Head Engineering & Development- Railways

Role & responsibilities

The Head Engineering & Development (Railways)

1. Embedded Systems Development

• Lead the design and development of embedded hardware (PCBs, SoCs, FPGAs) and firmware for railway applications, including:
• Select and validate processors (ARM Cortex, PowerPC, x86), microcontrollers (STM32, NXP, Renesas), and FPGAs (Xilinx, Intel/Altera) for railway-grade applications.
• Ensure compliance with IEC standards e.g. IEC 62280 (SIL-2/4), IEC 61373 and other EN 50155 (railway electronics), EN 50657 (software), EN 50121, EN 61000, RDSO and CENELEC standards.

2. Technology Transfer & Collaboration

• Manage technology transfer from R&D/partners to production, ensuring seamless integration of railway-specific chipsets (TI, Infineon, Microsemi).
• Collaborate with global technology partners for IP cores, ASICs, and safety-certified components.

3. Cross-Functional Coordination

• Act as the primary interface between R&D, production, QA, and procurement to align on railway-grade component selection (extended temp, shock/vibration resistance).
• Ensure EN 50128 compliance or DO-178C (software) for firmware development.

4. Obsolescence Management

• Develop strategies to mitigate component obsolescence in long-lifecycle railway systems.
• Identify alternate chipsets, pin-compatible replacements, and redesign solutions while maintaining EN 50126/50129 compliance.

5. Engineering Management

• Oversee V-model development, HARA (Hazard Analysis), and FMEA for railway safety-critical systems.
• Ensure projects meet SIL (Safety Integrity Level) requirements and RAM (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability) targets.

6. Innovation & Cost Optimization

• Drive adoption of AI/ML-based predictive maintenance, IoT-enabled sensors, and edge computing in railway systems.
• Optimize BOM costs by selecting industrial-grade SoCs (NXP i.MX, TI Sitara) and modular designs.

7. Manufacturing SOP Compliance

• Ensure adherence to IPC-A-610 (PCB standards) and railway manufacturing SOPs.
• Resolve EMC/EMI issues (EN 50121-3-2) and thermal management challenges in embedded designs.

Preferred candidate profile

• Bachelor’s/Master’s in Electronics/Electrical/Embedded Systems Engineering.
• 12–15 years in embedded hardware/firmware development, preferably in railways or automotive or aerospace.
• Expertise in:
• Processors: ARM Cortex-R (real-time), PowerPC QorIQ, Intel Atom E3900.
• FPGAs: Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+, Microsemi ProASIC3.
• Communication protocols: CAN, Ethernet, MVB, RS-485.
• Experience with IEC 61508, EN 5012x series, and IRIS certification.