Senior Project Controls Specialist

TerraPower is a nuclear technology company based in Bellevue, Washington. At its core, the company is working to raise living standards globally through a more affordable, secure, and environmentally friendly form of nuclear energy along with innovations in medical isotopes to improve human health. In 2006, TerraPower originated with Bill Gates and a group of like-minded visionaries who evaluated the fundamental challenges to raising living standards around the world. They recognized energy access was crucial to the health and economic well-being of communities and decided that the private sector needed to take action and create energy sources that would advance global energy deployment. TerraPower’s mission is to be a world leader in new nuclear technologies, while developing innovators and future leaders in the nuclear field. As a result, the company’s activities in the fields of nuclear energy and related sciences are yielding significant innovations in the safety and economics of nuclear power, hybrid energy and medical applications – all for significant human health benefits.

TerraPower is seeking to hire highly motivated and forward-thinking professionals who are interested in focusing on advanced nuclear reactor research and development and influencing change within the nuclear power landscape and bringing forward the critical production of medical isotopes. TerraPower is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. 

Position Overview

As a Senior Project Controls Specialist at TerraPower, you will leverage your extensive experience in program and project controls to support complex, high-value capital projects. You will play a key role in developing, implementing, and overseeing project controls processes, with a particular focus on cost controls, change management, and contract administration, to ensure successful delivery of milestones and objectives. This position requires advanced skills in cost control, scheduling, risk management, and reporting, as well as the ability to lead cost control teams and mentor junior team members.

Responsibilities

Cost Control and Budget Management

• Lead and oversee cost control activities, tracking budgets, costs, commitments, and actuals across large-scale, multidisciplinary programs and their subdivided projects.
• Prepare monthly cost reports and cashflow projections, including forecasts, accruals, and updates to financial tools and systems.
• Review contractor quotations, invoices, and payments; support creation and tracking of purchase orders and commitments.
• Support estimating efforts and allocate estimates into project controls disciplines to analyze deviations from budget.

Change Management and Contract Administration

• Review and track contractor change proposals and submittals, evaluating entitlement, merit, and justification; analyze claims and implement effective mitigation strategies.
• Coordinate and lead Change Review Board meetings and negotiations with all stakeholders; manage the change process and issue change orders.
• Review release of retainage, liens, and punch list items; recommend final payments and support contract close-out and project close-out reporting.

Project Planning and Scheduling

• Provide analysis and oversight of detailed project schedules using Primavera P6 or other advanced scheduling tools, ensuring alignment with project milestones and deliverables for large-scale, multidisciplinary projects.
• Review and validate schedule data, analyze cost and schedule impacts of changes, identify potential risks, and recommend mitigation strategies.

Performance Monitoring and Analysis

• Track and analyze project performance metrics, including cost, schedule, contractor productivity, and earned value (EV).
• Prepare variance analyses and forecasts, identifying areas of risk, budget deviations, and potential impacts, and recommending mitigation strategies.
• Support the generation of burndown charts for action item tracking and progress monitoring.

Reporting and Documentation

• Generate regular reports and dashboards for project leadership, including KPIs, milestones, and action trackers, using tools such as Power BI.
• Maintain accurate records and ensure compliance with project controls workflows.
• Facilitate project reviews, including Schedule Reviews, cost reviews, and data reviews.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement

• Work closely with the PMO team, project management, engineering, procurement, and construction teams, as well as engineers and architects of record, contractors, and owner’s representatives, to ensure seamless coordination.
• Lead, provide guidance to, and train project teams on project controls processes and tools.

Key Qualifications and Skills

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (e.g., Civil Engineering), project management, business, or a related field.
• 15+ years of experience in project controls, cost management, planning, and scheduling, preferably in engineering or construction.
• Experience supporting large capital programs (for example, aviation, transportation, energy, oil & gas, or water/wastewater infrastructure), including leading cost control teams.
• PMP certification preferred.
• Familiarity with advanced project management methodologies and tools (e.g., Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, or similar).

Technical Skills

• Strong expertise in cost control, change management, and contract administration, including budget, forecast, commitment, and variance analysis.
• Working knowledge of CPM scheduling and Primavera P6 software.
• Demonstrated proficiency in preparing, monitoring, and reporting cost and schedule information in engineering, procurement, and construction environments.
• Advanced knowledge of project management tools, including Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint); experience with Power BI, SharePoint, MS Access, and SAP or similar ERP/financial systems is a plus.
• Ability to review, analyze, and present cost, planning, and scheduling products independently using professional judgment.

Additional Requirements

• Legal authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.
• Ability to pass pre-employment drug screens and background checks, including verification of employment, education, and travel history.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.

Job Functions:

Job Functions are physical actions and/or working conditions associated with the position. These functions may also constitute essential functions for the job which the employee must be able to fulfill, with or without accommodation.  Information provided below is to help describe the job so that the applicant has a reasonable understanding of the job duties/expectations.  An applicant's ability to perform and/or tolerate these actions and conditions will be discussed and workplace accommodations may be made on a case-by-case basis following an individualized assessment of the applicant and other considerations, including but not limited to any governing safety standards.

• Motor Abilities: Sitting for extended periods, bending/stooping, grasping/gripping, fine motor control (hands)
• Physical exertion and/or requirements: Minimal, with ability to safely lift up to 25 pounds.
• Repetitive work: Prolonged
• Special Senses: Visual and audio focused work
• Work Conditions: Stairs, typing/keyboard, standard and/or sitting working environment of >8 hours/day
• Travel required 0-10%

TerraPower’s technology is controlled for export by various agencies of the U.S. Government.  TerraPower must evaluate applicants who are foreign nationals (other than asylees, refugees, or lawful permanent residents) in accordance with U.S. Government export control requirements.  To facilitate TerraPower’s export control reviews, you will be asked as part of the application process to identify whether you are a U.S. Citizen or national, asylee, refugee, or lawful permanent resident of the United States.  Government export authorization approval times vary.  Based on the business needs for a particular position, TerraPower may not consider a foreign national from a country if it is impracticable to obtain timely Government export approval.

Job details

Salary Range: $143,101.00 – $185,846.00                    
                    
Any salary offered within the posted salary band is based on market data and commensurate with the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience. This range is specific to Washington State.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Competitive Compensation
• Salary, eligible to participate in discretionary short-term incentive payments
• Comprehensive Medical and Wellness Benefits
  • Medical
  • Vision
  • Dental
  • Life and Disability
  • Gender Affirmation Benefits
• Parental Leave
• 401k Plan
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • 21 days of annually accrued PTO
• Generous Holiday Schedule
  • 10 paid holidays
• Relocation Assistance
• Professional and Educational Support Opportunities

TerraPower Career and Benefits information:  https://www.terrapower.com/contact-us/careers/