate degree or graduate degree in the field of Electrical Engineering AND
  • One (1) year of verifiable professional engineering experience performing at least three of the following tasks:
    • Preparing or assisting in preparing studies, designs, drawings, sketches, and plans using AutoCAD and other software tools.
    • Collecting data to assess project needs and define project scope through site visits, surveying, review of existing documents, reports, drawing and manuals, performing measurements, collecting samples, or/and interviews with the stakeholders.
    • Preparing or assisting in the preparation of contract specifications, lists of materials, cost estimates, schedules, and progress payments.
    • Preparing or assisting in the preparation of engineering reports and reports concerning field conditions, the progress of projects, the results of studies, and other matters.
    • Conducting data analyses and mathematical calculations, in order to determine type or size of material or equipment.
    • Conducting routine field inspections of construction and repair projects in progress to ensure conformance with plans, specifications and codes; checks and records work progress at various construction sites. AND
  • Possession of a valid Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certificate issued by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). OR
  • Possession of a Professional Engineer (PE) license in the field required for each specialty from the California Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists. AND
  • A valid California driver license.

Note: Internships, drafting experience and student design work do not qualify as professional engineering experience.

Desirable Qualifications:The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify candidates advancing to the interview process and/or to identify job finalist(s) at the end of the selection process when referred for hiring.

  • Master’s degree in transportation engineering, systems engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field.
  • Experience, education or training in reading engineering schematics and using AutoCAD to prepare designs, drawings, sketches, and plans.
  • Exposure to communication-based train control (CBTC) systems or other complex systems.
  • Experience, education or training in engineering rail vehicle onboard electronic communication systems, such as train control systems, or experience fitting transit vehicles with onboard electronic equipment;
  • Experience, education or training in relay-based and solid state low-voltage control system designs;
  • Experience, education or training in computer systems, computer networks, and communications/network systems;
  • Experience in planning programs and/or delivering services to communities impacted by social, structural, economic, educational, health, or other disparities.
  • An understanding of electric propulsion and braking methods and design;
  • Experience with field engineering, testing, or other hands-on engineering work;
  • Experience working as a contractor for public transit agencies or as an employee of a public transit agency;
  • Technical writing and editing experience; experience writing technical specifications and/or manuals;
  • Experience, education or training in using Microsoft Office products such as Excel, Outlook, and Word;
  • Experience, education or training interpreting and analyzing telematics data, using Python, SQL, Tableau or other tools to perform calculations and visualize data;
  • Ability to develop a working knowledge of complex systems quickly through ad-hoc training.
  • A genuine interest in transit and enthusiasm for improving a highly-utilized metropolitan rail system.
  • A disciplined, independent worker who can accomplish tasks with a minimum of supervision.
  • Excellent communications skills and ability to describe complex technical systems to laypersons.
  • Ability to work well with a multi-disciplinary, diverse workforce, including operations staff, maintenance technicians, technical professionals, contractors, executives and elected officials, and stakeholder groups.
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