Program Mgr - 90370781 - Chicago

About the role

The Program Manager for the Chicago Hub Improvement Program (CHIP) will be responsible for identifying, gathering, and analyzing data to inform decisions on CHIP projects. Upon funding confirmation, this position will work with third parties on preliminary engineering, final design, and construction management documentation. This role will also assist in communications with USDOT/FRA, Midwest state DOTs, commuter and freight operators, suppliers, and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Communicate and collaborate with external stakeholders to determine project effectiveness and constructability.
• Build and maintain strong internal/external stakeholder relationships and regularly meet with partners to achieve buy-in and execute plans.
• Support preparation of EOI, RFQ, RFP, and related procurement documents for Architecture/Engineering services and construction contracts.
• Work with senior leaders to contribute relevant data to support annual planning activities.
• Provide financial project performance and forecast reports to senior executives and government regulators.
• Adhere to Amtrak Enterprise Project Management methodology and standards.
• Analyze challenges, problems, and process breakdowns to ensure lessons learned are used to improve project management and project delivery practices.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree required or equivalent combination of training, education and relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Plus, 7 years of relevant work experience.
• 9+ years of prior relevant experience preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with stakeholders, including state and local governments, as well as commuter and freight railroads.
• Experience in passenger railroads exhibiting progressive growth and increased responsibility in providing major project delivery services to the public.
• Knowledge of: Local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations governing the design, engineering, and construction of passenger railroad capital improvement projects.
• Project delivery, engineering, and maintenance roles, responsibilities, and requirements.
• Railroad systems including track, structures, communications, signals, and track usage procedures.
• Principles and practices of capital and operating budget preparation and administration.
• Principles and practices of public administration.
• Social, political, and environmental issues influencing capital programs.
• The Amtrak organization, Federal Railroad Administration, and the Midwest passenger rail network.

Skills and Abilities

• Expert knowledge and ability to effectively oversee scope, schedule, and budgets of potential and approved major capital programs.
• Working knowledge of theories, principles, and practices of passenger railroad system operations, infrastructure, and maintenance.
• Drive Stakeholder Collaboration: Foster partnerships to support scoping, budgeting, and resource allocation decisions aligned with strategic goals.
• Manage Dependencies and Risks: Identify and mitigate cross-organizational and vendor-driven dependencies and risks through structured processes and executive engagement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent quantitative and analytical skills.
• Strong leadership skills, with proven ability to build teams, and lead technically and/or politically challenging projects.
• Expert ability to properly structure and resource projects and programs to ensure safe, effective execution.
• Master of collaboration, team building, and strategic alignment across all levels of both internal and external organizations and with a track record of successful and diplomatic coordination across stakeholders with competing objectives.
• Experience working with government agencies and organizations.
• Knowledge of project management, program development, implementation and administration for improvement and maintenance projects.

Benefits

Pay: $113,200.00 – $146,664.00
Health and Wellbeing: Financial and Retirement Work and Family Life Support
Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
401K with Employer Match
Generous Paid Time Off
Wellness Programs
Railroad Retirement Benefits
Paid Caregiving Days and Backup Care
Health Savings Account
Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness
Fertility and Family Building Benefits
Relocation Offered: No
Travel Requirements: Up to 25%