Deputy Head of Systems for Passenger Information Systems /Rail

Overview

Wabtec Corporation is a global leader in equipment, systems, digital solutions, and value-added services for the freight and transit rail industry. The ANNAX Group has been part of Wabtec since 2018 and operates across Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and China with over 360 employees. ANNAX provides technical solutions to generate, transmit, and display information. Our system solutions for the rail industry include the ANNAX Passenger Information System, which integrates subsystems such as seat reservation, passenger counting, video surveillance, information for visually and hearing-impaired passengers, infotainment/entertainment systems, and more.

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced Global Systems Manager to lead the Systems organization of our Information Solutions product line, covering Passenger Information Systems, CCTV, communication subsystems, and multi‑product integrated platforms. This senior role manages an international team of 6 System Engineering Managers responsible for project execution, system delivery, and technical offer development across several countries. The Global Systems Manager is the top technical authority and the engineering escalation point for our worldwide customers. You will drive complex, multi‑product system architectures, ensure QCD (Quality–Cost–Delivery) performance, and collaborate closely with Sales, Project Management, and Product Line teams to deliver best‑in‑class solutions for global railway operators and OEMs.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & People Management: Lead, mentor, and develop a multicultural team of 6 System Engineering Managers and their extended project teams; drive the organization through objective‑based management, performance metrics, skill development, and continuous improvement; foster a culture of accountability, technical excellence, and cross‑regional collaboration.
• Technical Authority & System Integration: Own the global system strategy for the Information Solutions product line (PIS, CCTV, communication systems, multi‑product integrated platforms); oversee and validate complex, high‑interaction, multi‑module system architectures combining hardware, embedded software, networking, cybersecurity, and rail‑specific interfaces; review and challenge technical designs, risk analyses, and engineering decisions to ensure robustness and serviceability.
• Project Leadership & QCD Performance: Supervise engineering execution for all projects in the product line, ensuring Quality, Cost, Delivery commitments are consistently met; anticipate and mitigate risks, manage issues and escalations, and steer recovery plans when necessary; guarantee engineering readiness, maturity gates, and documentation quality for each delivery milestone.
• Customer & Stakeholder Interface: Act as the technical escalation point for international customers; lead technical clarification meetings, audits, and workshops at customer sites; represent Engineering in cross‑functional project reviews with Project Managers, Product Line, Sales, Quality, and Service teams.
• Offer, Bidding & Business Support: As Engineering owner for offers, collaborate with Sales to analyse customer specifications, propose cost effective technical solutions and system architectures, define development cost, and prepare technical documentation for tenders and proposals; support commercial negotiations from an engineering perspective.
• Global Process & Continuous Improvement: Harmonize engineering methods and tools across worldwide teams; drive maturity and efficiency improvements in system engineering; contribute to product lifecycle management, obsolescence mitigation, and technical roadmaps.
• Travel Requirements: Regular international travel to customer sites, project teams, and internal engineering centers.

Qualifications

Professional Background

• Minimum 15 years of experience in engineering for complex systems (railway, industrial electronics, embedded systems, telecoms, or similar).
• Strong background in electronics, computer science, embedded systems, or mechatronics.
• Proven experience in managing technical teams, including multicultural and remote teams.
• Proven experience in product line management, system engineering, or technical project leadership.

Technical Expertise

• Solid understanding of complex multi‑product architectures, system integration, interfaces, and interoperability.
• Hands‑on experience from the field (electronic systems, embedded computing, system validation).
• Strong knowledge of engineering processes, risk management, QCD tracking, and technical project governance.

Soft Skills

• Excellent leadership and communication skills.
• Ability to challenge teams constructively and steer decisions.
• Customer‑oriented, structured, and solution‑driven.
• Strong analytical thinking and decision‑making under pressure.

Languages

• Fluent English (mandatory).
• German.
• Additional languages (French, Italian, Chinese) are strong assets due to the global stakeholder landscape.

Additional Information

Legal authorization to work in the EU is required. We will not sponsor individuals for employment visas, now or in the future, for this job opening.

Please note that we do not accept agency candidate submissions without a formalized agreement with Wabtec Talent Acquisition. If you are an agency/third party Recruiter and have not been engaged by Wabtec for this search, we do not owe you a fee if you submit a candidate to the applicant tracking system that is ultimately hired.

What could you accomplish in a place that puts People First?

At Wabtec, it’s not just about a job - it’s about the impact you make. When our people come together, we’re expanding the possible by continuously improving what we do and how we do it - for our clients and each other. If you’re ready to revolutionize how the world moves for future generations, Wabtec is the place for you.

Who are we?

Wabtec is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions, and value-added services for the freight and transit rail sectors. With more than 150 years of experience, we deliver safety, efficiency, reliability, innovation, and productivity across transport and related industries. Our global team of about 30,000 employees delivers performance that moves the world forward. Learn more at

Culture

We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome talent of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities, including race, gender, age, disability, veteran status and more. Need accommodation? Just let us know – we’ve got you.