Assistant Chief, Railcar Maintenance

Qualifications: The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is seeking an experienced and highly motivated Assistant Chief, Railcar Maintenance to oversee, manage, and coordinate all maintenance activities for Light Rail rail vehicles and related systems. This position ensures railcars are inspected, fully operational, and safe to meet daily service requirements. The Assistant Chief provides leadership to maintenance staff, manages budgets, supports capital projects, ensures regulatory compliance, and develops programs and policies to improve maintenance operations.

Key Responsibilities: Oversee daily and preventative maintenance inspections, repairs, and mechanical operations for Light Rail vehicles and systems including HVAC, propulsion, brakes, ATP, and interior components. Provide leadership and supervision to Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Supervisors, consultants, and union personnel. Ensure maintenance activities comply with all local, state, and federal requirements, including CFR 40, FTA, FRA, COMAR, MDOT MTA, and MDOT Rail Safety Oversight. Develop, revise, and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), policies, and quality control measures. Manage operating and capital budget planning, tracking, and expenditure controls. Coordinate maintenance-related projects; review specifications, RFPs, contractor performance, and consultant deliverables. Plan staffing levels, evaluate performance, address labor issues, conduct training needs assessments, and manage disciplinary actions per the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Monitor maintenance trends, develop preventative and corrective maintenance programs, and implement industry best practices. Ensure inventory, equipment, facilities, and materials are properly maintained and stored safely. Coordinate with Safety & Risk Management on hazard mitigation and safety compliance. Collaborate frequently with internal departments including Finance, Engineering, Capital Programming, Training & Development, Human Resources, and external contractors. Respond to emergencies, service disruptions, and mechanical failures; support investigations and corrective action efforts. Participate in decision-making regarding policies, procedures, scheduling, and resource deployment. Manage departmental budgets estimated at $7–8 million. Responsible for developing and monitoring budget plans and justifications. Direct and indirect oversight of Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, multiple Supervisors, and railcar maintenance personnel. Responsibilities include training, evaluating staff, approving leave, assigning work, hiring, disciplinary actions, and ensuring compliance with labor agreements.

Education: A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university Experience: Five (5) years of experience in railcar, transit vehicle, mechanical, or fleet maintenance, including at least three (3) years of supervisory or managerial responsibility overseeing technical staff, maintenance operations, or related activities. NOTESAdditional experience as defined above may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the required education. Additional education at an accredited college or university may be substituted at a rate of thirty credit hours for each year of the required experience for up to four years of the required non-supervisory experience. U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as defined under the Experience Requirement of the Minimum Qualifications may be substituted for the required education and experience on a year-for-year basis.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Employees are subject to call-in 24 hours a day and will be required to provide the employing agency with a telephone number where they can be reached. Employees must be willing and available for duty at such hours, day or night, as may be required in order to maintain continuous and safe operation of a facility. Employees may be required to work shifts, evenings and weekends. Employees in this classification are considered "Essential Employees" and may be required to sign and agree to all policies and procedures relating to "Essential Employees" status.

Additional Information: Managers should foster a positive safety culture by leading with integrity and establishing departmental safety practices and procedures for all employees. Managers should attend and participate in safety meetings and adhere to and enforce all safety rules, policies, regulations, and personal protective equipment requirements to support a safe and healthy working environment. Ensure employees are properly trained and provided with personal protective equipment to conduct their job functions in a safe manner. Report hazards, unsafe acts, near misses, injuries, and accidents immediately to the Office of Safety. Collaboratively work to mitigate reported hazards in a timely manner. Conduct safety risk assessments and/or job hazard analyses as needed. To support a safe and healthy work environment, employees must refrain from willful violations of safety rules and procedures, reckless and negligent behavior, involvement in criminal activities, and the misuse of drugs or alcohol. Failure to adhere to this requirement may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination. May only perform work for which they have the appropriate safety training. To apply, you must complete a Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) application (Form DTS-1) to be considered for this recruitment. Resumes may not be substituted for the application. Since the examination for this recruitment may be an evaluation and rating of the information you provide on your application, it is essential that the application is filled out completely and accurately, listing all relevant experience in detail and addressing the specific requirements shown above. Please include all relevant experience on your application. This includes, but is not limited to, full or part time, volunteer, military, acting capacity, or any other experience that is relevant to the position you are applying for within MDOT, one of the modal administrations, or the Authority.

NOTE: Applications not completely filled out will not be considered. The selected candidate will be subject to background and reference checks. Employees are subject to the State Substance Abuse Policy to include possible drug testing. It is highly recommended that applications be completed and submitted online by registering at www.mdot.maryland.gov/employment. Make sure you meet the minimum and selective qualifications and follow the instructions on MDOT's Online Employment Center website. If you have held more than one (1) position at the same employer, please list each position (and the duties of that position) that you held and the length of time that you held each position Applicants not applying online may obtain a DTS-1 Application form by calling (410) 767-3860 and mail to: MTA Office of Human Resources, 6 Saint Paul Street, 5th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202. Applicants may also submit their application directly to the Office of Human Resources. Applicants with degrees granted outside of the United States will be required to provide a written evaluation of education documentation by a credentialing organization such as: International Credential Evaluation (WES), https://www.wes.org/ MTA Does Not Discriminate Based On: Age, Ancestry, Color, Creed Gender Identity or Expression, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Mental or Physical Disability, National Origin, Race, Religious Affiliation, Belief or Opinion, Sex or Sexual Orientation. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be provided as requested. The Maryland Department of Transportation is not sponsoring new employees in application of the H-1B Visa at this time due to budgetary constraints. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States under the Immigration and Reform Control Act of 1986. Federal regulations prohibit H1B Visa candidates from paying sponsorship fees; all sponsorship fees must be assumed by the potential employer. TTY call 711 TTY Users May Also Call Their Telecommunications Relay Service The MTA is an Equal Opportunity Employer issue date 9/18/2026