Manager, Rapid Transit Engineering

Job Number: 4672 Job Type: Full-Time Vacancy Reason: Net New Location: 20 Weber St E - 20 Weber Job Category: Transportation Number of Positions: 1 Department: Rapid Transit Engineering Division: Transportation Services Hours of Work: 35 Work Schedule: Mon-Fri, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM, hybrid: 3 days in-office / 2 days remote Grade: Management/Management Support Grade 09 Salary Range: $126,763.00 - $158,449.20 annually Posting Date: July 20, 2026 Closing Date: July 27, 2026 at 11:59pm (internals only) About Us! The Region of Waterloo is a thriving, diverse community committed to fostering opportunities for current and future generations. Waterloo Region is part of the Dish with One Spoon wampum, a treaty guiding our commitment to: Taking only what we need Leaving some for others Keeping the dish clean This agreement underpins our vision, mission, and core value, and reinforces our dedication to meaningful reconciliation and equity. Waterloo Region is home to over 674,000 residents and expected to grow to nearly one million by 2051. Guided by our 2023-2027 Strategic Plan , “Growing with Care,” we prioritize homes for all, climate aligned growth, equitable services and opportunities and a resilient and future ready organization. Our mission is to provide essential services that enhance the quality of life for all residents, while our core value emphasizes caring for people and the land we share. Join us and be part of a team dedicated to making a meaningful difference in our community. The Role Manages and coordinates various aspects of Waterloo Region’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) extension project, applying technical and engineering knowledge in the planning, design, procurement, construction, financing, and operations and maintenance stages. Manages programs, policies, and procedures to integrate rapid transit with conventional transit. Duties/Responsibilities Leads the procurement, evaluation, selection, and management of engineering consultants, technical advisors, and delivery partners, ensuring project solutions are practical, constructible, commercially sound, and aligned with approved cost, schedule, risk, and performance objectives. Provides delivery leadership and accountability throughout the project lifecycle. Manages the development and continuous refinement of business cases, ensuring recommendations remain aligned with project scope, affordability, constructability, risk exposure, and delivery timelines. Prepares and presents recommendations to Committees and Council. Manages project delivery strategies, governance and decision-making frameworks, performance measures, standards, procedures, and best practices that strengthen accountability, improve execution, and support successful project outcomes. Initiates operational and procedural changes as required to improve project performance and manage delivery risks. Manages engineering, planning, design, procurement, construction, testing, and commissioning of rapid transit projects from concept to commissioning. Manages infrastructure and integration with systems, including civil works, rail infrastructure, utilities, traffic systems, and operational interfaces. Ensures delivery solutions are technically sound, constructible, safe, commercially viable, and aligned with approved project objectives. Participates in procurement strategy development, delivery model evaluation, contract packaging, bid evaluation, and commercial decision-making. Collaborates on procurement and delivery options to optimize project outcomes, allocate risk appropriately, and improve schedule and cost certainty. Manages project risk activities, including identification, analysis, mitigation, ownership, and monitoring of technical, commercial, operational, interface, and construction risks. Evaluates and recommends that risk considerations are actively integrated into project planning, design development, procurement strategies, cost estimates, scheduling, and prepares necessary justification for senior decision-making. Represents the Region as the senior technical and project delivery authority in regulatory, environmental, and quasi-judicial proceedings. Defends project recommendations and provides expert testimony before tribunals, boards, and regulatory agencies as required. Additional Duties/Responsibilities Manages project adherence with environmental assessment processes, regulatory compliance, and project approvals. Ensures environmental, operational, constructability, stakeholder, and delivery considerations are effectively monitored throughout project development and implementation. Collaborates with regional departments, area municipalities, transit operators, utility companies, developers, and external stakeholders to ensure rapid transit investments are integrated with broader transportation, operational, urban development, and infrastructure objectives. Provides technical and delivery advice for leadership related to adjacent development applications, transit-oriented development, station area planning, and infrastructure interfaces. Serves as a visible manager in project safety, promoting a culture of accountability, hazard identification, risk mitigation, and continuous improvement throughout planning, design, construction, testing, and commissioning activities. Ensures safety considerations remain fundamental to all project decisions and delivery strategies. Supports public engagement activities, open houses, stakeholder meetings, and Council presentations by communicating technical, delivery, risk, schedule, and cost considerations. Responds to complex public, political, and stakeholder concerns and supports media communications related to project delivery. Participates in the development and administration of long-term capital plans, delivery programs, operating policies, resource strategies, budgets, expenditure forecasts, and implementation schedules. Collaborates with internal and external resources to achieve project objectives while managing adherence to scope, schedule, budget, quality, safety, and risk performance. Assumes professional responsibility for managing the integrity of the rapid transit system design and construction through the application of professional engineering judgment, seal, and signature. Manages within approved engineering standards, technical requirements, quality assurance programs, maintenance criteria, and performance standards governing project delivery. Manages the development and delivery of engineering designs, contract documents, technical specifications, procurement packages, construction contracts, and construction administration activities. Ensures all project elements meet technical, operational, safety, financial, commercial, and schedule requirements while supporting the successful integration of related capital projects. Performs related duties as required. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Knowledge and skills are acquired through a university degree in Civil Engineering, plus progressively responsible related experience. Must be licensed and in good standing as a Professional Engineer with Professional Engineers Ontario. Participates in activities to maintain professional license. Knowledge and skills in rapid transit engineering, transportation engineering and planning, project management, official plans, analytical modelling, and research techniques and methodologies. Demonstrated experience managing large-scale public sector projects, including experience with major delivery models, procurement strategy/bid evaluation, and commercial leadership. Demonstrated experience in light rail transit design and construction. Strong understanding of integrated systems (e.g., civil, rail, operations). Experience in critical risk analysis including active ownership of risks and integration into decision-making and practices. Knowledge of contract administration and claims management practices. Knowledge of and ability to comply with policies, procedures, collective agreements, Official Plans, Regional Transportation Master Plan, utility agreements, contract law, and related legislation (e.g., Ontario Traffic Manuals, Planning Act, Public Vehicles Act, Highway Traffic Act, Environmental Assessment Act, Municipal Act, Construction Lien Act, health and safety). Analytical, project management, problem-solving, and continuous improvement skills to plan and develop objectives and determine goals, including administrative, technical, operational, and financial matters; organize and coordinate simultaneous projects; select and assign staff to achieve goals and objectives; and analyze claims and reports with contractor(s). Leadership, human relations, negotiation, and public relations skills. Ability to manage, develop, motivate, train, and support staff and project teams. Additional Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Ability to advance priorities and balance objectives in a political environment, resolve issues with area municipalities and the public, negotiate with developers, area municipalities, utilities, special interest groups, property owners, and government agencies; administer contracts with contractors and consultants, conduct public meetings; prepare and conduct presentations for public and committee meetings, Council, and the media, and participate as an effective team member. Ability to interpret detailed documents and correspondence. Ability to write clear, concise, detailed policy and procedure manuals, design specifications, agreements, reports, contracts, memos, and other correspondence. Computer skills with ability to use software such as Microsoft Office, GIS, database management tools, and transportation demand forecasting models (e.g., TransCAD). Ability to alter working hours to include evenings and weekends for open houses and public meetings. Ability to travel within and outside Waterloo Region. Ability to support and demonstrate the Region’s values. Region of Waterloo is committed to building a workforce through fair, equitable, and accessible hiring practices that allow us to hire qualified staff who reflect the diversity of the community we serve and to promote a respectful, inclusive, and equitable workplace. We invite all interested individuals to apply and actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity, including, but not limited to: First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, and all other Indigenous peoples; members of groups that commonly experience discrimination due to race, ancestry, religion and/or spiritual beliefs, or place of origin; persons with visible and/or invisible (physical and/or mental) disabilities; persons who identify as women; and persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions For questions or to request accommodations during your recruitment, onboarding or employment, please contact [email protected] , or by calling our Service First Contact Centre at phone number (519) 575-4400. Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Hiring Process: Region of Waterloo may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to enhance efficiency during the recruitment process. However, applications will also be reviewed by a member of our Talent Acquisition team to ensure a fair and thorough assessment. AI does not make final hiring decisions. Please note: candidates will be provided an update on their application. Please check your spam or junk folder occasionally as some candidates have noticed our emails in those folders (Gmail and Hotmail in particular).