Construction Management Specialist

MPR Associates•Alexandria, VA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

MPR is seeking an experienced Construction Management Specialist to play a lead role in our risk-informed approach to project execution for complex commercial and government capital projects in fossil and nuclear power generation, nuclear materials processing, power transmission, energy storage and distribution, and radioactive waste processing and storage/disposition. The ideal candidate will bring deep domain knowledge of construction management to support a holistic project view that integrates both technical and project management elements. Construction Management Specialists at MPR are expected to apply skills and knowledge across project planning and execution, including schedule development, cost estimation, risk analysis, contract management, construction oversight, startup/commissioning, and claims mitigation. The role involves guiding, challenging, and mentoring multi-disciplinary MPR project teams staffed with personnel having engineering and project controls skills. This position requires the ability to work effectively across a broad variety of capital projects driven by diverse client needs and opportunities. Candidates must be comfortable adapting quickly to changing project scopes, taking initiative in ambiguous situations, and applying construction management expertise across a variety of challenging technical problems. While construction management will be the primary focus, successful candidates will value continuous learning and be eager to take on challenging technical work beyond their specific field, supported by MPR's collaborative, multi-disciplinary team approach to tackling first-of-a-kind projects for our clients.

Requirements

Associates or Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or related field.
Ten (10) or more years’ work experience in the field of construction management, preferably in the energy and nuclear sectors.
Strong planning and management skills with fundamental understanding of the underlying first principles of construction management.
Familiarity developing project execution plans to construct and commission complex facilities.
Demonstrated expertise in project controls, cost estimation, risk analysis, and schedule management.
Familiarity with commercial nuclear and fossil power generation facilities, and government (e.g., DOE) facilities.
Detailed familiarity with construction means and methods.
Ability to teach and enforce best practices to less experienced professionals to provide accurate, optimal, and efficient solutions.
Experience with contract management strategies and vendor oversight in a variety of contracting approaches (e.g., owner construction management, turnkey EPC, cost-plus).
Experience in claims avoidance and mitigation.
Familiarity with environmental compliance and regulatory requirements for construction and commissioning of industrial facilities.
Experience with startup and commissioning activities, including system turnover processes.
Experience with independent reviews and constructability reviews to optimize design and planning for construction efficiency.
Ability to establish reasonableness by applying industry norms regarding quantities, unit rates, work hours, and schedule durations and sequencing.
Demonstrated expertise in risk management and mitigation strategies, and knowledge of risk and contingency analysis for large capital projects.
Strong background in earned value management systems and performance measurement.
Persistent, questioning attitude and the ability to accept that in others.
Ability to multi-task across teams of engineers and managers on various projects.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to work collaboratively across functional teams.
Ability to accept and grow from constructive feedback.
Motivated to expand skills and knowledge, as well as tackle new problems and take on new responsibilities.
Ability to work in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
Solution oriented with a goal of enabling our clients’ success.
A “US Person” as defined by 22 C.F.R § 120.15 is required.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree or professional certifications (Project Management Professional, Certified Construction Manager, etc.) are a plus but not required.

Responsibilities

Serve as a steward of the client’s resources, bringing an independent perspective and providing clear, transparent feedback on project status and recommendations to decision makers.
Plan, lead, and enable multi-disciplinary project teams to support construction management efforts, including coaching and mentoring other professionals through execution of the work.
Take a lead role in client and stakeholder interactions, engaging with contractors and other external audiences, effectively communicating conclusions and recommendations.
Deliver project management expertise to develop and implement project plans, processes, and tools focused on influencing project success.
Develop periodic reporting strategies for capital projects, identifying meaningful content and formatting.
Develop mitigating strategies to enhance project execution efficiency or achieve schedule recovery.
Provide services for a range of technical challenges across various projects including, for example: Project planning (cost estimation, schedule development, risk analysis, contingency development, baseline development).
Project controls and reporting support (e.g., cost tracking, schedule updates, earned value analysis, variance analysis).
Construction oversight (e.g., compliance with specifications, standards, codes, and regulatory requirements).
Contract management (e.g., bid evaluation, change order management, contractor coordination).
Contractor management and vendor oversight, focusing on activities that drive project risk to capture value from contractors.
Nuclear, power, and other industrial system startup and commissioning (e.g., system turnover optimization, punch list management).
Independent project reviews and assessments (e.g., external independent cost reviews, constructability reviews, schedule evaluations).
Review work and analyses performed by other MPR professionals.