Principal Project Engineer

Job Description:

Principal Project Engineer

Description

Marketing Statement

Ride BART to a satisfying career that lets you both: 1) make a difference to Bay Area residents, and 2) enjoy excellent pay, benefits, and employment stability. BART is looking for people who like to be challenged, work in a fast-paced environment, and have a passion for connecting riders to work, school and other places they need to go. BART offers a competitive salary, comprehensive health benefits, paid time off, and the CalPERS retirement program.

Job Summary

Pay Rate
Non-Represented Pay Band E08

Minimum: $ 147,332.00 to Maximum: $ 223,208.00
The initial salary offer will be between $ 147,332.00 and $188,504.00, commensurate with education and experience.

Reports To
Deputy Director, Group Manager, Engineering Manager or designee.

Current Assignment

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) is seeking a strategic and technically accomplished Principal Project Engineer to join the Office of Infrastructure Delivery (OID), Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)/Permit Team within the Innovation & Standards Group. This is a unique opportunity to safeguard and strengthen the District’s assets while enabling thoughtful development that integrates seamlessly with one of the nation’s most vital rail systems.

This position operates at the intersection of infrastructure protection, development coordination, and operational continuity. The Principal Project Engineer will ensure that Transit-Oriented Development and third-party permitted projects protect BART’s physical assets, operational integrity, and long-term system performance.

The Office of Infrastructure Delivery (OID) is recruiting one (1) Principal Project Engineer to the TOD/Permit Team. The team partners closely with BART’s Real Estate group and collaborates with external agencies, contractors, and private developers to safeguard District infrastructure during Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) and permitted projects.

The TOD/Permit Team works in coordination with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) across OID and Operations to facilitate:

• Comprehensive plan reviews
• Construction oversight and field coordination
• Building and Fire Safety (BFS) compliance
• Maintenance agreement negotiations
• Permit condition development and enforcement

The Principal Project Engineer will lead all permitted projects and support TOD projects as needed, managing multiple assignments simultaneously across various phases of the permitting lifecycle. Projects may range from early impact evaluation and technical review through approval, inspection, and close-out.

This role is critical to ensuring that external development enhances the communities BART serves while protecting the District’s assets, service reliability, and safety standards.

Operational Priorities:

• Protecting BART infrastructure and maintaining uninterrupted rail operations during adjacent development activities
• Ensuring compliance with engineering standards, BFS requirements, and District policies
• Coordinating multidisciplinary technical reviews across civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, traction power, communications, and related systems
• Managing overlapping permitting timelines while maintaining quality and responsiveness
• Supporting TOD initiatives that align with regional growth and transit connectivity goals
• Maintaining strong, collaborative relationships with internal divisions and external development partners

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage all permitted third-party projects affecting District property and infrastructure
• Conduct as-built research and technical due diligence to evaluate potential impacts
• Facilitate engineering plan reviews and establish permit conditions
• Coordinate with SMEs within OID and Operations to ensure technical alignment and risk mitigation
• Oversee construction monitoring and inspection activities
• Track project milestones and ensure timely permit approvals and close-outs
• Interpret and explain District policies, procedures, standards, and technical requirements
• Prepare clear, concise reports and provide updates to leadership and stakeholders
• Negotiate and support maintenance agreement development
• Utilize enterprise systems such as Oracle PeopleSoft, IBM Maximo, or similar applications to manage documentation and workflows

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Innovative problem-solving skills, is results-driven and consistently seeks the next challenge; They are a highly motivated self-starter with the capacity to manage multiple projects at varying stages of complexity and review.
• Broad technical understanding of civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, traction power, communications, and related transit systems
• Strong knowledge of permitting workflows and construction site development processes, particularly related to TOD projects
• Proven ability to prioritize and manage overlapping assignments with competing deadlines
• Experience leading permit-related projects including as-built research, plan review, permit condition development, reporting, and inspection coordination
• Experience working in a critical operational environment where maintaining uninterrupted service is essential
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to interact effectively at all levels of the organization and with external stakeholders
• Strong written communication skills and the ability to communicate clearly up, down, and across the organization
• Ability to contribute effectively within multidisciplinary teams to optimize collaboration and efficiency

The most qualified candidates for this position will have highly developed competencies in the following area, which will be reinforced with related work experience and will be clearly articulated during the selection process:

• Third-party permitting and infrastructure protection within an active rail environment
• Multidisciplinary engineering coordination and systems integration
• Transit-oriented development technical oversight
• Policy interpretation and standards enforcement
• Stakeholder relationship management and negotiation
• Construction monitoring and compliance assurance
• Risk identification and mitigation in operationally sensitive settings
• Enterprise system utilization for project tracking and reporting

Application & Selection Process

All applicants must apply online at www.bart.gov/jobs. Applicants needing assistance with the online application process may receive additional information by calling the Talent Acquisition Division at (510) 464-6112 or [email protected] .

All applicants are asked to complete the application in full, indicating dates of employment, all positions held, hours worked, and a full description of duties. Applicants are invited to electronically attach a resume to the application form to provide supplemental information but should not consider the resume a substitute for the application form itself.

Applications must be complete by the closing date and time listed on the job announcement.

Applications will be screened to ensure that the minimum qualifications are met. Those applicants who meet minimum qualifications will then be referred to the hiring department for the completion of further selection processes.

The selection process for this position may include a skills/performance demonstration, a written examination, and a panel and/or individual interview.

The successful candidate must have an employment history demonstrating reliability and dependability; provide copies of certificates, diplomas, or other documents as required by law, including those establishing his/her right to work in the U. S. Pre-employment processing will also include a background check. (Does not apply to current full-time District employees unless specific job requires additional evaluations).

Examples of Duties

Plans, budgets, oversees, manages, administers and documents capitally funded station projects from design phase through construction completion. Resolves design and construction errors.

Participates in the development of policies and procedures; monitors work activities to ensure compliance with established policies and procedures; makes recommendations for changes and improvements to existing standards and procedures.

Recommends and assists in the implementation of goals and objectives; implements approved policies and procedures.

Represents the District with full authority to enforce contract requirements; evaluates proposed contract changes; prepares independent engineering cost estimates of revised project scopes; inspects construction at substantial and final completion stages.

Plans, oversees and manages design consultants and construction management consultants on assigned station projects. Prepares request for proposals; reviews and negotiate proposals; provides direction to consultants.

Participates in the preparation and administration of assigned program budget; submits budget recommendations; monitors expenditures; tracks schedules for projects.

Prepares analytical and statistical reports on assigned project operations and activities.

Performs reviews of consultant deliverables and coordinates reviews by stakeholders, both internally at BART and externally. Serves as project liaison internally at BART and externally at outside agencies. Resolves project issues; prepares and provides project reports.

Coordinates with outside agencies on areas of work within their jurisdiction; administers control of required documentation for construction contracts.

Prepares or reviews a variety of reports and correspondence on assigned construction projects including Inspector's Daily Reports, monthly and final completion reports, contract modifications and field or design engineering changes.

Prioritizes, assigns, supervises, and reviews the work of staff responsible for performing a variety of professional engineering, design or construction project duties.

Attends and participates in professional group meetings; stays abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of engineering design and construction.

Participates in the resolution of construction contract claim issues.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications
Education :
Possession of a bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field from an accredited college or university.

Experience :
Four (4) years of (full-time equivalent) verifiable professional construction project management, engineering project management or related experience.

Substitution :
Additional professional experience as outlined above may be substituted for the education on a year-for- year basis.

Knowledge and Skills

Knowledge of :

• Principles and practices of engineering in assigned discipline area
• Principles and practices of project management
• Operations, services and activities of an engineering design and construction program
• Principles and practices of engineering cost estimating
• Methods and techniques of field measuring and testing
• Engineering contract administration principles and practices
• Materials and equipment methods utilized in engineering
• Terminology, methods, practices, and techniques used in related engineering report preparation
• Advanced mathematical principles
• Process implementation, optimization, and improvement
• Current office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers
• Specialized computer programs or systems utilized in construction engineering design including CADD
• Related building codes, regulations and provisions
• Related Federal, State and local laws, codes and regulations

Skill/Ability in :

• Applying principles and practices in engineering design and construction in assigned projects
• Interpreting and explaining District policies and procedures
• Preparing clear and concise reports
• Interpreting and preparing revisions to engineering plans, drawings, and specifications
• Communicating clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work

Equal Employment Opportunity GroupBox1

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 and above), religion, national origin (including language use restrictions), disability (mental and physical, including HIV and AIDS), ancestry, marital status, military status, veteran status, medical condition (cancer/genetic characteristics and information), or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.

The BART Human Resources Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination process to accommodate persons with disabilities or for religious reasons. Please advise the Human Resources Department of any special needs in advance of the examination by emailing at least 5 days before your examination date at [email protected] .

Qualified veterans may be eligible to obtain additional veteran's credit in the selection process for this recruitment (effective Jan. 1, 2013). To obtain the credit, veterans must attach to the application a DD214 discharge document or proof of disability and complete/submit the Veteran's Preference Application no later than the closing date of the posting. For more information about this credit please go to the Veteran's Preference Policy and Application link at www.bart.gov/jobs .

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) prides itself in offering best in class benefits packages to employees of the District. Currently, the following benefits may be available to employees in this job classification.

Highlights

• Medical Coverage (or $350/month if opted out)
• Dental Coverage
• Vision Insurance (Basic and Enhanced Plans Available)
• Retirement Plan through the CA Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS)
  • 2% @ 55 (Classic Members)
  • 2% @ 62 (PEPRA Members)
  • 3% at 50 (Safety Members - Classic)
  • 2.7% @ 57 (Safety Members - PEPRA)
  • Reciprocity available for existing members of many other public retirement systems (see BART website and/or CalPERS website for details)
• Money Purchase Pension Plan (in-lieu of participating in Social Security tax)
  • 6.65% employer contribution up to annual maximum of $1,868.65
• Deferred Compensation & Roth 457
• Sick Leave Accruals (12 days per year)
• Vacation Accruals (3-6 weeks based on time worked w/ the District)
• Holidays: 9 observed holidays and 5 floating holidays
• Life Insurance w/ ability to obtain additional coverage
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance
• Survivor Benefits through BART
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Health and Dependent Care
• Commuter Benefits
• Free BART Passes for BART employees and eligible family members.

Closing Date/Time: 3/13/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$147,332.00 - $223,208.00 Annually