Solution Engineering Manager

Description

The solution engineering manager leads the engineering side of a bid or project, acting as the technical focal point and holding decision authority for engineering delivery.

The role directs the engineering team to meet schedule, financial and quality targets, and needs a solid mix of technical and management skills to ensure solutions approved by the project design authority (PDA) are estimated accurately during bids and delivered to plan and budget during projects.

During bids, the role is the technical lead for engineering deliverables and consolidates estimates across all signalling disciplines, including checking that design artifacts match the PDA-endorsed solution and that cost estimates are validated by the heads of department.

During projects, the role is the focal point for the engineering process across multidisciplinary signalling work, overseeing resolution of issues and conflicts across the whole system and running delivery activities, including engineering gate reviews.

This role may be combined with the project manager and/or PDA role, depending on project size.

The company operates worldwide and works on digital transformation and technology.

Responsibilities

• During bids, drive technical activities and manage technical milestones such as the Solutions Orientation Review (SOR).
• Check that the design matches the technical solution and the NRCs set by the PDA.
• Help the capture lead and bid manager define the detailed scope split.
• Consolidate and review functional engineering estimates covering hours, technical risks and opportunities, assumptions, offer conditions, hardware and third-party costs.
• Manage Bill of Quantities (BOQ) inputs with the engineering functional teams.
• Support the bid manager at milestones by contributing slides and attending meetings such as BKO, BBR, CCR, Gates 1 to 3 and handover to project.
• Work with the capture lead, sales team and PDA to present and clarify the technical solution to customers and attend workshops.
• Identify and manage technical risks and opportunities during the bid.
• Take on extra engineering roles such as PDA, system, hardware design or solution estimator when skills and need require.
• Produce the bid deliverables: engineering schedule and roadmap, engineering summary estimate with sign-off sheet, and the Systems Engineering Management Plan (SEMP).
• Coordinate deliverables produced by others: Design Validation Authorization (DVA), Technical Description (TD), system architecture drawings, installation SoWs, subcontract and major item procurement specifications, interface documents (VOBC/ZC/ATS ICDs, VOBC BBI), technical compliance matrices, and loading technical and programmatic requirements into the requirements management tool with attributes populated.
• During projects, lead and direct the assigned engineering team to deliver to time, cost and quality, tracking progress with the right KPIs.
• Define and deliver the engineering strategy, plan and implementation within the agreed scope, schedule and cost baseline.
• Oversee cost and time estimates for project activities against business and customer goals.
• Write the SEMP, organise co-engineering, and approve lower-level engineering plans, including those flowed down to subcontractors and partners within the engineering work packages.
• Define the system development life cycle and the processes, practices and tools for the project, based on the business line or domain reference system and tailored to project constraints.
• Make sure processes, practices and tools are applied correctly to company, legal, regulatory and international standards (including CENELEC) as set out in the project plans.
• Make sure design and other technical certification is coordinated, complete, consistent with the installed base, and ready for business approval and customer delivery.
• Deploy the company-level Engineering Performance Plan within the project, monitor competitiveness KPIs and lead corrective actions when needed.
• Support the project or programme director in managing change, variations, risks, opportunities, recovery and acceleration that affect engineering delivery.
• With the functional engineering teams, plan the engineering workload and mobilise and release project engineers on time. Raise any skill gaps with the managers.
• Lead interfaces with the client's engineering teams and other external parties to integrate and migrate the full engineering solution into its infrastructure and related projects.
• Close corrective actions and observations on engineering delivery and the solution promptly and fully.
• Support project capitalisation and lessons-learned activities.

Requirements

• Strong written and spoken English.
• 5+ years delivering system-level signalling projects.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Proven skill in customer communication and technical management.
• Experience managing people.
• Experience managing work packages.
• Experience in the bid process.
• Experience designing software-heavy and safety-critical systems.
• Experience with CENELEC standards.
• College or university graduate.
• Preferred: PMP or IPMA certification.
• Preferred: engineering degree.

Conditions

Full-time role based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, working in a hybrid arrangement.

Base salary between $114,000 and $147,000.

Job ID R0147147, posted 2026-10-27, for the company Rail Canada Inc.

Job category: Engineering & Science.

This posting fills an existing vacancy.

Hiring uses both human and AI-assisted tools for screening and assessment, but people review all results and make all hiring decisions.

Equal opportunity employer: all differences in background are welcomed.

Benefits

• Health, dental and vision plans, with 100% of premiums paid by the company.
• Retirement savings plan with a company match.
• Company-paid holidays and 3 weeks of vacation.
• Company-provided life and accident insurance, plus long-term disability cover.
• Work-life programmes such as flextime, plus development and training opportunities.
• Extensive benefits for full-time employees working 24 or more hours a week, and their eligible dependents.