Project Manager

Avista•Spokane, WA

3h•Hybrid

About The Position

This Project Manager role supports Avista’s Energy Delivery group and is responsible for the successful delivery of engineering and construction projects across Avista’s service territory, from project initiation through closeout. This role will lead substation, transmission, and interconnection projects of varying size, complexity, and risk and is accountable for scope, schedule, budget, quality, risk management, and stakeholder engagement. Projects may range from small capital or non‑capital efforts to large, complex infrastructure projects involving multiple internal and external partners. Work assignments require extensive knowledge of project management concepts, principles, and practices, as well as discipline‑specific expertise related to engineering, construction, and utility infrastructure delivery.

Requirements

Associate's degree from an accredited college or university in a field of study that is relevant to the required knowledge, skills, and abilities, with preference given to those with BA/BS in construction management, project management or related technical field.
Valid driver's license.
1+ years relevant experience (for Associate Project Manager), 3+ years (for Project Manager I), 5+ years (for Project Manager II), or 7+ years (for Project Manager III) including construction or other technical project management experience.
Working knowledge of key operational business processes and concepts.
Associate level project management certification (such as Certified Associate Project Management (CAPM)) or ability to obtain within one year (for Project Manager I).
Professional level project management certification (such as Project Management Professional (PMP) or Certified Construction Manager (CCM)) or ability to obtain within one year (for Project Manager II).
Professional level project management certification (such as Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Construction Manager (CCM)) (for Project Manager III).
Ability to manage a team and personal dynamics to effectively drive projects forward, lead project meetings, develop creative and innovative solutions, and build relationships with internal/external stakeholders.
Ability to work effectively with senior staff members and management, manage unique resource groups for the delivery of projects, lead complex project meetings, demonstrate knowledge of projects and technical requirements from relevant functional area, and lead process improvement initiatives.
Ability to demonstrate advanced knowledge of and competency in project management and technical requirements from relevant functional area, lead the most complex and technical projects in the functional area, effectively collaborate with external regulatory, governmental, business, or customer groups, and work with senior management, building agreement and influencing.
Other combinations of education and experience may be considered.

Nice To Haves

Associate level project management certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead engineering and construction projects from initiation through closeout, defining and managing project scope, schedule, budget, quality, risk, and deliverables.
Establish and lead cross‑functional project teams - coordinating work across engineering, construction, operations, asset management, contractors, and other stakeholders. Duties could also include coordinating work across multiple physical locations within Avista’s service territory.
Apply and adapt project management methodologies and discipline‑specific expertise appropriate to project size, complexity, and risk; incorporate process improvement practices and lessons learned.
Lead pre‑construction scoping, estimating, and baseline schedule development, collaborating with engineering and asset management analysts to apply historical, analogous, and other cost estimating techniques.
Manage engineering and construction execution to ensure alignment with approved scope, cost, schedule, safety, quality, regulatory, and compliance requirements.
Develop and manage integrated project plans, including cost, schedule, resource, contingency, and communication plans; conduct financial analysis and life‑cycle cost forecasting.
Partner with Project Controllers and other project team members to ensure accurate expected spend projections, schedule status, and resource forecasts.
Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks; address cost, schedule, and performance issues and escalate as appropriate.
Acquire and manage contracted resources and professional services; participate in bid, award, negotiations, change management, and partnering agreements; integrate vendor work and manage performance.
Manage relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including executives, regulators, contractors, and community representatives; communicate project status and translate complex technical and financial information for audiences at all levels of the organization.
Ensure project documentation, governance, and compliance with applicable safety, legal, regulatory, and record retention requirements
Contribute to continuous improvement of PMO standards, tools, and delivery practices.