Field Engineer, Overhead Contact System (OCS)

The role

The Field Engineer, Overhead Contact System (OCS) serves as the field representative for the installation, testing, energization, commissioning, and acceptance of 25kV AC railway electrification infrastructure. This person verifies OCS implementation, supports geometry verification, and reviews technical records for the California High-Speed Rail Program.

What you will do

• Provide field technical oversight of OCS implementation activities
• Support technical coordination between contractors, designers, traction power teams, track teams, structures teams, railway operators, and suppliers
• Review field conditions and support resolution of technical issues
• Support deployment and acceptance of contact wire systems, messenger wire systems, and cantilever assemblies
• Support deployment and acceptance of registration equipment, sectioning facilities, and disconnect switches
• Support deployment and acceptance of grounding and bonding systems, traction return systems, and associated electrification infrastructure
• Support geometry verification activities including wire height validation, stagger measurements, and clearance verification
• Support tensioning activities, grounding and bonding verification, and system readiness assessments
• Review technical records and turnover documentation supporting system acceptance
• Participate in testing programs including Factory Acceptance, Site Acceptance, continuity, grounding, high-voltage, integrated systems, dynamic, and pantograph interaction testing

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Railway Engineering, Systems Engineering, Civil Engineering, or a related discipline or demonstrable on-the-job work experience
• Minimum of ten (10) years of railway electrification or OCS experience
• Demonstrated experience supporting OCS systems through installation, testing, commissioning, energization, and acceptance
• Strong working knowledge of 25kV AC railway electrification systems, grounding and bonding, traction return systems, and OCS interfaces
• Experience supporting field delivery activities on major transportation infrastructure projects
• Experience with OCS geometry verification including wire height, stagger, clearance, and tensioning
• Experience reviewing technical records, test results, and turnover documentation supporting system acceptance
• Experience participating in continuity, grounding, and high-voltage testing programs
• Demonstrated ability to document deficiencies and drive corrective action closure in a field environment
• Strong communication, coordination, and stakeholder engagement skills
• Availability for local, national, and international travel of approximately 50 percent

Nice to have

• High-speed rail project experience
• Experience with high-speed catenary systems operating above 125 mph (200 km/h)
• Experience supporting Factory Acceptance Testing, Site Acceptance Testing, dynamic testing, and integrated commissioning programs
• Experience supporting pantograph-catenary interaction testing
• Knowledge of EN standards, FRA requirements, and railway electrification standards
• Experience supporting energization readiness and outage planning activities
• Experience supporting operational readiness and entry into revenue service
• Professional Engineer (PE) licensure or equivalent professional certification

About the company

Burns Engineering provides professional engineering design and project management services for transportation, facilities, and infrastructure projects. They are an ENR Top 500 Firm and an MEP Giant.