Train Engineer Jobs in California
Train engineer jobs in California represent one of the most active freight and passenger rail markets in the country, with openings at every level from trainee conductor to senior locomotive engineer across freight operations, commuter rail, and light rail transit systems. The largest concentrations of hiring are in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Sacramento region, where employers like Union Pacific, BNSF Railway, and Caltrans-supported commuter agencies maintain a lasting presence. The most in-demand specialties are freight locomotive operations, commuter rail service, and yard switching. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 23+ Train Engineer jobs
About Origence
With 30 years at the forefront of fintech innovation, we specialize in SaaS lending solutions that lead the industry. Our core mission is customer-centric, focusing on empowering Credit Unions across the United States with the tools to offer accessible, competitive lending services. We're deeply committed to enhancing the financial ecosystem for a broad network of credit unions, members and auto dealers. We invest in our greatest assets, our employees, and foster a culture of innovation and ownership through freedom and responsibility. We celebrate fiscal accountability, operational rigor and efficiency to create a sustainably healthy and robust business for the long term.
We are currently in the implementation phase of our SAFe transformation journey, and we are looking for an experienced SAFe® Release Train Engineer (RTE) to join us and help our Agile teams achieve excellence. Our Release Train Engineers will be servant leaders and coaches for the Agile Release Train (ART) and will be responsible for facilitating the ART events and processes while assisting the teams in delivering value. Additionally, the RTE will provide guidance and help educate the Agile Release Train in Lean, Kanban, and Scaled Agile framework (SAFe). The RTE will (1) communicate with stakeholders (2) escalate impediments to leadership, the solution train or portfolio (3) help manage risk (4) help ensure value delivery (5) drive relentless improvement.
What you will do:
Coaching, Mentoring, Training and Development
- Act as a servant-leader, providing coaching and guidance to teams, ARTs, and stakeholders on agile practices, ceremonies, principles, and mindsets.
- Embrace Lean-Agile practices and empower others, encourage and influence the Solution Train and ARTs in a way that helps them work together to deliver excellence.
- Build a trusting, safe environment within the Agile Release Train / Agile Teams that facilitates positive team health, where problems can be raised without fear of blame, retribution, or being judged.
- Help manage, escalate, track, and work to help resolve risks, dependencies, impediments, and bottlenecks to ensure goals are met.
- Optimize the flow of value through the ART.
- Provide support and education for improving estimates and PI Objectives during PI Planning.
- Encourage collaboration among the various teams within the ART.
- Nurture Communities of Practice (CoPs) as well as the use of built-in quality practices, coach weekly Lean-Agile coffee meeting.
- Conduct Agile Product Delivery (APD) assessments and ensure completion of Team and Technical Agility (TTA) assessments by teams.
- Serve as a back up to other Origence Release Train Engineers (RTE) when necessary, facilitating syncs, backlog refinements, demos and PI planning events.
Must be able to travel 10% of the time.
Strategy, Planning, and Execution of the Transformation
- Facilitate the Agile Release Train events and processes, as well as synchronization meetings as needed.
- Facilitate ART level PI Planning events.
- Summarize Team PI objectives into Program PI objectives and publish that information to provide transparency and visibility.
- Facilitate System Demos.
- Facilitate ‘Inspect and Adapt’ workshops at the end of each PI and create retrospective improvement roadmaps by analyzing activities and actions previously performed in the ART to find ways to encourage and drive continuous improvement.
- Collaborate with the Lean Agile Center of Excellence (LACE), Solution/Product Management, STE, Product Owners, Scrum Masters and other stakeholders to guarantee the alignment of strategy and execution and achieve operational excellence.
- Coordinate and/or facilitate workshops and trainings as necessary to provide training/education to teams in the ART (i.e., user story writing workshops, Definition of Done workshops, etc.).
- Develop, regularly monitor, analyze, and report on metrics pertaining to the ART and the individual teams within the ARTs.
- Assist in tracking the execution of capabilities and features.
- Communicate program information, progress on PI Objectives, and key health metrics as appropriate.
- Help manage, escalate, track, and work to help resolve risks, dependencies, impediments, and bottlenecks to ensure goals are met.
- This job description is not intended to be all inclusive, employee may be required to perform other duties as assigned to support the goals and objectives of Origence.
The Ideal Candidate:
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in business, related field, or the equivalent experience.
Experience:
- Knowledge of and passionate about agile principles and practices, with a deep understanding of the SAFe methodology, and relevant experience in preparing, planning, training, and coaching multiple ARTs as a Solution Train.
- 2-5 years of experience in a software development environment.
- 2+ years working in an Agile environment.
- Demonstrated use of Agile metrics to track ART/Program and Release progress.
- Practical experience of servant-leadership in agile teams.
- Ability to mentor and train team members on agile practices.
- Experience with Azure DevOps and facilitation software (i.e., Miro, Lucid Spark, or Mural).
- Excellent knowledge of MS Office and Azure DevOps; working knowledge of program/project management software is a strong advantage.
- Experience working with B2B software technology, B2C software technology, financial services.
- Experience working in or with the lending or automotive industries as well as credit unions.
- Experience in facilitating program events like PI planning etc.
Specialized Skills:
- Proactive leader that identifies opportunities within their ART to advance business goals.
- Ability to develop strategies, set objectives, and manage to results for their ART.
- Excellent teamwork skills and proven ability to influence cross-functional and cross-organizational teams.
- Inquisitive and curious, uses critical thinking and creativity to problem solve and produce operational efficiencies.
- Capable of creating and improving processes to get the right outcomes and willingness to course correct when necessary.
- Acts with a sense of urgency, able to prioritize and react to changing priorities, even when key information is missing.
- A helpful, flexible, can-do attitude with a talent for juggling multiple priorities.
- Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Exceptional in oral, written, and presentation communication with team and others.
- Ability to coach team members with the technique of using powerful questions rather than being authoritative.
- Self-starting mentality and willingness to take ownership of difficult challenges.
- Desire to drive change, implement new ways of working and think "out of the box.”
Preferred Certifications:
- Release Train Engineer Certification 5.0 (RTE)
- Leading SAFe Certification 5.0 (SA)
- SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager Certification 5.0 (POPM)
- SAFe Scrum Master Certification 5.0 (SSM)
- SAFe for Teams Certification 5.0 (SA)
- Implementing SAFe Certification 5.0 (SPC)
Why you should apply:
- Flexible Working Environment
- Paid Time Off
- 401k (8% match)
- College Tuition Benefits/ Tuition Reimbursement
- Good Benefits options
- Company Culture! Cultural and Holiday celebrations, Theme days like Star Wars Day & Bring your Kids to Work Day, Monthly Townhalls and Quarterly Company Meetings that ensure awareness, inclusion, and transparency.
Starting salary range: $110000 - $150000 per year. This base pay will take into consideration internal equity, candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge and experience among other factors. Origence maintains a highly competitive compensation program. Under company guidelines, this position is eligible for an annual bonus to provide an incentive to achieve targeted goals. Bonuses are awarded at company’s discretion on an individual basis.
Origence is an equal opportunity employer. All recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, benefits, discipline, and other terms and conditions of employment will be based upon an individuals’ qualifications regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, military service, marital status, pregnancy, age, protected medical condition, genetic information, disability or any other category protected by federal, state or local law.
Origence is an equal opportunity employer. All recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, benefits, discipline, and other terms and conditions of employment will be based upon an individuals’ qualifications regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, military service, marital status, pregnancy, age, protected medical condition, genetic information, disability or any other category protected by federal, state or local law.
About Origence
With 30 years at the forefront of fintech innovation, we specialize in SaaS lending solutions that lead the industry. Our core mission is customer-centric, focusing on empowering Credit Unions across the United States with the tools to offer accessible, competitive lending services. We're deeply committed to enhancing the financial ecosystem for a broad network of credit unions, members and auto dealers. We invest in our greatest assets, our employees, and foster a culture of innovation and ownership through freedom and responsibility. We celebrate fiscal accountability, operational rigor and efficiency to create a sustainably healthy and robust business for the long term.
We are currently in the implementation phase of our SAFe transformation journey, and we are looking for an experienced SAFe® Release Train Engineer (RTE) to join us and help our Agile teams achieve excellence. Our Release Train Engineers will be servant leaders and coaches for the Agile Release Train (ART) and will be responsible for facilitating the ART events and processes while assisting the teams in delivering value. Additionally, the RTE will provide guidance and help educate the Agile Release Train in Lean, Kanban, and Scaled Agile framework (SAFe). The RTE will (1) communicate with stakeholders (2) escalate impediments to leadership, the solution train or portfolio (3) help manage risk (4) help ensure value delivery (5) drive relentless improvement.
What you will do:
Coaching, Mentoring, Training and Development
- Act as a servant-leader, providing coaching and guidance to teams, ARTs, and stakeholders on agile practices, ceremonies, principles, and mindsets.
- Embrace Lean-Agile practices and empower others, encourage and influence the Solution Train and ARTs in a way that helps them work together to deliver excellence.
- Build a trusting, safe environment within the Agile Release Train / Agile Teams that facilitates positive team health, where problems can be raised without fear of blame, retribution, or being judged.
- Help manage, escalate, track, and work to help resolve risks, dependencies, impediments, and bottlenecks to ensure goals are met.
- Optimize the flow of value through the ART.
- Provide support and education for improving estimates and PI Objectives during PI Planning.
- Encourage collaboration among the various teams within the ART.
- Nurture Communities of Practice (CoPs) as well as the use of built-in quality practices, coach weekly Lean-Agile coffee meeting.
- Conduct Agile Product Delivery (APD) assessments and ensure completion of Team and Technical Agility (TTA) assessments by teams.
- Serve as a back up to other Origence Release Train Engineers (RTE) when necessary, facilitating syncs, backlog refinements, demos and PI planning events.
Must be able to travel 10% of the time.
Strategy, Planning, and Execution of the Transformation
- Facilitate the Agile Release Train events and processes, as well as synchronization meetings as needed.
- Facilitate ART level PI Planning events.
- Summarize Team PI objectives into Program PI objectives and publish that information to provide transparency and visibility.
- Facilitate System Demos.
- Facilitate ‘Inspect and Adapt’ workshops at the end of each PI and create retrospective improvement roadmaps by analyzing activities and actions previously performed in the ART to find ways to encourage and drive continuous improvement.
- Collaborate with the Lean Agile Center of Excellence (LACE), Solution/Product Management, STE, Product Owners, Scrum Masters and other stakeholders to guarantee the alignment of strategy and execution and achieve operational excellence.
- Coordinate and/or facilitate workshops and trainings as necessary to provide training/education to teams in the ART (i.e., user story writing workshops, Definition of Done workshops, etc.).
- Develop, regularly monitor, analyze, and report on metrics pertaining to the ART and the individual teams within the ARTs.
- Assist in tracking the execution of capabilities and features.
- Communicate program information, progress on PI Objectives, and key health metrics as appropriate.
- Help manage, escalate, track, and work to help resolve risks, dependencies, impediments, and bottlenecks to ensure goals are met.
- This job description is not intended to be all inclusive, employee may be required to perform other duties as assigned to support the goals and objectives of Origence.
The Ideal Candidate:
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in business, related field, or the equivalent experience.
Experience:
- Knowledge of and passionate about agile principles and practices, with a deep understanding of the SAFe methodology, and relevant experience in preparing, planning, training, and coaching multiple ARTs as a Solution Train.
- 2-5 years of experience in a software development environment.
- 2+ years working in an Agile environment.
- Demonstrated use of Agile metrics to track ART/Program and Release progress.
- Practical experience of servant-leadership in agile teams.
- Ability to mentor and train team members on agile practices.
- Experience with Azure DevOps and facilitation software (i.e., Miro, Lucid Spark, or Mural).
- Excellent knowledge of MS Office and Azure DevOps; working knowledge of program/project management software is a strong advantage.
- Experience working with B2B software technology, B2C software technology, financial services.
- Experience working in or with the lending or automotive industries as well as credit unions.
- Experience in facilitating program events like PI planning etc.
Specialized Skills:
- Proactive leader that identifies opportunities within their ART to advance business goals.
- Ability to develop strategies, set objectives, and manage to results for their ART.
- Excellent teamwork skills and proven ability to influence cross-functional and cross-organizational teams.
- Inquisitive and curious, uses critical thinking and creativity to problem solve and produce operational efficiencies.
- Capable of creating and improving processes to get the right outcomes and willingness to course correct when necessary.
- Acts with a sense of urgency, able to prioritize and react to changing priorities, even when key information is missing.
- A helpful, flexible, can-do attitude with a talent for juggling multiple priorities.
- Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Exceptional in oral, written, and presentation communication with team and others.
- Ability to coach team members with the technique of using powerful questions rather than being authoritative.
- Self-starting mentality and willingness to take ownership of difficult challenges.
- Desire to drive change, implement new ways of working and think "out of the box.”
Preferred Certifications:
- Release Train Engineer Certification 5.0 (RTE)
- Leading SAFe Certification 5.0 (SA)
- SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager Certification 5.0 (POPM)
- SAFe Scrum Master Certification 5.0 (SSM)
- SAFe for Teams Certification 5.0 (SA)
- Implementing SAFe Certification 5.0 (SPC)
Why you should apply:
- Flexible Working Environment
- Paid Time Off
- 401k (8% match)
- College Tuition Benefits/ Tuition Reimbursement
- Good Benefits options
- Company Culture! Cultural and Holiday celebrations, Theme days like Star Wars Day & Bring your Kids to Work Day, Monthly Townhalls and Quarterly Company Meetings that ensure awareness, inclusion, and transparency.
Starting salary range: $110000 - $150000 per year. This base pay will take into consideration internal equity, candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge and experience among other factors. Origence maintains a highly competitive compensation program. Under company guidelines, this position is eligible for an annual bonus to provide an incentive to achieve targeted goals. Bonuses are awarded at company’s discretion on an individual basis.
Origence is an equal opportunity employer. All recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, benefits, discipline, and other terms and conditions of employment will be based upon an individuals’ qualifications regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, military service, marital status, pregnancy, age, protected medical condition, genetic information, disability or any other category protected by federal, state or local law.
Origence is an equal opportunity employer. All recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, benefits, discipline, and other terms and conditions of employment will be based upon an individuals’ qualifications regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, military service, marital status, pregnancy, age, protected medical condition, genetic information, disability or any other category protected by federal, state or local law.
See All 23 Train Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Train Engineer JobsTrain Engineer Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Train Engineer Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Brain13
- BRAIN7
- Amazon Web Services1
- Faraday Future1
- Origence1
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software22
- Science & Research3
- Artificial Intelligence1
- Automotive1
- Distribution & Wholesale1
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in train engineer jobs across California.
- Federal Railroad Administration locomotive engineer certification required for California rail operations
- Valid commercial driver's license or relevant transportation credentials preferred by most employers
- Completion of an accredited railroad training program or equivalent on-the-job apprenticeship
- Demonstrated ability to pass mandatory Federal Railroad Administration medical fitness standards
- Experience operating diesel-electric or electric locomotives on mainline or commuter rail routes
- Strong knowledge of California railroad operating rules, signal systems, and track authority procedures
Train Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a train engineer in California?
Becoming a train engineer in California requires earning Federal Railroad Administration locomotive engineer certification, which is the federal standard enforced across all states including California. Candidates typically start as conductor trainees or brakemen, complete employer-sponsored training programs covering operating rules, signal recognition, and equipment handling, then advance to engineer after supervised operating time. A high school diploma or equivalent is the baseline educational requirement, though many California rail employers prefer candidates with vocational transportation or mechanical coursework.
Which companies hire train engineers in California?
Employers hiring train engineers in California right now include Brain, BRAIN, and Amazon Web Services, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. California's mix of major freight corridors and large commuter rail networks means both private freight carriers and publicly funded transit agencies post openings with regularity throughout the year.
Which California cities have the most train engineer jobs?
The cities with the most train engineer openings in California are San Diego, San Francisco, and El Segundo. Los Angeles anchors demand through its freight hub status and large commuter networks like Metrolink, the Bay Area draws openings from BART and Caltrain operations, and Sacramento reflects both state rail administration and Union Pacific's central valley freight activity.
Are there remote train engineer jobs in California?
Yes, but they're rare. About 4% of train engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting the hands-on, safety-critical nature of locomotive operations that requires physical presence on equipment and right-of-way. The portions of the role most amenable to remote work involve scheduling, dispatch coordination, or training development rather than active train operations.
How can I get hired as a train engineer in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is applying for conductor trainee or utility service worker roles, which large California freight and commuter rail employers use as the standard pipeline for future engineers. Union Pacific and BNSF Railway both run structured entry-level training programs at California facilities that require no prior rail experience. Candidates coming from adjacent roles such as bus operator, military transportation specialist, or heavy equipment operator carry a measurable advantage. Completing any FRA-approved railroad operating rules course before applying also strengthens an application significantly.
Where can I find and apply to train engineer jobs in California?
You can find and apply to train engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings from freight carriers, commuter rail agencies, and transit authorities across the state. Find roles that match your certification level and preferred region, then apply directly to each employer through the listing.
See All 23 Train Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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