RAILROAD SAFETY SPECIALIST III

Position Overview

Under direction of the Rail Safety Program Administrator, this position performs field inspections concerning informal crossing complaints received by the Commission and prepares reports and correspondence to resolve these matters; participates in formal hearings concerning grade crossing and bridge closures/improvements; completes vehicular traffic surveys, directional traffic studies and surveys and physical layout of the area surrounding particular crossing(s); meets with railroad representatives, local officials and highway authorities concerning proposed highway-rail crossing safety projects; assists with programs to promote public awareness of safety at highway-rail crossings, reviews detailed costs estimated of costs for highway-rail crossing improvements, negotiates cost divisions for Stipulated Agreements within agency policy directives, prepares written reports, correspondence, Stipulated Agreements, and draft Commission Orders concerning highway-rail crossing safety projects.

Essential Functions

• Project Development & Management – Ongoing Projects
    •Monitors and performs all aspects of highway-rail crossing safety including programming,preliminary engineering, detailed design, construction, maintenance, operations, andinvestigations of complaints and incidents.
    •Performs the full range of rail crossing activities (from routine to most complex) in accordancewith 625 ILCS 5/18c and 92 IL Adm. Code Sections 1500, 1535, and 1536, and providesadditional training and work guidance to lower-level railroad safety specialists.
    •Oversees less experienced personnel, reviews their work, provides training, assessesperformance, and provides input on performance evaluations of less experienced specialists.
    •Performs field inspections and attends field meetings, completing crossing reviews frompreliminary engineering through construction phases. Completes vehicular traffic surveys,directional traffic studies and surveys and physical layout of the area surrounding particularcrossing(s).
    •Meets and coordinates with railroad representatives, local officials and highway authoritiesconcerning ongoing highway-rail crossing safety projects, from preliminary engineering tocompletion.
    •Reviews estimates, plans, and funding participation.
• Complaints, Inquiries & Formal Proceedings:
    •Investigates compliance and responds to inquiries concerning unsafe/defective crossings.
    •Testifies as an expert witness in formal Commission hearings concerning grade crossing andbridges (open/close crossing; closures; improvements, complaints).
    •Meet with railroad representatives, local officials and highway authorities concerning proposedhighway-rail crossing safety projects.
• Project Programming & Coordination
    •Provide outreach and assistance on what is needed for an application to the ICC for assistancefrom the Grade Crossing Protection Fund (GCPF) and selection of the crossing into the ICC’s 5-Year Crossing Safety Improvement Program (CSIP).
    •Reviews detailed estimates of costs for highway-rail improvements and negotiates satisfactorycost divisions for stipulated agreements with Commerce Commission policy.
    •Monitor GCPF relative to all projects assign and ensure project close-out and de-obligation ofany residual funds from a project.

Essential Functions Cont.

• Communications & Outreach
    •Prepare written reports, memos, e-mail, and other correspondence including StipulatedAgreements, formal filings, and draft Commission Orders concerning highway-rail safety projects.
    •Promotes the Operation Lifesaver Program and all Commission rail safety programs; meets withindustry, government, labor, and safety groups devoted to reducing accidents, improving gradecrossings, and resolving controversies rising from rail safety issues; assists with programs topromote public awareness of the safety at rail-highway crossings; attends workshops andseminars.
• Records Retention and Tracking
    •Maintain project management (new Petitions, Stipulated Agreements, Citations, etc.) andcrossing complaint information for entry into the Railroad Information and Location System(RAILS).
    •Prepares monthly project and complaint status reports for submission to the Rail Safety ProgramAdministrator.
• Incidents & Emergency Planning
    •Serve as Duty Officer or responder as assigned.
    •Follow-up with railroad, highway agency, and other ICC Staff to ensure highway-rail gradecrossings are re-established after incidents in accordance with Commission orders, rules, andregulations.
    •Serve at the Illinois Emergency Operations Center when activated for large scale incidents,events, training, or other activities.
    •Review FOIA requests and provide applicable documents.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope ofthose duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications

•Requires a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering or related technical field.
•Requires four years experience in the railroad grade crossing safety field.

Preferred Qualifications

•Prefers working knowledge of crossing surface construction and automatic crossing warning devices.
•Prefers ability to recognize grade crossing safety defects.
•Prefers ability to understand and apply Commission policies on selection of crossing improvement projects and costallocations.
•Prefers technical knowledge of the design, installation and maintenance of grade crossing signal and control circuitrysystems.
•Prefers technical knowledge concerning the design and construction and reconstruction of grade separation structures,connecting roads to access grade crossings and crossing surfaces.
•Prefers ability to collect and review data and field information in order to render preliminary findings, conclusions andrecommendations both informally and at formal hearings.
•Prefers ability to oversee less experienced personnel, review their work, provide training, and assess performance.
•Prefers working knowledge of computer hardware and software, database input, reporting, and workflow.
•Prefers ability to establish and maintain working relationships with fellow employees, the public, local and state authorities,railroad and Federal Railroad Administration and railroads and their employees.
•Prefers knowledge of the Illinois Commercial Transportation Law and Illinois Commerce Commission regulations.

Conditions of Employment

• Requires the applicant to pass a background check and self-disclosure of criminal history.
• Requires ability to communicate effectively in English both orally and in writing.
• Requires ability to travel in the performance of duties, with overnight stays as appropriate.
• Requires appropriate, valid driver’s license.
• On a rotational basis, may be required to serve as duty officer.
• The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the jobdescription.