Lead Project Controls Specialist Cost - 90359454 - Philadelphia/New York

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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.

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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:

The Lead Project Controls Specialist Cost, plans, manages, and executes cost engineering and control activities for capital construction projects or portfolios. Under general direction from the Project Controls Manager and the Project Manager, the Lead Project Controls Specialist Cost analyzes cost performance; develops estimates; creates and manages budgets; and liaises frequently with Amtrak’s Capital Finance Team. This position supports attainment of department or project-specific goals and outcomes through delivery of project control services, ensuring close alignment between project control staff and project management team(s). Works with project teams on regular reporting of project financial performance.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Serve as Lead Cost Control Specialist for a large project or portfolio, responsible for analyzing, developing, maintaining, controlling and reporting project design and construction cost, forecasts and expenditures. These forecasts include analyses of project cash flow, commitment plans, and funding in accordance with grant and funding contribution agreements.
• Assure compliance with department and enterprise practices on project budgeting, forecasting, change management, scheduling, cost controlling and related project-specific requirements. Support maintenance of department policies and procedures on project cost control, work breakdown structures, cost control tools and techniques, risk management, contingency determination, management and draw-down, and earned value management. Incorporate current best practices used in the construction and transportation industries.
• Perform monthly analysis and report cost performance, develop “bottom-up” forecasts quarterly to evaluate performance against Total Life of Project Cost and Schedule. Provide detailed analysis to project team to improve project performance and forecasting as well as to Capital Finance team to support corporate reporting and grants management.
• Collect project performance data such as installed quantities, expended labor and other progress measurement data from enterprise tools (e.g., Maximo) and/or project management staff to assess project/portfolio cost performance.
• Track potential changes, ensuring that suitable assessments of cost and schedule impacts are generated, and visibility provided to the client and project management.
• Applies standard construction estimating concepts, practices, methodologies, and/or procedures as well as discipline-specific concepts to develop cost estimates for railroad-specific work elements (e.g., electric traction, signals, structures, track) or general construction work elements.
• Perform investigation, including but not limited to market analysis, visits to the field, and interviews of delivery staff (e.g., engineers, superintendents, construction managers), to understand construction means and methods in order to develop cost estimates.
• Assist in the development of annual operating plan, including working closely with project managers to estimate costs for upcoming fiscal year as well as out years. Work with Capital Finance to refine plan as necessary. Oversee administration of department budget, including managing off cycle reprogramming requests for new or adjusted funding on projects and preparation and approval of purchase requisitions.
• Review and vet invoices, receipt them into Amtrak’s Ariba-on-Demand system and develop monthly accruals. Liaise with Finance on journal entries and corrections.
• Participate in risk evaluation sessions or preconstruction reviews and ensures risks are documented and assessed in terms of probability and impact to enable project team to develop risk mitigation plans and contingencies.
• Support project and portfolio management teams in performing risk-based contingency determination in accordance with department policies, stakeholder requirements, and best practice.
• Maintains reporting mechanisms, dashboards and presentations about project performance indicators and feed this data to ensure a cohesive picture of project’s contribution to the project and/or portfolio.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

A combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Science, Business, or a related field. Required education may be substituted for additional relevant experience in excess of the minimum requirements outlined below.

Required specialized experience in area of assignment:

• Experience in construction project cost management and project controls.
• Experience leading both cost and schedule controls for capital construction projects, programs, and/or portfolios.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of principles and practices of construction project management through all phases of the construction project lifecycle
• Understanding of project financial reporting, forecasting, analysis and monitoring capital project / program / portfolio funding and/or budget.
• Familiarity with tools, techniques, and procedures related to project schedule management, control and forecasting in large and/or complex capital construction projects
• Applied knowledge of statistical analysis methods
• Experience employing modern software tools and cost databases (e.g., Hard Dollar, RSMeans) to develop and maintain cost estimates on large and/or complex construction projects and extracting data to generate analysis and status reports.
• Ability to analyze construction project performance metrics, performance analysis, dashboards and progress reports.
• Ability to clearly organize and present project portfolio reports and other related portfolio technical information
• Knowledge of project risk management principles, practices, standards and methods
• Advanced Excel user skills and intermediate to advanced PowerPoint skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills to communicate complex information clearly and concisely
• Ability to work diplomatically across teams with varying objectives
• Strong focus on collaboration, team building, and customer service

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in Science, Engineering, or Construction Management.
• Six (6) years’ experience in construction project cost management and project controls.
• Three years of experience in the rail industry, oil and gas, energy, or pharmaceutical industry.
• One or more of the following certifications / credentials:
  • Oracle Primavera P6 certification
  • PSP, CEP, EVP, or CCP (AACE)
  • EVMP
  • RMP (PMI)
• Experience with data analysis, preferably with Excel and PowerBI
• Experience with database management and data operations (e.g., SQL)

WORK ENVRIORNMENT:

Environmental Conditions:

• Office environment; 4 days in the office, 1 day remote.

Physical Conditions:

• May require maintaining physical condition necessary for sitting, walking or standing for prolonged periods of time.

COMMUNICATIONS AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: 

Must have excellent oral and written communication skills.

The salary/hourly range is $94,300-$122,256. 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.

Requisition ID:164133
Posting Location(s):New York; Pennsylvania

Work Arrangement:06-Onsite Click here for more information about work arrangements at Amtrak. 
Job Family/Function:Engineering 
Relocation Offered:No 
Travel Requirements:Up to 25% 

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..