Project Engineer, Overhead Contact System (OCS)

About Burns:

Burns Engineering provides professional engineering design and project management services for transportation, facilities, and infrastructure projects. We help our clients attain their strategic goals and initiatives through successful large-scale infrastructure projects.  Burns’ full-service capabilities include mechanical, electrical, civil, structural, transportation, and energy consulting engineering.

Recently voted a Top Workplace by Philly.com, we credit our strength as an organization to our talented, driven, vibrant team.  Burns is an ENR Top 500 Firm, and has been named an MEP Giant by Consulting-Specifying Engineer Magazine, as well as a Hot Firm by Zweig.  We are industry experts, proven leaders, innovative thinkers, and team players. We put our clients’ successes and best interests first, because their success is our success. We have fun at work because we love making a difference in the world.  We are looking for high-energy, bright, collaborative individuals who want the opportunity to “write their own story” with us.

Burns is currently seeking a Project Engineer, Overhead Contact System (OCS) to join our Transit and Rail Team in Sacramento, CA.

Position Summary

The Project Engineer, Overhead Contact System (OCS), provides engineering leadership for 25kV AC railway electrification systems on the California High-Speed Rail (CAHSR) Program. The position covers catenary systems, contact and messenger wire systems, cantilever assemblies, registration equipment, auto-tensioning systems, sectioning facilities, switching stations, neutral sections, overlap zones, grounding and bonding systems, traction return systems, and OCS monitoring systems.

In this role, the Project Engineer leads review of OCS designs, wiring plans, structure layouts, electrification studies, interface documentation, and construction packages, and reviews catenary layouts, structural interfaces, grounding and bonding requirements, electrical clearances, geometry requirements, system performance criteria, and dynamic interaction criteria. The position coordinates interfaces between OCS, traction power substations, SCADA, trackwork, structures, signaling, communications, stations, maintenance facilities, operations, and rolling stock, and provides engineering support during installation, testing, commissioning, and energization.

Reporting to the Project Manager, Overhead Contact System, the Project Engineer serves as the technical liaison between designers, contractors, suppliers, and operations stakeholders, and supplies the Program with verified electrification engineering deliverables and the technical evidence required for energization and system acceptance. The position is based in Sacramento, California, with travel of 25 to 50 percent along the alignment.

Position Responsibilities

• Develop and review OCS engineering deliverables, construction packages, technical specifications, interface documentation, design changes, and technical submissions


• Lead review of OCS designs, wiring plans, structure layouts, electrification studies, and construction packages


• Review catenary layouts, structural interfaces, grounding and bonding requirements, and electrical clearances


• Review geometry requirements, system performance requirements, and dynamic interaction criteria


• Coordinate interfaces between OCS, traction power, trackwork, structures, signaling, communications, and rolling stock


• Coordinate OCS interfaces with traction power substations, SCADA systems, stations, maintenance facilities, and operations


• Provide engineering support for 25kV AC OCS systems, catenary systems, contact wire systems, and messenger wire systems


• Provide engineering support for cantilever assemblies, registration equipment, and auto-tensioning systems


• Provide engineering support for sectioning facilities, switching stations, neutral sections, and overlap zones


• Provide engineering support for grounding and bonding systems, traction return systems, and OCS monitoring systems


• Provide engineering support during installation, testing, commissioning, and energization activities


• Support technical issue resolution, field design clarifications, and implementation challenges


• Review contractor technical submissions and turnover documentation


• Develop and review testing procedures, commissioning documentation, and energization programs


• Participate in Factory Acceptance Testing, Site Acceptance Testing, integrated testing, dynamic testing, and operational readiness activities, and review test results supporting system acceptance

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Railway Engineering, Systems Engineering, Civil Engineering, or a related discipline and a minimum of ten (10) years of railway electrification or OCS engineering experience


• Demonstrated experience supporting OCS systems from design through testing, commissioning, and final acceptance


• Experience reviewing engineering deliverables on large transportation infrastructure projects


• Strong working knowledge of railway electrification interfaces and operational requirements


• Experience reviewing catenary layouts, structure layouts, wiring plans, and electrification studies


• Working knowledge of grounding and bonding, traction return systems, and electrical clearance requirements


• Experience coordinating OCS interfaces with traction power, trackwork, structures, signaling, and rolling stock


• Experience developing and reviewing testing procedures, commissioning documentation, and energization programs


• Experience participating in Factory Acceptance Testing, Site Acceptance Testing, and integrated testing programs


• Strong technical writing, coordination, and stakeholder engagement skills


• Availability for travel of 25 to 50 percent along the alignment

Preferred Qualifications/ Certifications/ Licensures

• Professional Engineer (PE) licensure; additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of licensure


• High-speed rail project experience


• Experience delivering 25kV AC OCS systems


• Experience with high-speed catenary systems and electrification infrastructure


• Familiarity with EN standards, FRA requirements, and AREMA guidance


• Experience supporting dynamic testing and pantograph-catenary interaction assessment


• Experience supporting operational readiness activities and system certification


• Experience supporting entry into revenue service on an electrified passenger railway

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