What is a Senior Rail Technician?
A Senior Rail Technician / Team Leader is a highly skilled professional responsible for leading teams in the maintenance, repair and optimisation of rail systems. They ensure the safety, efficiency and reliability of rail infrastructure, rolling stock, or signalling systems. This role involves supervising technicians, coordinating tasks and ensuring compliance with health and safety standards, while also contributing technical expertise to complex rail projects.
Your responsibilities
- Managing and motivating a team of rail technicians, providing guidance, support and training
- Overseeing the inspection, servicing, and repair of rail systems, including track, signals and rolling stock
- Planning and allocating resources for maintenance schedules and project work
- Ensuring all tasks are completed following health and safety regulations and industry standards
- Diagnosing and resolving technical faults or system failures in a timely manner
- Monitoring the quality of work completed by the team to meet organisational and industry standards
- Maintaining accurate records of work completed, including reports on incidents, maintenance schedules and project outcomes
What You'll need
Core skills
- Advanced technical knowledge of rail systems and infrastructure
- Leadership and team management skills
- Strong communication skills
- Problem-solving and decision-making abilities
- Analytical skills
- Ability to plan and prioritise
What You'll Gain
Transferable skills
- Deep understanding of health and safety awareness
- Planning, executing and monitoring projects
- Managing and resolving challenges
- Analyse complex situations
What You'll Use
Key skills
English
- Preparing reports, maintenance logs and project documentation with clarity and precision
- Conveying information effectively, both verbally and in writing, to colleagues, stakeholders and clients
- Understanding technical manuals, safety regulations and operational guidelines
Maths
- Interpreting technical diagrams and engineering specifications
- Performing calculations for distances, angles, forces and electrical values
- Using statistical techniques to interpret performance data
- Budgeting and resources allocation
IT
- Using diagnostic systems to identify and resolves technical issues
- Using software to create and interpret technical drawings
- Handling maintenance data, track performance statistics and digital logs
- Familiarity with email, instant messaging and video conferencing platforms
- Using digital devices and software for troubleshooting, testing and maintaining rail systems
Role opportunities
These are some possible roles you may consider in your career journey. Discuss with your Inspiro Coach for further guidance.
Senior Rail Technician
Rail Engineer / Maintenance Engineer
Senior Engineer
Principle Engineer
What is a Rail Operative?
What is a Rail Technician?
What is a Senior Rail Technician?
What is a Rail Engineer / Maintenance Engineer?
What is a Senior Engineer?
What is a Principle Engineer?
Explore more
National Careers Website
The National Careers website is a government database that provides information for a job you are looking to explore.
Rail Engineering Sector Roles
Use our Sector Roles map to see if there is a role within your chosen sector that you are interested in.
Resources
Career Development Handbook
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career development handbook
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