Systems Engineer (Naperville)

Req ID:471437 

At Alstom, we understand transport networks and what moves people. From high-speed trains, metros, monorails, and trams, to turnkey systems, services, infrastructure, signalling and digital mobility, we offer our diverse customers the broadest portfolio in the industry. Every day, more than 80 000 colleagues lead the way to greener and smarter mobility worldwide, connecting cities as we reduce carbon and replace cars.

We create smart innovations to meet the mobility challenges of now and the future. We design and manufacture a complete range of transportation systems, from high-speed trains to electric buses, autonomous subways, signalling and digital mobility solutions. Joining us means joining a truly global community of more than 70,000 people dedicated to solving real-world mobility challenges and achieving international projects with sustainable local impact.

Alstom has an opening for a railway vehicle Systems Engineer. The position is posted for our Naperville, IL site. In Alstom Services, our focus is to provide excellence in customer support and develop innovative mobility solutions.

What are my responsibilities?

The System Engineer is responsible for delivering high performance engineering solutions within agreed timelines and budget to support business and broad company objectives.

In this role you are responsible for the successful application and delivery of integrated vehicle systems as assigned by the Train System Engineer or equivalent.

You demonstrate knowledge and capability across a range of vehicle systems and the aptitude to embrace new challenges and subject matter as required by the project. Your primary work domains are for train communications and passenger information systems, as well and vehicle data acquisition and telematics.

You define the system functional, electrical, and mechanical requirements in line with the train architecture and customer requirements. You also work in compliance with engineering processes and regulatory standards. You are confident in writing detailed system requirements specifications and in leading internal and customer system design reviews.

You also perform a complete system reliability, maintainability, and safety analysis to ensure a fully integrated, safe & compliant system design. You liaise with other engineers and experts to ensure compliance with the appropriate Industry Standards. You support the Train System Engineer with design optimizations and risk mitigations.

You are able to author and review system functional requirements, interface documentation between internal and external train systems and create both networking and subsystem diagrams.  A strong competency in vehicle network topologies, protocols, and industry best-practices is necessary to be successful in this role.

You work with Train Control and Schematics engineers to ensure electrical functions and systems interfaces are adequately integrated. You also provide technical support to the Production Line, Procurement and Quality teams.

Ultimately you are accountable for the system global performance. You develop system verification plans & procedures, and support the test team with train-level validation. You ensure each system requirement is properly incorporated, verified and functional.

You provide technical support to the bids team by identifying adequate technical solutions, and estimating associated costs and schedules.   

You organize and structure your personal workload to achieve consistent on-time delivery against the Engineering plan and with the support of the Train System Domain Leader.

Your responsibilities include:

• Technically leading the whole system design lifecycle from conceptual solution to serial production phase
• Ensuring system design compliance with applicable standards for safety, reliability and maintainability
• Defining network topologies, system block diagrams and communications solutions to meet the customer requirements.
• Authoring and reviewing system functional requirements and system interface documentation.
• Reporting project progress and supporting the Train System Engineer with design optimization and risks mitigation
• Ensuring the complete implementation and functional verification of all system requirements
• Applying Train System metier processes as defined by Domain Leader with associated methodologies and tools to ensure efficiency within project execution
• Challenging project peers while improving processes and proposing optimizations. Promoting continuous improvement initiatives

Travel of up to 10% may be required to support business meetings, Production Line support, or Validation and Test activities. 

What do I need to qualify for this job?

In this role, you are expected to build effective working relationships across a diverse engineering team, with the ultimate goal of delivering complex and innovative engineering solutions that meet our customer needs.

The System Engineer ensures that comprehensive and effective solutions are defined and is accountable for overall system performance and integration. The System Engineer also ensures deliverables are provided in line with schedule and financial aspects.

You are versatile, autonomous, resourceful, with hands-on experience and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.

Minimum Qualifications  

• At least 8 years of experience in vehicle systems engineering
• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, or equivalent combination of training
• Experience with transit vehicle passenger information and communication systems

Preferred Qualifications

• 12 years of experience with railway vehicle systems integration and application
• Experience with railway vehicle networking and communications solutions
• Experience with systems software design and associated processes or standards (ISO/IEC 15288)
• Knowledge of Alstom Design for Quality processes

You don’t need to be a train enthusiast to thrive with us. We guarantee that when you step onto one of our trains with your friends or family, you’ll be proud. If you’re up for the challenge, we’d love to hear from you!

Important to note

As a global business, we’re an equal-opportunity employer that celebrates diversity across the 63  countries we operate in. We’re committed to creating an inclusive workplace for everyone.