Principal Project Mgr - 90360099 - Washington
Washington, DC, US, 20001
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.
Job Summary
The Principal Project Manager independently leads the planning, execution, and delivery of highly complex, large-scale initiatives with significant cost, schedule, and stakeholder impact. This role is accountable for end-to-end project performance, including scope, cost, risk, and schedule coordination, and serves as the primary point of integration across internal teams, external partners, and governing bodies. The position operates with broad autonomy, applies advanced project management judgment, and contributes to organizational delivery capability through guidance, influence, and expertise rather than formal supervisory authority.
Essential Functions
- Plan, execute, and deliver complex, high‑risk initiatives from initiation through closeout, ensuring alignment with approved objectives, budgets, schedules, and governance requirements.
- Develop, maintain, and integrate detailed project plans, schedules, cost forecasts, and performance metrics; monitor progress and implement corrective actions as required.
- Serve as the primary point of coordination with internal teams, external partners, and oversight entities, facilitating decision‑making and maintaining alignment across diverse stakeholders.
- Identify, assess, and manage project risks, issues, and changes, ensuring timely resolution, escalation, and transparent communication to stakeholders.
- Coordinate multiple project teams, vendors and assets to ensure timely and cost-effective sequencing and execution of critical path milestones across several inter-dependent projects.
- Apply advanced project management standards, tools, and best practices; provide guidance and informal mentorship to less‑experienced project personnel and matrixed contributors
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Understanding of principles of project management, program development, implementation and administration for improvement and maintenance projects
- Knowledge of theories, principles, and practices of passenger railroad systems design, construction, operations, maintenance, safety, accident prevention, and emergency response
- Familiarity with applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations governing the design, engineering, and construction of passenger railroad capital improvement and maintenance projects
- Awareness of principles and practices of capital and operating budgets preparation and administration as well as contract negotiation and administration
- Understanding of Federal Railroad Administration and NEC stakeholders, including state and local governments, commuter railroads and freights
- Ability to motivate and support people across the organization to work collectively as a cohesive whole to produce superior results; identify talented managers and advocate for their future development
- Strong interpersonal communication skills in verbal and written form, including ability to conduct meetings and interviews, concisely articulate complex issues, resolve conflict, and inform others across all levels of the organization
- Aptitude to understand, interpret, and apply applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, budgets, contracts, and labor/management agreements
- Ability to exercise judgment and creativity in making decisions
- Proficient in Microsoft Project, Visio and Office, including intermediate level capabilities in the use of Excel, Power Point, and Word
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree required OR equivalent combination of training, education and relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- 7 years of prior relevant experience required in infrastructure project management with emphasis on delivering projects in excess of $50 million.
Preferred Qualifications
- 9+ years of relevant experience in infrastructure project management with emphasis on delivering projects in excess of $50 million
- Graduate degree
- Transportation industry background
- Project Management Professional PMP certification
- Professional Engineer's License (PE) or Licensed Architect
- Certified Construction Management (CCM)
- Experience working with government agencies and organizations
- Demonstrated experience with alternative delivery construction contracts (e.g. Design-Build, Construction Manager at Risk, Progressive Design Build, Public Private Partnership, Alliance)
Environmental Conditions/Physical Demands
- Travel Requirements: Up to 25%
- Office environment and project field visits as required
- This position will work 4 days in the office with 1 day remote.
- Position will include work outside of normal business hours as required.
#LI-LA1
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:167156
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.
