Sr Director Project Controls Planning & Scheduling - 90379742 - Philadelphia / Washington DC

Date: Aug 22, 2024

Location: Philadelphia, PA, US, 19104

Company: Amtrak

Your success is a train ride away!

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:
The Senior Director of Project Controls plans, directs, manages, and oversees schedule control activities and operations for a large, complex capital construction project or a portfolio.  May also supervise cost control activities and staff. Under general direction from the Deputy Chief, the Engineering Program Management Office (DCE-PMO) supports attaining strategic, policy, and/or project-specific goals and outcomes by delivering project control services and ensuring close alignment between project control staff and project management team(s).  Serves as subject matter expert and advisor to Deputy Chief, Engineering Program Management Office on schedule management and control practices, policies, methods, and tools.  Assists in developing, preparing, and maintaining department policies and may lead collaborative efforts with other internal departments to develop continuous process improvements.  Monitors and evaluates staff performance and provides feedback, coaching, and/or positive recognition for department personnel and decision-making that may significantly impact the organization.  Performs additional duties as assigned.

 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

  • Lead Development and Implementation of Policies and Procedures: Oversee the creation and maintenance of department policies on schedule control, risk management, resource management, and earned value management, incorporating best practices from the construction and transportation industries.
  • Supervise and Develop Staff: Directly or through subordinates, manage staff responsible for analyzing, developing, maintaining, and reporting project schedules and forecasts, ensuring integration with cost engineering practices.
  • Develop and Implement KPIs: Lead the development of key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess project schedule performance and ensure quality and timeliness of deliverables, including schedules, forecasts, and reports.
  • Coordinate with Project Management: Ensure close coordination between scheduling, cost control staff, and the project management team to maintain compliance with department practices and project-specific requirements.
  • Oversee Budget and Schedule Evaluation: Oversee the evaluation of contract change orders and amendments for their impact on budget and schedule and participate in developing the yearly Engineering Capital Construction plan.
  • Serve as Subject Matter Expert: Act as an advisor on construction/engineering schedule management and earned value management, providing technical expertise to senior leadership and representing the organization in high-profile negotiations.
  • Improve Business Processes: Support or lead initiatives to enhance business processes and tools, coordinating efforts with other internal departments and managing consulting contracts and task orders.

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Education: bachelor’s degree in construction management, Engineering, Science, Business, or a related field.  Required education may be substituted for additional relevant experience over the minimum requirements outlined below on a two-for-one-year basis.  Equivalent
  • combination of training, education and relevant
  • experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
  • Required specialized experience in the area of assignment:
    • Eleven (11) years of experience in construction project scheduling and project controls, at least 5 of which are on highly complex or large (>$500 million) projects. 
    • Five (5) years of direct hands-on experience as a scheduler using Primavera scheduling software to develop and maintain multi-discipline scheduling for large, complex projects.
    • Five (5) years of relevant supervisory-level experience in large complex capital construction project scheduling or cost control.
  • PMP or PMI-SP in good standing.
  • Valid Driver’s License or ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related functions.
  • Must have authorization to work in the United States
  • A combination of education and/or experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the position's essential functions. 

  • Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of:

    • Principles and Practices of Construction Project Management: Expertise in managing all phases of the construction project lifecycle.

    • Project Cost Management and Estimation: Proficiency in business processes, techniques, and procedures related to project cost engineering, cost management, and cost estimation for large and complex capital construction projects.

    • Software Tools for Construction Management: Experience with Acumen Fuse, P6, PROLOG, InEight, and RSMeans for construction estimating, engineering, and project management.

    • Construction Contract Administration: In-depth knowledge of construction/engineering contracting methods, types, and standard conditions (AIA, EJCDC), including contract administration.

    • Project Financial Reporting and Analysis: Ability to perform detailed project financial reporting, analysis, and forecasting.

    • Project Risk Management: Mastery of project risk management principles, practices, standards, and methods, as well as performing Monte Carlo schedule risk simulations and time-impact analyses.

    • Scheduling Tools and Methods: Skilled in using linear scheduling tools and methods, including Primavera P6, for developing and maintaining cost-and-resource-loaded CPM schedules and schedule integration for large portfolios.

    • Performance Metrics and Analysis: Expertise in construction project performance metrics, analysis, dashboards, and progress reports.

    • Communication and Presentation: Strong skills in communicating complex information clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, and preparing and delivering effective presentations and training to diverse audiences.

    • Leadership and Supervision: Proven ability in leading, motivating, selecting, supervising, training, and evaluating staff, along with effective delegation, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills.

 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Master’s Degree, or higher, in Science, Engineering, Business, or a related field.
  • Experience leading cost and schedule controls for large capital construction projects, programs, and/or portfolios.
  • 13- 16 years relevant experience preferred.
  • Responsible experience managing the implementation of a large capital construction project or a substantial portion thereof.
  • Capital construction experience in the rail industry.
  • Experience with contract claims defense and avoidance.
  • One or more of the following certifications/credentials:
    • Professional Engineer (PE) License
    • Oracle Primavera P6 certification
    • PSP, CEP, EVP, or CCP (AACE)
    • Chartered MRICS
    • EVMP
    • RMP (PMI)
    • CCM
    • FAC-P/PM Level III
    • PRINCE2
    • CCA, or CDT (CSI)
    • CMQ/OE, CQE, CSSB, CSSBB (ASQ)
    • Six Sigma green belt or black belt training or certification
  • Experience with data analysis, preferably with Excel and PowerBI.

 

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

  • Environmental Conditions:
  • Office environment; exposure to computer screens.
  • Physical Conditions:
  • It may require maintaining the 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.

 

PAY TRANSPARENCY:

The salary/hourly range is $187,500 - $242,892.  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:162595
Band Zone:[[req_bandZone]] 
Posting Location(s):District of Columbia

Work Arrangement:04-Hybrid Weekly 
Job Family/Function:Research & Strategy 
Relocation Offered:No 
Travel Requirements:Up to 25% 
Recruiter Name:Lawrence D Allen 
Recruiter Email:[[cust_recruiterEmail]]

 

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 EOE/Affirmative Action Minority/Female employer, and we welcome all to apply. We consider candidates regardless of race/color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions), national origin/ethnicity, age, 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.