Rail Consultant
Joining Arup
Arup’s purpose, shared values and collaborative approach has set us apart for over 80 years, guiding how we shape a better world.
The Opportunity
The Arup rail business in Japan covers three areas (advisory, infrastructure and systems engineering). Advisory encompasses strategy consulting, financial consulting, management consulting, operation consulting and foresight services. Infrastructure and railway systems relate to design, engineering and technical consultancy at corporate and project level, covering civil engineering for railway infrastructure (railway stations, track works, etc.), E&M systems (signalling, rolling stock, traction power, communications, etc.), and systems engineering in railway projects (project management, system assurance, quality assurance, testing & commission, etc.).
This position’s primary focus points are:
• Work at consultant level on advisory projects and engineer level on engineering and consultancy projects within the Arup railway business.
• Manage projects including technical delivery and service performance.
• Focus on advisory projects as team member or consultant. Primary focus domain covers (but is not limited to) government-commissioned research related to railways.
• Support (depending on skills and project nature) rail engineering projects related to the Arup railway business.
• Support the infrastructure business in rail systems capacity, e.g. providing domain skills on interfaces to railway systems.
• Manage (depending on skills and project nature) the production of drawings, plans, reports and other deliverables.
• Coordinate and liaise with external parties in producing advisory deliverables and consultancy to clients.
• Assist Business Development and Sales activities performed by the Team.
• Interface with Clients, Team and other stakeholders during project delivery and other activities.
Accountable to
• This position reports directly to the Line Manager or Rail Leader on day-to-day work.
Responsible for (direct reports)
• Position has no direct reports at the time of hiring. Resources and team may be allocated at later point depending on need and opportunity.
Key Responsibilities
• You will be expected to work under supervision within a defined area of responsibility on design, engineering or consultancy activities.
• You will be responsible for checking the quality and accuracy of own and others work. Furthermore, you may be responsible for the development of others through providing guidance, training and feedback.
• Your work will encompass authoring non-standard letters, reports and other documentation.
• You will be responsible for representing your team or group at external meetings, coordinating work on rail projects. This position reports directly to the Line Manager or Rail Leader on day-to-day work.
Key Arup Relationships
• Staff within the Japan Rail Team
• Staff within the Global Rail Teams
• Staff within the Tokyo Office
• Staff within the other Arup Offices within Asia Pacific Region.
At Arup, you belong to an extraordinary collective – in which we encourage individuality to thrive. Our strength comes from how we respect, share and connect our diverse experiences, perspectives and ideas. You will have the opportunity do socially useful work that has meaning – to Arup, to your career, to our members and to the clients and communities we serve.
Is this role right for you?
Essential requirements
• Relevant Degree in Engineering
• At least 3 years of experience in consulting at a consulting firm or think tank
• Experience in providing consulting services to the infrastructure industry
• Experience in proposal-based sales to government agencies and companies, and in preparing proposals for tendering projects
• Native or Business-level Japanese speaker
• Good spoken and written English (at least TOEIC 700)
Preferred / additional attributes
• Experience in working in the transport infrastructure (especially rail) industry and/or networking with related companies and government agencies
• Experience as engineer, system designer, consultant and/or project engineer/manager
• Relevant domain expertise in one of the following:
- rolling stock, or
- signalling and control, or
- traction / power, or
- communications systems,
- railway operation / planning, or
- railway system assurance
Key Personal Attributes
• Able to demonstrate strong engineering or project management skills and knowledge
• Proven success in contributing to a team-oriented environment
• Able to quickly develop successful client relationships
• Able to work independently with minimum supervision
• Ability to work under pressure and to meet strict deadlines is essential
• Excellent planning, organisational and time management skills
• Excellent communications skills (both written and verbal)
• Highly motivated and willing to take on new challenges
• Supporting the firm’s compliance in maintaining ISO 9001, OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001 requirement.
• Other relevant duties as required.
Key Competencies
Knowledge, Experience & Skills
• Ability to consult with others to develop the level of knowledge required for the role
• Identifies own training and development needs, ways to meet these needs and shares knowledge with others
Planning & Organising
• Capable of prioritising and managing own workload using appropriate tools
• Acknowledges and acts upon the need for additional support from team members
Thinking & Decision Making
• Adopts a consultative approach when gathering information and opinions to reach a final decision
• Demonstrates the skills to focus on the main issue, enabling a quick solution
Commercial Acumen
• Manages own time and activities
• Considers cost and time implications before action
Building Customer/Client Relationships
• Ability to network with internal and external parties effectively demonstrating a polite, open, honest and fair approach
• Adapts communication style and medium to the situation
Communication
• Communicates openly through asking questions and listening to ensure comprehension
• Articulate, providing clear explanations of ideas; job procedures etc to others
• Ability to check own work before distributing to others
• Capable of judging a situation and choosing the best communication method to achieve the desired outcome
Team Working & Leadership
• Capable of working well with people at all levels
• Ability to involve all members of the team in delivering objectives; professionals and support staff
• Self-aware, understands their role in the team and takes responsibility for own actions
• Proactive in showing others how things are done in order to improve the operation of the team
Different people, shared values
Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.
Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross-cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference. Discover more about life at Arup at https://www.arup.com/careers/your-life-at-arup.
We are committed to making our recruitment process and workplaces accessible to all candidates. Please contact valeriya.krasnozhon@arup.com to let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments throughout your application or interview process, and/or to perform the essential functions of the role. We will do everything we can to support you.
Our Application Process
Please apply directly through our applicant tracking system. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by Talent Acquisition to discuss next steps. Stay safe online – Arup will never ask for your bank details as part of our recruitment process.
Application documents
• CV (Japanese)
• CV (English)
• Portfolio
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