Program Mgr - 90370781 - Chicago
Chicago, IL, US, 60661
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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.
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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.
Job Summary
Reporting to the Director of Program Management, Infrastructure, the Program Manager for the Chicago Hub Improvement Program (CHIP) will first be responsible for identifying, gathering, and analyzing data needed to inform decisions on how CHIP projects should be finalized, prioritized, delivered, and scheduled. Upon funding confirmation of projects, this position will work with chosen third parties on Preliminary Engineering/NEPA, Final Design, and Construction Management documentation. This position works collaboratively with the Planning and Network Development teams, as well as Engineering, Transportation, State Supported, and Operations, and others, to assess potential projects’ effectiveness in improving Amtrak train access the Chicago area from all directions. Position will also assist in ongoing communications with USDOT/FRA, Midwest state DOTs, commuter and freight operators, suppliers, other third parties, and stakeholders to develop strategies, plans, funding and finance approaches, and partnerships to advance CHIP.
Essential Functions
- Communicate and collaborate with external stakeholders such as host railroads, FRA, state DOTs, and local agencies to determine effectiveness of projects planned to improve access in and out of Chicago area, as well as their constructability.
- Build and maintain strong internal/external stakeholder relationships and regularly meet with partners to achieve buy-in and execute plans. Draws upon the capabilities and resources of other departments to achieve objectives.
- Support preparation of EOI, RFQ, RFP, and related procurement documents for Architecture/Engineering services and construction contracts, and work with Procurement to negotiate award of contracts and change orders.
- 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 that lessons learned are used to improve project management and project delivery practices.
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:
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- 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.
Knowledge, 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.
Work Environment
The successful candidate will join a supportive and collaborative team of professionals with a strong commitment to public service. The successful candidate should model Amtrak’s core values to do the right thing, put customers first, and excel together. Minimum of four days’ in-office work per week is expected.
The salary/hourly range is $113,200.00 – $146,664.00. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, 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. Amtrak may offer additional incentive and pay programs to recognize and reward our employees, including a short-term incentive bonus based upon factors such as individual and company performance that is commensurate with the level of the position.
| 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 |
| No-cost Personal Health Advocate | Student Loan Assistance | Adoption and Surrogacy Assistance |
| Medical Plan Opt-out Credit | Tuition and Education Reimbursement | Paid Family Leave |
| Life Insurance | Rail Pass Privileges | |
| Short- and Long-term Disability Insurance | Employee Assistance Program | |
| No-cost Financial Advisor Sessions | Commuter and Flexible Spending Accounts |
Learn more about our benefits offerings here.
Requisition ID:166812
Work Arrangement:06-Onsite 4/5 Days Click here for more information about work arrangements at Amtrak.
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 equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race/color, to include traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture and hairstyles such as braids, locks and twists, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions, such as lactation), national origin/ethnicity, 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.
