Engineering Program Manager

Job Title:

Engineering Program Manager

(Rail and Transit) Onsite

Work Location:

100 Thermon Dr. San Marcos, Texas

Reports to:

General Manager, Rail and Transit

Overview

The Engineering Program Manager (EPM) leads complex engineering programs for Thermon's Rail & Transit portfolio, including Fastrax™ track & switch heating systems, Hellfire™ gas‑fired forced‑air switch heaters, Velocity™ onboard heating solutions, and other snow‑ and ice‑clearing technologies used across freight, passenger, and transit systems. The EPM ensures regulatory compliance, oversees integration with mechanical/electrical systems, manages customer‑facing program execution, and drives safe, reliable, and energy‑efficient heating solutions tailored to car builders, transit agencies, and freight railroads.

As Engineering Program Manager, you will have direct people management responsibilities, providing leadership, coaching, and development to a team of engineers and designers while driving operational excellence and continuous improvement across the organization.

This role reports to the General Manager, Rail and Transit, you will be working onsite out our manufacturing facility located at 100 Thermon Dr. San Marcos, Texas. Working schedule Monday to Friday, 8am-5pm.

Who We Are - Thermon

Thermon is a diversified technology company and a global leader in industrial process heating, temperature maintenance, environmental monitoring and temporary power distribution solutions. We deliver engineered solutions that enhance operational awareness, safety, reliability and efficiency to deliver the lowest total cost of ownership.

Thermon offers over 250 products, software and services across multiple brands, providing a range of offerings from boilers, transportation heaters, and liquid load banks to tubing bundles and heat trace. We are the silent guardians of critical infrastructure. From the relentless demands of chemical plants and the intricate networks of rail and transit to the vital pulse of power generation, we innovate solutions that ensure optimal operation, protect critical assets, and maximize efficiency.

We care deeply about the success of our customers, the well-being of our people, and the reliability of every product we design. This drives our unwavering commitment to safety and integrity in everything we do. Through collaboration, we unite a rich legacy of expertise with a trusted global team, partnering side-by-side with our customers. We transfer the warmth needed to make life work.

Key Responsibilities

People Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of engineers, designers, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and collaboration.
• Conduct regular 1:1s, performance reviews, career development discussions, and talent assessments.
• Set clear goals, expectations, and development plans, ensuring team members have the resources and support to be successful.
• Partner with HR on hiring, onboarding, and workforce planning, ensuring the team structure aligns with business needs.
• Promote a diverse, inclusive, team culture where ideas are valued and individuals feel empowered.
• Provide coaching and feedback to drive continuous improvement and professional growth.
• Oversee team workload, resource balancing, and capability development to meet program demands.
• Identify high-potential talent, support succession planning, and ensure long-term team capability.

Program Leadership & Delivery

• Lead full lifecycle delivery of Thermon's transportation heating programs, including Fastrax™ outdoor rail heating packages designed for snow‑ and ice‑clearing on track, switch, and wayside systems.
• Manage engineering execution for Hellfire™ gas‑fired forced‑air switch heater programs used in extreme climates and high‑wind environments.
• Oversee development and deployment of Velocity™ passenger/cab heating systems, including floor, forced‑air, and duct heaters for onboard environments.
• Ensure on‑time, on‑budget, and compliant delivery across multiple engineering disciplines.

Technical Coordination (Rail & Transit Heating Systems)

• Coordinate engineering deliverables for Thermon's full range of track and switch heating products such as Fastrax™ electric forced‑air heaters, crib heaters, tubular rail heaters, platform heaters, and Switchblade electric element heaters.
• Support integration of Energy Management Systems (EMS) that monitor precipitation, rail temperature, and ambient environmental conditions to automate heating activation.
• Ensure compatibility of heating systems with customer infrastructure, power supply, control systems, rolling stock interfaces, and wayside systems.

Regulatory, Safety & Compliance

• Ensure designs and program documentation comply with FRA, FTA, APTA, AREMA, EN standards, and other customer‑specific requirements.
• Oversee RAMS, hazard analyses, and certification documentation for rail heating applications, including snow‑clearing and safety‑critical systems.

Customer, Supplier & Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as the primary technical representative to transit agencies, freight railroads, car builders, and contractors deploying Thermon's track and onboard heating systems.
• Manage coordination with suppliers of heaters, blowers, control panels, sensors, and electrical distribution components integrated within Thermon solutions.
• Lead milestone reviews, technical clarifications, and change management discussions with customers.

Risk, Issue & Change Control

• Maintain and manage risk registers for programs involving outdoor rail heating (e.g., extreme‑climate switch heaters) and onboard passenger comfort systems.
• Drive rapid cross‑functional problem resolution for technical, supply chain, or field‑installation issues.
• Maintain strict configuration control across product variants (Fastrax™, Switchblade, Hellfire™, Velocity™).

Schedule & Financial Management

• Develop integrated schedules with critical path analysis for field‑installation, shop‑build, qualification testing, and commissioning activities.
• Track earned value, cost performance, and engineering resource allocation across all Thermon rail/transit programs.
• Support new proposals, quotes, and cost estimates aligned with Thermon's product lines and system configurations.

Field Support, Commissioning & Warranty

• Support field deployment of Fastrax™, Hellfire™, and Switchblade systems during installation, start‑up, and commissioning.
• Coordinate troubleshooting, NCR resolution, and performance validation of both trackside and onboard heating applications.
• Ensure completion of site acceptance testing, punch‑list closure, and customer training.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, Industrial, or related engineering field.
• 7+ years of engineering program or project management experience, ideally in a technical or product development environment.
• 10+ years of experience managing rail, transit, or heavy‑industry engineering programs.
• Experience with trackside equipment, rolling stock systems, industrial heating, or transportation infrastructure.
• Strong familiarity with regulatory frameworks (FRA, FTA, APTA, EN).
• Proficiency with MS Project, Smartsheet, Primavera, or equivalent.
• Excellent communication and cross‑functional leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background with rail heating systems, onboard comfort systems, or wayside equipment.
• PMP, PgMP, or Systems Engineering certification (INCOSE).
• Experience with RAMS, V&V, and configuration management processes.
• Experience working with freight railroads and passenger car manufacturers.

Key Competencies

• Systems engineering mindset for complex heating/integration programs
• Technical problem‑solving
• Supplier and stakeholder management
• Safety and compliance orientation
• Change and configuration control