Date Opened: Monday, October 06, 2025 12:00 AM

Close Date: Monday, October 27, 2025 12:00 AM

Department: Charlotte Area Transit System Department

Transit & Rail Maintenance

Salary: $31.96 - $39.95 Commensurate with Experience

Welcome to the City of Charlotte

Charlotte is America’s Queen City, opening her arms to a diverse and inclusive community of residents, businesses and visitors alike. Here you will find a safe, family-oriented city where people work together to help everyone thrive. The mission of the City of Charlotte is to deliver quality public services and promote the safety, health, and quality of life for all residents.

Our guiding principles include:

• Attracting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce

• Valuing teamwork, openness, accountability, productivity, and employee development

• Providing all customers with courteous, responsive, accessible, and seamless quality services

• Taking initiative to identify, analyze, and solve problems

• Collaborating with stakeholders to make informed decisions

SUMMARY

The Rail Track Maintainer Lead is responsible for the direction of crews involved in the construction, maintenance, and repair of railroad track. Lead, coach and train less tenured staff. They are required to exercise considerable initiative, independent judgment, and discretion in performing all duties. They are also required to stay informed and up to date of City of Charlotte and CATS policies, rules, and regulations.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Responsible for preventive maintenance of rails, embedded track, switches/ turnouts, and other track right of way components including, but not limited to special track work/parts, ballast, ties, direct fixation fasteners, rail joints, roadbed drainage, floating slabs, crossing pads, and de-railers.
• Responsible for removing obstructions such as tree limbs, shrubs, weeds, graffiti, or any other element that may affect rail operations of the appearance of the ROW.
• Will be required to operate non-revenue vehicles and high-rail maintenance vehicles and perform operator level inspections on this equipment.
• Will provide emergency response and will be called upon to provide support for other areas in regard to light rail service, special events, trolley, and public safety and service.
• Will assist in an ongoing track inspection program utilizing a computer-reporting system ensuring equipment meets standards, tolerances, and typical adverse conditions that may affect the movement of track.
• Maintain and track documentation from vendors, contracts and contractors.
• Develop and maintain daily operational reports.
• Develop, plan and lead daily activities of a crew related to duties involved in the performance of track maintenance, inspection, and repair of railroad track structure
• Enforce compliance with safety procedures
• Establish line of communication with customers to meet safety protocols & maintain client satisfaction
• Maintain accurate records of daily tasks, crew time, job costs, and production reports
• Directly support continuous implementation and compliance of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) State Safety Oversight Program Standards (SSOPS) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regulations 49 CFR Part 673 and 672 related to the Safety Management System (SMS) and the CATS Agency Safety Plan (ASP). Support Safety performance goals of CATS.
• Encourage employees to proactively support and report safety concerns following the CATS Safety Reporting options as described in your training and in the ASP.
• As part of your responsibility to support the CATS Safety Culture, report safety concerns and issues through the various methods established by CATS as outlined in the ASP.
• Advocate and promote a strong safety culture within CATS with regard to transportation services, capital programs, facility operations and maintenance, worksite procedures, employees, and customers following SMS and ASP. 
• Participate in internal and external ASP audits.
• Perform other duties as directed

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Requires knowledge of FRA and APTA regulations and standards
• Knowledge of and ability to use track maintenance tools such as rail drill, rail saw, tamping, jacks, and hand tools.
• Must be able to qualify as a track inspector by demonstrating knowledge of track inspection requirements within a reasonable time frame.
• Ability to formulate ideas and communicate them clearly, in an oral, written and concise manner to various levels of management, staff and customers.
• Proficient using Microsoft Office Word and Outlook.
• Must be detail oriented, efficient and able to work independently, taking the lead on certain assigned projects.
• Must have a pleasant manner and the ability to work well with all staff members and the general public.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to multitask in a diverse environment and work with minimal supervision are essential.
• Capability to learn new tasks and to provide support to other staff members.
• Good interpersonal skills
• Capable of working extra hours whenever necessary
• Ability to lift and carry up to 100 pounds
• Ability to walk, stand, stoop, bend, kneel, and crouch for extended periods of time

Minimum Qualifications:

• High school diploma or GED
• One or more years of experience in preventative and corrective track maintenance on a rail system. 

Safety Sensitive:

• This position is considered a security and Safety Sensitive position and will be subject to random drug and alcohol testing under FTA guidelines as well as all procedures and guidelines in alignment with the City of Charlotte and CATS Drug and Alcohol Policies

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or on the basis of actual or perceived gender as expressed through dress, appearance, or behavior.

Our culture is to serve the community honorably.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby, where self-service application kiosks are available. They are located in our office at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. We are open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.

For questions about your application or the hiring process, please email Careers@ci.charlotte.nc.us.

The City of Charlotte is committed to making our services and programs accessible to all. Upon request, auxiliary aids, written materials in alternate formats, language access, and other reasonable accommodations or modifications will be provided. To make a request, please fill out the Innovation & Technology ADA request form or call 704.336.4120.

BENEFITS

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees.

Click here to learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.

The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.