Sr Principal Project Mgr - Commercial - 90359651 - New York

Date:  Sep 12, 2025
Location: 

New York, NY, US, 10001

Company:  Amtrak

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As we move America’s workforce toward the future, Amtrak connects businesses and communities across the country. We employ more than 20,000 diverse, energetic professionals in a variety of career fields throughout the United States. The safety of our passengers, our employees, the public and our operating environment is our priority, and the success of our railroad is due to our employees.

 

Are you ready to join our team?

Our values of ‘Do the Right Thing, Excel Together and Put Customers First’ are at the heart of what matters most to us, and our Core Capabilities, ‘Building Trust, Accountability, Effective Communication, Customer Focus, and Proactive Safety & Security’ are what every employee needs to know and do to be most impactful at Amtrak. By living the Amtrak values, focusing on our capabilities, and actively embracing and fostering diverse ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives, together we will honor our past and make Amtrak a company of the future.

 

SUMMARY OF DUTIES:

Play a pivotal role in the success of the Sawtooth Bridges Replacement Project. As the Sr Principal Project Mgr - Commercial to provide strategic and hands-on commercial leadership for the Sawtooth Bridges Replacement Program. This role will be critical in supporting Amtrak’s alternative delivery strategy, particularly through CMAR contract negotiations, commercial risk management, and resolution of complex contract issues throughout the project lifecycle.


ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

· Manage the day-to-day and long-term commercial matters for the Project, often with staff coming from multiple partners, contractors, subcontractors and subconsultants. 
· Provide executive oversight to all aspects of the commercial management function. 
· Lead development and negotiation of commercial terms for CMAR and alternative delivery contracts, ensuring alignment with Amtrak’s budget, risk appetite, and project objectives. 
· Advise project leadership on negotiation strategies, claims positions, and commercial trade-offs with contractors, consultants, and suppliers. 
· Lead development, drafting, and negotiation of General Provisions, Division 1 requirements, and commercial terms for CMAR and alternative delivery contracts. 
· Ensure specifications and contract documents clearly define responsibilities, deliverables, risk allocation, and performance requirements. 
· Collaborate with Legal, Procurement, and Project Delivery teams to finalize agreements that are commercially sound and protect Amtrak’s interests. 
· Partner with estimating and project controls staff to reconcile contractor cost models against Amtrak’s independent cost estimates. 
· Evaluate contractor cost estimates to ensure accuracy, completeness, and appropriate use of allowances, contingencies, and risk provisions. 
· Assess and challenge contractor assumptions in pricing, escalation, labor productivity, and subcontractor costs. 
· Develop and implement commercial risk registers, ensuring risks are identified, quantified, allocated, and mitigated in both pre-award and execution phases. 
· Interprets contract language to understand the risks, rights and responsibilities of the project team and guide project team in properly managing in accordance with these clauses to limit exposure to additional costs. 
· Anticipate and proactively address commercial risks, including change orders, claims, and disputes. 
· Review and analyze contract management records to provide advice for the purposes of limiting exposure or protecting the Company from additional risks due to changes and claims. 
· Oversee change and claim preparation, management and resolution for the project, working closely with the project team and corporate legal representatives. 
· Lead the preparation for disputes resolution hearing and other alternative resolution methods meetings. 
· Lead evaluations of contractor change orders, claims, and cost proposals, ensuring they reflect scope, specifications, and commercial terms. 
· Perform regular project reviews and monitors job risks and change management against key performance indicators (KPIs). 
· Coordinate with project team and Project Controls Manager in tracking and monitoring change order and claims preparation and resolution. 
· Prepare action plan for resolving timely payment for change orders and work performed. 
· Coordinate, manage and provide assistance to outside counsel and third party consultants as needed for claim and change resolution. 
· Capture lessons learned from active contracts and integrate improvements into future General Provisions, Division 1 requirements, and procurement strategies.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

· Bachelor’s Degree required or equivalent combination of training, education and relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree. 
· 9+ years of relevant experience
· Strong knowledge of alternative delivery models (CMAR, DB, DBFOM, etc.) and related commercial structures. 
· Demonstrated experience negotiating large-scale construction contracts and resolving complex commercial disputes. 
· Proven ability to balance commercial risk, contractor relationships, and public agency requirements. 
· Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.Expert communication and interpersonal skills proven to engage and retain positive working relationships within project and build a strong relationship with project partners. 
· Strong proven skill to identify, track and manage project risk, own project budget and monitor project financial performance. 
· Aptitude for having difficult and challenging discussions in a passionate environment where opinions on commercial matters between parties do not align. 
· Proven knowledge and ability to analyze and interpret financial documentation to identify and mitigate project risk. 
· Strong ability to appropriately protect funds from unfounded claim and dispute resolution. 
· Unparalleled knowledge of the project contract and steadfast in management of notices, change orders, disputes, and claims. 
· Extensive communication/presentation skills and experience including distilling and communicating complex issues to senior level officers. 
· Demonstrated experience in managing staff, contractors, and cross-functional teams in multiple locations. 
· Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with staff and decision-makers at all levels while successfully challenging conventional practices and incorporating new approaches to business. 
· Superior quantitative and analytical skills.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

· 11+ years of experience in commercial management, contract negotiation, or project controls, preferably in major infrastructure or transportation projects. 
· Master’s degree in business or policy with an emphasis on quantitative, financial or economic analysis.
· Ten or more years planning and analysis experience the railroad and/or transportation industry 
· Experience with Amtrak’s financial planning/reporting technology systems or the equivalent.


WORK ENVIRONMENT:

· Combination of office building and jobsite environment. 
· Work in cubicle setting; stand, sit, bend, twist, use file drawers. 
· Sit at computer to complete assignments, projects, and majority of tasks. 
· Ability to work under pressure.

COMMUNICATIONS AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:
Must have excellent oral and written communication skills.

 

The salary range is $135,800-$176,040, Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, internal equity, etc. Depending on an employee’s assigned worksite or location, Amtrak may consider a geo-pay differential to be applied to the employee’s base salary. Amtrak may offer additional incentive and pay programs to recognize and reward our employees, including a short-term incentive bonus based upon factors such as individual and company performance that is commensurate with the level of the position and/or long-term incentive plan compensation. In addition to your salary, Amtrak offers a comprehensive benefit package that includes health, dental, and vision plans; health savings accounts; wellness programs; flexible spending accounts; 401K retirement plan with employer match; life insurance; short and long term disability insurance; paid time off; back-up care; adoption assistance; surrogacy assistance; reimbursement of education expenses; Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility; Railroad Retirement sickness and retirement benefits; and rail pass privileges. Learn more about our benefits offerings here.

#LI-CD1

Requisition ID:165190

Work Arrangement:06-Onsite 4/5 Days Click here for more information about work arrangements at Amtrak. 
Relocation Offered:No 
Travel Requirements:0 - 5% 

You power our progress through your performance.
 

We want your work at Amtrak to be more than a job. We want your career at Amtrak to be a fulfilling experience where you find challenging work, rewarding opportunities, respect among colleagues, and attractive compensation. Amtrak maintains a culture that values high performance and recognizes individual employee contributions. 


Amtrak is committed to a safe workplace free of drugs and alcohol. All Amtrak positions requires a pre-employment background check that includes prior employment verification, a criminal history check and a pre-employment drug screen. 

Candidates who test positive for marijuana will be disqualified, regardless of any state or local statute, ordinance, regulation, or other law that legalizes or decriminalizes the use or possession of marijuana, whether for medical, recreational, or other use. Amtrak's pre-employment drug testing program is administered in accordance with DOT regulations and applicable law.  


In accordance with DOT regulations (49 CFR § 40.25), Amtrak is required to obtain prior drug and alcohol testing records for applicants/employees intending to perform safety-sensitive duties for covered Department of Transportation positions. If an applicant/employee refuses to provide written consent for Amtrak to obtain these records, the individual will not be permitted to perform safety-sensitive functions.

 

In accordance with federal law governing security checks of covered individuals for providers of public transportation (Title 6 U.S.C. §1143), Amtrak is required to screen applicants for any permanent or interim disqualifying criminal offenses. 


Note that any education requirement listed above may be deemed satisfied if you have an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.


Amtrak is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race/color, to include traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture and hairstyles such as braids, locks and twists, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions, such as lactation), national origin/ethnicity, disability (intellectual, mental and physical), veteran status, marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, genetic information, citizenship or any other personal characteristics protected by law..