Lead Project Controls Specialist - Cost - 90369676 - Washington/NEC (Hybrid Monthly)

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:
Amtrak’s intercity Fleet Program is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine U.S. intercity passenger rail travel through the replacement of passenger equipment, including designing and building associated facility upgrades and modifying maintenance and operating practices with state-of-the-art rolling stock solutions. The Fleet Programs are already underway and have ambitious schedules that must be achieved to ensure fleet reliability and the creation of new capacity to expand service nationwide, both of which will ultimately enhance customer satisfaction. The Fleet Program is also part of Amtrak’s newly created Capital Delivery organization and will set the standard for program management for major capital projects.  
 

The Lead Project Controls Specialist – Cost plans, manages, and executes cost engineering and control activities for large, complex capital construction projects or portfolios. Under general direction from the Project Controls Manager, performs analysis of cost performance; develops estimates; creates and manages budgets; and liaises frequently with Amtrak’s Capital Finance Team. Works with project teams on regular reporting of project financial performance.  

Project Risk: Moderate to High

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Leads development, preparation, and maintenance of project cost estimation, cost control, financial risk management, contingency determination, and management, and earned value management, incorporating current best practices used in the construction and transportation industries. 
• Ensures integration of cost practices and methods, and supports the development of cost management policies, procedures, and performance metrics. 
• Leads in the development and implementation of KPIs to assess project cost performance. 
• Ensures close coordination between cost control and project management team. 
• Collects weekly input from Project and Construction Manager on areas impacting project costs and budget. 
• Assist in risk evaluation sessions or preconstruction reviews for a major capital construction project/program. 
• Assist team in monthly analysis and reporting of cost performance, providing 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.  
• Assists in coordination with “bottom-up” forecasts monthly and quarterly to evaluate performance against Total Life of Project Cost and other estimates as required to support evaluation of new scope or potential changes.  
• Reviews and vets’ invoices with Cost Engineering Team and Program Managers to allow for receipt into Amtrak’s Ariba-on-Demand system and assist in development and tracking of monthly accruals.  
• Assists in the organizational development of annual operating plan. 
• Other duties as assigned 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, Business, or a related field. Required education may be substituted for additional relevant experience in excess of the minimum requirements outlined below, on a two-for-one year basis. 
• Experience in cost controls for large capital construction projects, programs, and/or portfolios. 
• Effectiveness working diplomatically across teams with varying objectives.  
• Must have excellent oral and written communication skills. 
• Demonstrated project controls cost skills.  
• Strong focus on collaboration, team building, and customer service 
• Effectiveness working diplomatically across teams with varying objectives.  
• Strong oral and written communication skills across all levels. 
• Ability to organize and present project portfolio reports, proposals, and other related portfolio information. 
• Experience with Project Controls management relating to cost and estimating at a project level. 
• Occasional travel will be required. 
• Must have work authorization in the United States.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience with data analysis, preferably with Excel and PowerBI
• 6 years of experience in project controls 
• One or more of the following certifications/credentials: PSP, CEP, EVP, or CCP (AACE) 
• Graduate Degree 
• Transportation industry background 

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Sit/stand at computer to complete assignments, projects, and majority of tasks. 
• Ability to work under pressure. 
• Occasional travel as needed
• Office, 1 or 2 days per month.  Site visits 25%.

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, 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:160387
Posting Location(s):District of Columbia; Connecticut; Delaware; Massachusetts; New York; Pennsylvania
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 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.