Job Abstract

Your success is a train ride away!

As we move America’s workforce toward the future, Amtrak connects businesses and communities across the country. We employ more than 20,000 diverse, energetic professionals in a variety of career fields throughout the United States. The safety of our passengers, our employees, the public and our operating environment is our priority, and the success of our railroad is due to our employees.

Are you ready to join our team?

Our values of ‘Do the Right Thing, Excel Together and Put Customers First’ are at the heart of what matters most to us, and our Core Capabilities, ‘Building Trust, Accountability, Effective Communication, Customer Focus, and Proactive Safety & Security’ are what every employee needs to know and do to be most impactful at Amtrak. By living the Amtrak values, focusing on our capabilities, and actively embracing and fostering diverse ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives, together we will honor our past and make Amtrak a company of the future.

SUMMARY OF DUTIES:

The Northeast Corridor Commission is seeking a highly motivated candidate to join its hard-working and enthusiastic staff. The Commission was established by Congress in the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 to coordinate among agencies that share the region’s core rail network. While the Commission is administratively hosted by Amtrak, it is an independent team of transportation professionals.

This position will manage the Commission’s work activities in support of CONNECT NEC program implementation. CONNECT NEC is a pioneering planning process led by the Commission that integrates capital investments and service plans across the NEC’s four infrastructure owners and nine passenger rail operators. With historic funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), stakeholders are now able to advance many long-deferred critical state of good repair and improvement projects as part of the most ambitious NEC capital investment program in decades.

The Commission is committed to supporting its members in advancing projects and programs efficiently and addressing inter-agency coordination challenges. This role will manage the Commission’s work activities in support of CONNECT NEC program implementation, which presently include collecting, sharing, and analyzing data on project schedules, resource requirements, and interagency coordination activities. This role will also oversee the development and management of a public dashboard summarizing project timelines and key performance indicators and support leadership in growing the Commission’s implementation support role as more projects progress through design and construction with IIJA funding.

The role requires knowledge of capital planning and infrastructure project delivery in a railroad environment, strong organizational and communication skills, meticulous attention to detail, expertise in data analytics, and experience managing stakeholders in a political environment.

This position can be located in Washington, DC, New York City or Philadelphia. Travel will be up to about 20%. Applicants should submit a resume and cover letter at the link provided.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Manage the Commission’s work activities in support of CONNECT NEC program implementation, which presently include collecting, sharing, and analyzing data from project sponsors and stakeholders on project schedules, resource requirements, and interagency coordination activities.
• Manager the Commission’s Public Dashboard
• Support leadership in growing the Commission’s implementation support role as more projects and programs progress through design and construction with IIJA funding.
• Identify interagency coordination issues that put the overall program schedule at risk. Troubleshoot and facilitate resolution of potential risks by working collaboratively with all affected parties, elevating issues through leadership levels as necessary and appropriate.
• Support the development of effective project/program implementation coordination processes within Commission member agencies.
• Manage day-to-day activities of consultants supporting the Commission’s program implementation work; ensure that deliverables are on time and on budget.
• Support working groups and other coordination activities with staff at various levels and in various roles and departments at stakeholder agencies as they gather, develop, refine, and communicate their service and infrastructure plans.
• Support other Commission initiatives to ensure program implementation activities align with, and support future iterations of CONNECT NEC plans, five-year Capital Investment Plans, quarterly and annual reports, and implementation of the NEC Commuter and Intercity Rail Cost Allocation Policy.

• Support the development of Commission reports, presentations, and other materials through data analysis and the development of written material.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, transportation planning, public administration, or business management from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum 9 years of relevant work experience, ideally with the passenger rail or public transportation industry. Relevant master’s degree may count towards years of experience.
• Strong critical thinking and analytical abilities.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Word, and Power BI.
• Interest in and ability to learn SQL and other programming languages.
• Ability to analyze and integrate large data sets (both quantitative and qualitative) sourced from various agencies and departments within agencies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Consensus-based stakeholder facilitation and coordination skills.
• Ability to translate technical analyses into meaningful and appropriate information for different audiences and purposes (staff-level coordination, executive-level action, education for elected officials and the public, etc.).
• Knowledge of rail infrastructure, construction projects and practices, and operations along the Northeast Corridor.
• Experience with project and program management software, such as Primavera P6 and Blue Beam. Interest in expanding working knowledge of these and other software programs as needed to meet evolving needs.
• Ability to solve problems independently, identify potential process improvements, and work in a highly collaborative team environment.

• Ability to multi-task effectively while remaining flexible in a fast-paced environment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in engineering, transportation planning, public policy/administration, or business management.
• Direct experience with SQL and other programming languages.
• Direct experience in passenger rail, freight rail, or transit.
• Direct experience managing consultants in the delivery of professional service-related projects.

• Understanding or experience with NEC Commission activities.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Travel: Up to 20%.

• Location: Washington DC, New York City, or Philadelphia

COMMUNICATIONS AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:

• Must have excellent oral and written communication skills.

The salary/hourly range is $113,200 - $146,664. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, internal equity, etc. Depending on an employee’s assigned worksite or location, Amtrak may consider a geo-pay differential to be applied to the employee’s base salary. In addition to your salary, Amtrak offers a comprehensive benefit package that includes health, dental, and vision plans; health savings accounts; wellness programs; flexible spending accounts; 401K retirement plan with employer match; life insurance; short and long term disability insurance; paid time off; back-up care; adoption assistance; surrogacy assistance; reimbursement of education expenses; Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility; Railroad Retirement sickness and retirement benefits; and rail pass privileges. Learn more about our benefits offerings here.?

The Northeast Corridor Commission has been administratively hosted by Amtrak since 2011. Applicants should submit all materials through the Amtrak system.

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Requisition ID:161759
Posting Location(s):District of Columbia
Job Family/Function:Government Affairs 
Relocation Offered:No 
Travel Requirements:Up to 25% 
 

You power our progress through your performance.
 

We want your work at Amtrak to be more than a job. We want your career at Amtrak to be a fulfilling experience where you find challenging work, rewarding opportunities, respect among colleagues, and attractive compensation. Amtrak maintains a culture that values high performance and recognizes individual employee contributions. 

Amtrak is committed to a safe workplace free of drugs and alcohol. All Amtrak positions requires a pre-employment background check that includes prior employment verification, a criminal history check and a pre-employment drug screen. 

Candidates who test positive for marijuana will be disqualified, regardless of any state or local statute, ordinance, regulation, or other law that legalizes or decriminalizes the use or possession of marijuana, whether for medical, recreational, or other use. Amtrak's pre-employment drug testing program is administered in accordance with DOT regulations and applicable law.  

In accordance with DOT regulations (49 CFR § 40.25), Amtrak is required to obtain prior drug and alcohol testing records for applicants/employees intending to perform safety-sensitive duties for covered Department of Transportation positions. If an applicant/employee refuses to provide written consent for Amtrak to obtain these records, the individual will not be permitted to perform safety-sensitive functions.

In accordance with federal law governing security checks of covered individuals for providers of public transportation (Title 6 U.S.C. §1143), Amtrak is required to screen applicants for any permanent or interim disqualifying criminal offenses. 

Note that any education requirement listed above may be deemed satisfied if you have an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Amtrak is an EOE/Affirmative Action Minority/Female employer, and we welcome all to apply. We consider candidates regardless of race/color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions), national origin/ethnicity, age, disability (intellectual, mental and physical), veteran status, marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, genetic information, citizenship or any other personal characteristics protected by law.