With the agency struggling to improve subway service and facing heightened scrutiny from federal regulators, MBTA General Manager Phil Eng reshaped the T’s management hierarchy last Friday (Sept. 22).

Eng said the MBTA’s management team will now function with four “major divisions” – operations, safety, capital, and administration. He also outlined numerous staffing updates, including promotions, permanent appointments and, in some cases, bumping acting officials back down to roles they previously held.

In a public statement alongside his internal correspondence, which was first reported by the Boston Herald, Eng said the changes are “not about the status quo but about careful, meaningful restructuring to put people in the best position to succeed based on their talents and experience.”

“We owe it to the public and the workforce. Over the past six months, I have taken full advantage of the opportunity to discuss with employees at all levels the challenges they face. I have done this to ensure that, as I make challenging decisions, we are rebuilding our ability to better succeed today as we strive to create an organization that is sustainable well into the future that we all will be proud of,” Eng said. “We are taking direct action to guide and lead the workforce at all levels, protect their safety and ability to deliver the safe, reliable and robust service that the public deserves and expects.”

Deputy General Manager Jeff Gonneville, a 34-year veteran who served as acting general manager before Eng started in April, will serve as the agency’s “lead negotiator” on its contract with Chinese manufacturer CRRC. The nearly $900 million in contracts have run into multiple delays and production challenges.

Eng tapped Tim Lesniak to serve as the T’s chief safety officer following the departure of Ron Ester last month. Lesniak previously worked as director of commuter rail and ferry safety for the T, and also has experience at other agencies as a track supervisor, inspector and roadmaster, according to his LinkedIn page.

Two officials who held high-ranking acting titles will return to their former jobs. Erik Stoothoff, who had been serving as acting chief operating officer, will once again resume the duties of deputy chief engineer, and Kat Benesh, who was acting deputy chief operating officer, will again serve as chief of operations strategy.

Ryan Coholan, who spent more than nine years as the T’s chief railroad officer, was promoted to chief operating officer with Deirdre Habershaw as his chief of staff. Eng also named Jody Ray as senior director of maintenance of way, Scott Bosworth as the head of a new transit-oriented development department, Danny Levy as chief customer and employee experience officer, Meredith Sandberg as chief of quality, compliance and oversight, Lynsey Heffernan as assistant general manager for policy and strategic planning, and Jillian Linnell as executive director of capital strategy.