Lead Proposal Engineer

Who will you be working with? Wabtec’s Train Handling team develops a range of high‑tech fuel efficiency and automation solutions for customers across the rail industry. As a Lead Proposal Engineer , you will collaborate closely with Product Management to identify new technology opportunities and partner with Engineering teams to develop concepts and estimates. These efforts will drive future enhancements and new features across our product portfolio. How will you make a difference? The Lead Proposal Engineer is a critical technical role that bridges Sales, Product Management, and Engineering. In this position, you will: Partner with Product Management to define technical requirements and key customer KPIs Work with engineering design teams to develop concepts that meet these requirements Develop preliminary cost estimates and project timelines from initiation through completion Lead the transition from proposal to execution when projects are awarded, ensuring alignment on scope, assumptions, risks, and schedule Maintain a repository of proposals and supporting documentation for future reference Qualifications / Requirements Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from an accredited institution Minimum of 5 years of experience in Project Engineering, Application Engineering, Systems Engineering, Hardware/Software Engineering, and/or Information Systems Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally (~10%) Desired Characteristics Master’s degree in Engineering, STEM field, or MBA Experience developing technical proposals and cost estimates Customer-facing experience as a technical expert Proven ability to work in a cross‑functional, global environment Experience with locomotive systems design (preferred) Rail industry experience (preferred) Self-starter with the ability to lead with minimal supervision Strong written and verbal communication skills Strong interpersonal and leadership capabilities What will your typical day look like? Collaborate with Product Management and customers to translate ideas into technical requirements and actionable engineering concepts Lead technical discovery discussions with customers to define preliminary project scope Support the business approval process from concept (CP0) through formal quotation (CP1) Partner with engineering teams to develop technical concepts and participate in concept reviews (e.g., TG240) Identify and engage key stakeholders and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to support concept development Provide technical oversight where needed, especially in the absence of senior systems architects Develop estimation templates and work with engineering leaders to produce accurate bid estimates Provide consolidated cost and effort estimates to support deal reviews #J-18808-Ljbffr