Operations Expert - High-Speed Rail
Posted date [2026-10-01]
(ID: 52832)
Job Description and Requirements
Operations Expert - High-Speed RailJob Snapshot
Role: Operations Expert
Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Industry: Transportation-Trucking-Railroad
Function: Engineering
Experience: Minimum 15 years of relevant railway operations experience
Job Type: Full Time
Position Overview
Parsons is seeking an experienced Operations Expert to support a major high-speed rail program in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Serving as a Rail Operations Subject Matter Expert, the role will provide operational leadership across planning, development, delivery, testing, commissioning, trial running, operational readiness, and revenue service preparation. The position will help shape the future railway operating model, service specification, operational concepts, timetables, capacity planning, customer experience, control center requirements, and integration of infrastructure, systems, rolling stock, and operational processes.
Job Details
Country: UAE
City: Abu Dhabi
Industry: Transportation-Trucking-Railroad
Function: Engineering
Salary: Not disclosed
Gender: No Preference
Candidate Nationality: Not specified
Job Type: Full Time
Work Arrangement: On-site
What You\'ll Be Doing
- Act as the Rail Operations Subject Matter
Expert throughout all phases of the high-speed rail program.
- Provide operational expertise from development of the Concept of Operations through testing, commissioning, trial running, and preparation for revenue service.
- Contribute specialist operational input to the future high-speed railway operating model and service specification.
- Lead development of operational concepts for the future railway.
- Support development of customer experience strategies from an operational perspective.
- Represent future operational end users throughout design and delivery.
- Champion the operability and integration of infrastructure, railway systems, rolling stock, and operational processes.
- Provide operations expertise to timetable planning, capacity analysis, operational modelling, and simulation activities.
Railway Operations and Service Planning
The Operations Expert will help define how the future railway is intended to operate, translating service objectives into practical operational requirements. This includes providing specialist input into timetables, railway capacity, service planning, operating rules, control center functions, and operational interfaces.
The role requires a strong understanding of railway operating practices and procedures, including cross-boundary arrangements between Infrastructure Manager organizations.
Operational Assurance
- Review deliverables submitted by the PMC for stations and depots.
- Assess relevant Contractor and technical partner submissions on behalf of the Client organization.
- Verify that operational deliverables remain aligned with the intended railway service vision.
- Lead reviews of operational assumptions, methodologies, and outputs.
- Challenge technical and operational proposals where necessary to protect future operability.
- Provide operational input to hazard identification and risk assessment activities.
- Contribute to development of operational rules, processes, and controls.
- Promote engineering excellence and compliance with Parsons quality management procedures.
Testing, Commissioning and Operational Readiness
The role will provide operational expertise as the program progresses toward testing, commissioning, trial running, and eventual revenue service. Operational requirements must be integrated into project delivery early enough to support an effective transition from infrastructure and systems delivery into railway operations.
The Operations Expert will lead development of operational requirements, role profiles, and readiness activities required for the future operating organization.
Systems and Operational Integration
- Coordinate operational requirements across infrastructure, systems, rolling stock, stations, and depots.
- Represent operational needs across multidisciplinary program interfaces.
- Work with delivery partners and future operating stakeholders to resolve interface requirements.
- Support integration between technical delivery and operational processes.
- Provide operational input into control center requirements and functions.
- Help ensure delivered assets and systems support the intended railway operating model.
Procurement and Future Operating Arrangements
Provide specialist operations input into procurement activities associated with future railway operating arrangements. This includes supporting the development and assessment of operational specifications, performance requirements, and evaluation criteria.
The role will apply practical railway operations experience to help ensure proposed arrangements can support the intended service and operational requirements.
Stakeholder Leadership
- Lead collaboration with delivery partners, operators, consultants, contractors, and industry stakeholders.
- Maintain effective coordination of operational requirements across program interfaces.
- Develop and maintain productive relationships with Clients.
- Influence outcomes through technical expertise and operational experience.
- Work across organizational boundaries and multidisciplinary teams.
- Attend meetings or events outside normal working hours when required.
Benchmarking and Continuous Improvement
Lead benchmarking and learning activities using experience from the wider railway industry and other relevant industries. This will include considering lessons from operational incidents, emerging technologies, new processes, and evolving industry practices.
The Operations Expert will encourage practical innovation while assessing new ideas against operational benefit, risk, value, and future railway requirements.
What Required Skills You\'ll Bring
- Bachelor\'s degree from an accredited university.
- Minimum 15 years of relevant railway operations experience.
- Experience supporting high-speed rail projects.
- Experience developing railway operational concepts.
- Experience in timetable development and railway service planning.
- Strong knowledge of railway operational rules, practices, and procedures.
- Understanding of cross-boundary operating arrangements between Infrastructure Manager organizations.
- Familiarity with railway operational simulation, capacity analysis, and timetable planning platforms.
- Familiarity with RailSys.
- Familiarity with Variato.
- Operational experience involving rail control center functions.
- Excellent technical skills.
- Strong communication capabilities.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills.
What Desired Skills You\'ll Bring
- Ability to motivate and lead personnel who may not report directly to the role.
- Strong cross-functional collaboration capability.
- Ability to establish effective working relationships and alliances across organizations.
- Ability to use technical expertise and operational experience to influence project outcomes.
- Sound business judgment when balancing operational benefits, risks, and value for money.
- Strong interpersonal and influencing skills across internal and external stakeholder groups.
- Innovative approach to solving operational problems.
- Ability to evaluate and encourage adoption of new ideas, technologies, processes, and practices.
About Parsons
Parsons supports major transportation programs through multidisciplinary engineering, program management, systems, and railway delivery expertise. The company emphasizes engineering excellence, innovation, quality, collaboration, professional growth, employee wellbeing, and continuous improvement.
- Provide operational expertise from development of the Concept of Operations through testing, commissioning, trial running, and preparation for revenue service.
- Contribute specialist operational input to the future high-speed railway operating model and service specification.
- Lead development of operational concepts for the future railway.
- Support development of customer experience strategies from an operational perspective.
- Represent future operational end users throughout design and delivery.
- Champion the operability and integration of infrastructure, railway systems, rolling stock, and operational processes.
- Provide operations expertise to timetable planning, capacity analysis, operational modelling, and simulation activities.
Railway Operations and Service Planning
The Operations Expert will help define how the future railway is intended to operate, translating service objectives into practical operational requirements. This includes providing specialist input into timetables, railway capacity, service planning, operating rules, control center functions, and operational interfaces.
The role requires a strong understanding of railway operating practices and procedures, including cross-boundary arrangements between Infrastructure Manager organizations.
Operational Assurance
- Review deliverables submitted by the PMC for stations and depots.
- Assess relevant Contractor and technical partner submissions on behalf of the Client organization.
- Verify that operational deliverables remain aligned with the intended railway service vision.
- Lead reviews of operational assumptions, methodologies, and outputs.
- Challenge technical and operational proposals where necessary to protect future operability.
- Provide operational input to hazard identification and risk assessment activities.
- Contribute to development of operational rules, processes, and controls.
- Promote engineering excellence and compliance with Parsons quality management procedures.
Testing, Commissioning and Operational Readiness
The role will provide operational expertise as the program progresses toward testing, commissioning, trial running, and eventual revenue service. Operational requirements must be integrated into project delivery early enough to support an effective transition from infrastructure and systems delivery into railway operations.
The Operations Expert will lead development of operational requirements, role profiles, and readiness activities required for the future operating organization.
Systems and Operational Integration
- Coordinate operational requirements across infrastructure, systems, rolling stock, stations, and depots.
- Represent operational needs across multidisciplinary program interfaces.
- Work with delivery partners and future operating stakeholders to resolve interface requirements.
- Support integration between technical delivery and operational processes.
- Provide operational input into control center requirements and functions.
- Help ensure delivered assets and systems support the intended railway operating model.
Procurement and Future Operating Arrangements
Provide specialist operations input into procurement activities associated with future railway operating arrangements. This includes supporting the development and assessment of operational specifications, performance requirements, and evaluation criteria.
The role will apply practical railway operations experience to help ensure proposed arrangements can support the intended service and operational requirements.
Stakeholder Leadership
- Lead collaboration with delivery partners, operators, consultants, contractors, and industry stakeholders.
- Maintain effective coordination of operational requirements across program interfaces.
- Develop and maintain productive relationships with Clients.
- Influence outcomes through technical expertise and operational experience.
- Work across organizational boundaries and multidisciplinary teams.
- Attend meetings or events outside normal working hours when required.
Benchmarking and Continuous Improvement
Lead benchmarking and learning activities using experience from the wider railway industry and other relevant industries. This will include considering lessons from operational incidents, emerging technologies, new processes, and evolving industry practices.
The Operations Expert will encourage practical innovation while assessing new ideas against operational benefit, risk, value, and future railway requirements.
What Required Skills You\'ll Bring
- Bachelor\'s degree from an accredited university.
- Minimum 15 years of relevant railway operations experience.
- Experience supporting high-speed rail projects.
- Experience developing railway operational concepts.
- Experience in timetable development and railway service planning.
- Strong knowledge of railway operational rules, practices, and procedures.
- Understanding of cross-boundary operating arrangements between Infrastructure Manager organizations.
- Familiarity with railway operational simulation, capacity analysis, and timetable planning platforms.
- Familiarity with RailSys.
- Familiarity with Variato.
- Operational experience involving rail control center functions.
- Excellent technical skills.
- Strong communication capabilities.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills.
What Desired Skills You\'ll Bring
- Ability to motivate and lead personnel who may not report directly to the role.
- Strong cross-functional collaboration capability.
- Ability to establish effective working relationships and alliances across organizations.
- Ability to use technical expertise and operational experience to influence project outcomes.
- Sound business judgment when balancing operational benefits, risks, and value for money.
- Strong interpersonal and influencing skills across internal and external stakeholder groups.
- Innovative approach to solving operational problems.
- Ability to evaluate and encourage adoption of new ideas, technologies, processes, and practices.
About Parsons
Parsons supports major transportation programs through multidisciplinary engineering, program management, systems, and railway delivery expertise. The company emphasizes engineering excellence, innovation, quality, collaboration, professional growth, employee wellbeing, and continuous improvement.
