Rail Operations Planning Lead

STV is seeking a Rail Operations Planning Lead to join our Systems Department in our New York City office. This role is ideal for a highly experienced operations planning professional with a strong background in rail and transit systems, responsible for leading the development of operational strategies that support safe, efficient, and reliable transportation networks.

In this role, you will serve as a discipline lead, driving rail operations planning efforts across major infrastructure programs. You will work closely with engineering, systems integration, and client stakeholders to define operational concepts, optimize service plans, and ensure that infrastructure and systems designs align with long-term operational goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development of rail operations plans, including service planning, headways, scheduling strategies, and capacity analysis for transit and rail systems.

• Serve as the technical lead for operations planning, coordinating with systems engineering, signals, communications, traction power, and infrastructure teams to ensure fully integrated project delivery.

• Develop and evaluate operating concepts, simulation models, and performance metrics to optimize system efficiency, reliability, and throughput.

• Coordinate with clients, operators, and stakeholders to define operational requirements, constraints, and service objectives.

• Support systems integration and interface management, ensuring alignment between operational plans and system design/implementation.

• Lead and contribute to technical reports, studies, and planning documentation, including operational analyses and feasibility studies.

• Provide project leadership, including scope development, scheduling, budget support, and risk identification for operations planning tasks.

• Mentor and guide junior staff, fostering development in operations planning methodologies and best practices.

• Participate in client presentations, workshops, and stakeholder coordination efforts as a senior representative of the firm.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Transportation Planning, Engineering, Operations Research, or a related field.

• 10+ years of experience in rail or transit operations planning, service planning, or systems operations analysis.

• Demonstrated experience developing rail operations plans, service schedules, and capacity analyses.

• Strong understanding of rail/transit systems, including signaling, dispatching, and operational constraints.

• Experience working on large-scale transit or rail infrastructure projects.

• Strong communication and leadership skills with the ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary teams and external stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with rail operations simulation tools and modeling platforms.

• Background supporting major transit agencies (e.g., commuter rail, subway, or light rail systems).

• Professional certification or advanced degree in Transportation Planning, Engineering, or related discipline.

• Experience leading complex planning efforts on capital programs or system expansions.

Compensation Range:

STV offers the following benefits • Health insurance, including an option with a Health Savings Account • Dental insurance • Vision insurance • Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare, Dependent Care and Transit and Parking where applicable) • Disability insurance • Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment • 401(k) Plan • Retirement Counseling • Employee Assistance Program • Paid Time Off (starting at 16 days) • Paid Holidays (9 days) • Back-Up Dependent Care (up to 10 days per year) • Parental Leave (up to 80 hours) • Continuing Education Program • Professional Licensure and Society Memberships

STV is committed to paying all of its employees in a fair, equitable, and transparent manner. The listed pay range is STV’s good-faith salary estimate for this position. Please note that the final salary offered for this position may be outside of this published range based on many factors, including but not limited to geography, education, experience, and/or certifications.

Not sure this role is the perfect match? We encourage you to apply if STV’s work and values resonate with you. We know great candidates don’t always meet every qualification, and research shows women and people of color are less likely to apply unless they do. At STV, we believe strong talent comes from a wide range of backgrounds, and your skills and experience may align with this or another opportunity as we continue to grow.