Project Cost Engineer

Portland General Electric • Portland, OR

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

As a Project Cost Engineer at Portland General Electric (PGE), you will play a crucial role in supporting capital construction projects with a strong emphasis on budgeting, forecasting and cost control. We are excited for someone who enjoys working with capital construction projects and is passionate about meeting PGE's goals for clean energy and reliable service. Join our Generation, Transmission and Distribution Project Management Organization team and play a vital role in shaping the future of energy in Oregon! We have 1 position available at either a p2 or p3 level. See determining levels below.

Requirements

• Requires a bachelor’s degree in business, finance, project management, engineering, construction management or other related field or equivalent experience.
• P2 – Intermediate. Typically, two or more years working in a technical field in a regulated utility company or large complex engineering and construction programs or a related field.
• P3 – Career. Typically, five or more years working in a technical field in a regulated utility company or large complex engineering and construction programs or a related field.
• Project management/project controls principles, techniques, methods and standards, particularly related to construction projects and programs
• Project management computer applications and tools, such as team collaboration software, financial tools and spreadsheets
• Asset, financial and inventory management software
• Construction estimating, project risk management, project scope control and project communication management; P3 also includes job planning, design and construction activities
• Procurement, utility accounting and budgeting; P2 includes working knowledge of PGE procurement policies and procedures and basic knowledge of utility accounting and budgeting
• Principles, concepts and methods used in Generation and T&D substation engineering, construction and maintenance
• Utility business
• Intermediate skills in using Microsoft Office programs such as Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint
• Project management theories and best practices
• Advanced skills in learning and applying new technologies

Nice To Haves

• Experience in utility cost control management; projecting and managing project forecasts and construction finance knowledge

Responsibilities

• Provides project controls for multiple small- to medium- sized generation, transmission and distribution projects and programs; OR, supports assigned elements or phases of large capital construction projects.
• Analyzes project needs and determines the appropriate project cost controls that will help ensure stakeholder and regulatory compliance and meet financial goals; assists with preparations needed to gain project authorizations and support requests from various areas, including but not limited to System Planning, Corporate Planning, Substation Operations, Distribution Engineering, Transmission Engineering and large projects, PSES and other company entities.
• Maintains project budgets, cost baselines, and funding forecasts for multiple small to medium sized projects and programs.
• Tracks project costs against budgets and cash flow schedules.
• Prepares monthly cost forecasts and variance reports.
• Identifies cost risks and mitigation strategies early.
• Assesses cost impacts to schedule and scope changes.
• Prepares cost reports for project teams, leadership, and regulatory stakeholders.
• Maintains change log and decisions affecting forecasts and budgets.
• Contributes to teams in the analysis of business processes, resource requirements and work efficiency; develops processes, analyzes throughput and refines and streamlines processes; recommends improvements; translates processes into quantitative metrics/KPIs for measuring and reporting on project performance.
• Recommends or develops project metrics or operational performance metrics to report on project performance.
• Reports on progress to financial metrics.
• Implements project controls to help ensure cost control, regulatory, reporting and other project requirements are met.
• Updates forecasts in systems as appropriate.
• Monitors project during all or assigned phases to identify real or potential deviations to project plans; identifies changes to project due to scope creep, and/or material changes and internal/external resourcing and determines impacts to project success.
• Communicates variances and works with project manager (PM) to obtain appropriate level change approval as required.
• Works with PM to ensure coordination of efforts to issue timely, accurate project reports on project costs, problems, risks and other significant issues; provides information, reports and presentations to key stakeholders and other company entities.
• Administers applicable project management computer systems; manages updates of project documentation; archives project documentation in accordance with records management requirements.
• Communicates with stakeholders to coordinate tasks and provide updates.
• Develops communications specific to each audience.
• Responds to questions from stakeholders.
• Provides project cost engineering for multiple medium- to large- sized generation, transmission and distribution projects and programs.
• Develops and maintains project budgets, cost baselines, and funding forecasts for multiple medium to large sized projects and programs.
• Identifies cost risks, trends, and mitigation strategies early.
• Reviews and evaluates change orders.
• Supports capital reporting and rate case documentation.
• Contributes to or leads teams in the analysis of business processes, resource requirements and work efficiency; develops processes, analyzes throughput and refines and streamlines processes; recommends improvements; translates processes into quantitative metrics/KPIs for measuring and reporting on project performance.
• Makes recommendations and provides team support on systems and potential enhancements; manages and prioritizes improvements and enhancements; collaborates broadly with operations, IT and other stakeholders to define the evolving objectives and deliverables.
• Develops project metrics or operational performance metrics to report on project performance.
• Develops and maintains financial metrics to communicate status updates, planned action and deviations requiring development of recovery plans.
• Prepares reports for management.
• Designs and implements project controls to help ensure cost control, regulatory, reporting and other project requirements are met.
• Identifies risks and recommends remediation.
• Monitors project during all phases to identify real or potential deviations to project plans; identifies scoping changes, analyzes impacts and adjusts project plans accordingly.
• Works with PM to ensure coordination of efforts to issue timely, accurate project reports on project costs, problems, risks and other significant issues; develops and provides information, reports and presentations to key stakeholders and other company entities.
• May build databases and applications to serve the business need for tracking and reporting.
• May serve as a product owner and subject matter expert for project database used for strategic and long-term planning projects.
• Accountable for product and service integrity including but not limited to: features, functions, security, performance, reliability, usability and accessibility.
• Build relationships with key stakeholders and develops communication plans.
• Provides technical guidance and expertise to stakeholders.

Benefits

• performance based incentive bonus
• total rewards package that is designed to reward your contributions to the company, and, at the same time, support your well-being and professional development, both now and into the future.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level