Operational Readiness Manager – CBTC Modernization Program
Location: New York, NY
Employment Type: Full-Time
Hourly Range: $85–$105/hour, commensurate with experience
Position Summary
PACO Group is seeking an experienced Operational Readiness Manager (ORM) to support MTA Construction & Development and New York City Transit on an upcoming modernization project. The Operational Readiness Manager will lead and coordinate activities necessary to prepare NYCT operations and maintenance organizations for the implementation, commissioning, transition, and ongoing operation of CBTC systems. This position will serve as a key interface among NYCT Operations, Signals and Train Controls, engineering, construction, systems integration, testing and commissioning, maintenance, safety, training, and program management teams. The ORM will focus on ensuring that operational, technical, organizational, staffing, procedural, and implementation requirements are aligned and ready before CBTC systems transition into revenue service.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
- Lead and coordinate operational-readiness activities associated with the implementation, testing, commissioning, and deployment of CBTC systems.
- Develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive operational-readiness plans, milestones, readiness criteria, action logs, and transition strategies.
- Coordinate across MTA C&D, NYCT Operations, Signals and Train Controls, engineering, construction, testing and commissioning, maintenance, safety, training, and other program stakeholders.
- Assess operational and organizational readiness, identifying gaps in staffing, skills, training, procedures, workflows, documentation, resources, and support requirements.
- Monitor interfaces and dependencies among construction, systems installation, testing, commissioning, operations, and maintenance activities.
- Identify operational risks, constraints, dependencies, and unresolved issues that could affect implementation, commissioning, or readiness for revenue service.
- Coordinate the development and implementation of operating procedures, maintenance procedures, training programs, staffing plans, documentation, and organizational preparations required for CBTC implementation.
- Facilitate operational-readiness reviews, workshops, testing and commissioning meetings, simulations, transition-planning sessions, and other readiness activities.
- Verify that required deliverables, approvals, procedures, training, resources, documentation, and operational support are in place before system implementation.
- Develop and maintain readiness dashboards, status reports, action-item registers, deficiency logs, meeting documentation, and management briefings.
- Track operational-readiness deficiencies and open items through resolution and escalate critical issues when necessary.
- Coordinate with project management and technical teams to maintain program schedules and resolve issues affecting operational readiness.
- Support organizational change and transformation associated with NYCT's transition from conventional signal systems to CBTC technology.
- Communicate operational changes, implementation requirements, and readiness expectations to senior leadership, technical personnel, operating departments, maintenance organizations, and frontline stakeholders.
- Support the transition and handover of completed CBTC infrastructure and systems from the capital program into NYCT operations and maintenance.
- Capture lessons learned and support continuous improvement of operational-readiness processes throughout the CBTC modernization program.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Transportation Management, Construction Management, Systems Engineering, Project Management, or a related discipline.
- Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in rail/transit operations, systems implementation, operational readiness, systems integration, testing and commissioning, project/program management, or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience supporting major rail, subway, or other complex transportation capital programs.
- Strong understanding of rail operations and the operational impacts associated with implementing new train-control or signaling technologies.
- Experience coordinating operational readiness, organizational transformation, commissioning, transition-to-service, or major systems implementation activities.
- Demonstrated ability to coordinate across engineering, construction, operations, maintenance, safety, training, and program-management organizations.
- Strong project-management skills with experience managing schedules, milestones, risks, dependencies, action items, and multidisciplinary interfaces.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, stakeholder-management, facilitation, and presentation skills.
- Ability to communicate effectively with senior leadership, technical teams, operating personnel, contractors, consultants, and frontline stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications
- Direct experience with New York City Transit (NYCT), MTA Construction & Development, or another major urban rail/transit agency .
- Significant experience with Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) , signal modernization, train-control systems, or related rail systems.
- Experience supporting CBTC testing, commissioning, cutover, implementation, or transition into revenue service.
- Knowledge of NYCT subway operations, maintenance practices, Signals and Train Controls, or operating procedures.
- Experience leading operational-readiness, organizational-change, or transformation initiatives within a large and complex transportation organization.
- Experience developing readiness plans, procedures, dashboards, risk registers, training strategies, and executive-level program reporting.
- Professional certification such as PMP or other relevant project/program management certification is desirable.
Key Competencies
The successful candidate should demonstrate strong capabilities in:
Operational Readiness | CBTC & Train Control | Rail/Transit Operations | Systems Integration | Testing & Commissioning | Organizational Change Management | Transition to Revenue Service | Risk & Issue Management | Stakeholder Coordination | Program Management | Operations & Maintenance Integration | Executive Communication
Compensation
The good-faith compensation range for this position is $85–$100 per hour . The final rate will be based on the selected candidate’s experience, qualifications, certifications, technical expertise, and applicable client requirements.
Benefits
Eligible employees may receive the following benefits:
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Employer 401(k) matching
- Health insurance
- Dental insurance
- Group life insurance
- Long-term disability insurance
- Accidental death and dismemberment insurance
- Paid time off
- Paid holidays
- Professional development assistance
EEO Diversity Statement
PACO Group, Inc. is committed to furthering opportunities for everyone in the national construction market. The firm periodically reaffirms this commitment through an active affirmative action plan. It provides Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) to all employees without unlawful discrimination regarding race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, religion, military status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or citizenship status. As an equal opportunity employer, we have recruited, hired, promoted, and retained an ethnically and socially diverse professional staff. Our efforts to date have produced a multidisciplinary workforce - a record of diversity that extends to the highest levels