Head of Rolling Stock

About the Role

Menasa & Partners is supporting a major railway organization in the GCC with the appointment of a Head of Rolling Stock. This full-time senior technical leadership position is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and requires extensive experience in overseeing the design, procurement, manufacturing, integration, testing, commissioning, and acceptance of railway vehicles.

Role Overview

The Head of Rolling Stock will provide leadership and commercial judgment to manage major rail programs, international manufacturers, and multidisciplinary engineering teams. The role demands deep rolling stock engineering expertise to ensure compliance with international railway standards and operational requirements throughout the project lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across rolling stock engineering, design development, procurement, manufacturing, and delivery.
• Lead the technical review and approval of rolling stock specifications, designs, drawings, and engineering submissions.
• Oversee rolling stock integration with signalling, train control, traction power, communications, depot infrastructure, and other railway systems.
• Manage technical interfaces with rolling stock manufacturers, engineering consultants, contractors, and key stakeholders.
• Direct factory acceptance testing, vehicle testing, commissioning, certification, and operational acceptance activities.
• Ensure compliance with applicable international railway standards, safety requirements, and technical specifications.
• Identify and mitigate technical, program, and delivery risks, ensuring rolling stock meets performance, reliability, maintainability, and operational requirements.
• Provide leadership and technical direction to engineering teams throughout the rolling stock project lifecycle.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Ideally 20+ years of railway engineering experience, with substantial responsibility for rolling stock design, engineering, and delivery.
• Proven experience in a senior rolling stock leadership position, such as Head of Rolling Stock, Rolling Stock Director, Rolling Stock Engineering Manager, or Rolling Stock Project Director.
• Demonstrable involvement in the delivery of passenger and/or freight rolling stock, including locomotives, EMUs, or other mainline railway vehicles.
• Strong technical understanding of rolling stock subsystems, including traction, braking, vehicle control, onboard systems, and railway interfaces.
• Experience managing major rolling stock manufacturers, technical consultants, and complex engineering contracts.
• Proven involvement in rolling stock testing, commissioning, certification, acceptance, and handover.
• Working knowledge of applicable EN, IEC, UIC, and relevant railway safety and engineering standards.
• Strong stakeholder management, technical decision-making, and multidisciplinary leadership capabilities.

Desirable Attributes

• Experience delivering major mainline, national railway, or high-speed rail programs.
• Previous experience working for a railway owner, operator, rolling stock manufacturer, or project management consultancy.
• Middle East or GCC railway project experience.
• Chartered Engineer status or equivalent professional registration.

Application Process

Candidates should apply with an updated CV highlighting relevant rolling stock fleets, projects, and manufacturers worked with, specific technical responsibilities, and the scale of teams or programs led. All applications will be treated in strict confidence. This position requires substantial, demonstrable rolling stock engineering and delivery experience; candidates whose backgrounds are primarily in civil construction, signalling, or general railway project management without direct rolling stock responsibility are unlikely to meet the requirements.