Railway Engineering & Safety Specialist (Consultancy)

About the role

Rathe Consulting is seeking experienced railway engineering and safety specialists to support a short‑term consultancy for the development of South Africa’s Safety Critical Grades (SCG) Framework, competency framework, operating model and regulatory implementation approach for the Railway Safety Regulator.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and refine the SCG framework and associated competency standards.
• Design operating models and regulatory implementation strategies for railway safety oversight.
• Provide expert input on railway operations, systems engineering, safety engineering and risk management.
• Contribute to the creation of engineering standards, operating procedures and benchmarking studies.
• Support the alignment of rolling stock, signalling, traction and infrastructure engineering with safety requirements.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Industrial, Railway or Systems Engineering or a related discipline.
• Professional registration with ECSA is advantageous.
• Minimum five years of relevant railway industry experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in railway engineering, safety‑critical operations, competency assurance or regulatory environments.
• Strong knowledge of railway engineering standards, safety management systems and competency requirements.

Required skills

• Railway operations and systems engineering.
• Railway safety engineering and risk management.
• Competency framework development and assurance.
• Regulatory compliance and standards development.
• Human factors engineering applied to railway safety.

What we offer

• Opportunity to influence national railway safety policy.
• Engagement with senior stakeholders in the railway sector.
• Competitive consultancy remuneration.