Project Controls Specialist

Project Controls Specialist (Cost Analyst)

At Cumming Group, you will work on some of the world's most exciting projects in a dynamic environment where your success is measured by the impact you make. We are one of the fastest-growing project and cost management consultancies in the United States, as reflected in our top 10 rankings in ENR. With over 60 offices globally, an extremely diverse project portfolio, and double-digit year-over-year revenue growth, the opportunities to make your mark are limitless!

We are currently hiring a Project Controls Specialist (Cost Analyst) to support our Education sector projects located in Los Angeles, CA. This is a highly visible, high-impact role that will put you at the forefront of building the educational future for the Los Angeles community. We encourage those seeking a challenging role that will give them ample opportunity to engage and impact the community with their talents to apply.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Oversee the integrity and accuracy of project budgets and forecasts in compliance with approved standard operating procedures.
• Actively participate in monthly EAC (Estimate at Completion) meetings, ensuring accurate validation, reviewing current EACs, and providing justification for any variances.
• Contribute to change management discussions by identifying emerging trends, risks, and exposure factors.
• Engage in Risk Assessment workshops, offering insights on potential financial impacts and identifying mitigation strategies.
• Conduct thorough cost variance analyses to identify trends and proactively address any potential budget impacts.
• Continuously monitor trends and associated mitigation plans, comparing projected versus actual performance over time.
• Review project budgets and expenditures, ensuring alignment with diverse funding sources and financial goals.
• Review and analyze monthly cost reports and progress reports to ensure alignment with project financial objectives.
• Analyze staffing plans to identify potential cost impacts, such as excessive peaks, and provide recommendations for optimizing resource allocation.
• Validate cost coding and budget allocations for contract change orders and amendments, assessing potential impacts on project timelines and financials.
• Ensure that contracts, purchase orders, task order, change orders, and amendments are accurately budgeted and reported, with proper cost coding and financial oversight.
• Enforce cost management policies and procedures for capital projects, especially those with multiple funding sources.
• Allocate Estimate to Complete (ETC) amounts as required for PBA (Project Budget Adjustments), change orders, and other financial adjustments.
• Manage and monitor ETCs for each project to ensure timely and accurate tracking of financial changes.
• Work closely with Project Managers and Construction Managers to maintain data coding structures, project control tools, and high-quality data for budgets, contracts, change orders, trends, and actual costs.
• Conduct budget and financial reconciliations, ensuring alignment between project forecasts, expenditures, and actual costs. Address discrepancies and implement corrective actions as necessary.
• Support management with the preparation of regular budget and cost reports, ensuring clarity and accuracy.
• Assist with preparing regular and ad hoc reports on project budgets, financial status, and forecasting for senior leadership.
• Provide support for weekly/monthly cost and status reports, keeping project teams informed of financial performance.
• Perform necessary data entry tasks related to budget and forecast updates.
• Develop and maintain change management logs in accordance with established processes and procedures.
• Travel to offsite project locations as required.
• Undertake additional duties and special projects assigned.

Required Education and Experience:

• BS/BA Degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Project Management, Construction Management, and/or related degree. Additional years of qualifying experience in excess to the minimum stated below may be substituted in lieu of formal education.
• 5 - 10 years minimum recent professional experience in project controls, particularly on a capital construction program.
• Strong analytical capabilities, with the ability to organize and interpret complex financial data.
• Proficiency in financial modeling and advanced Excel functions.
• Exceptional attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in data analysis and reporting.
• Advanced problem-solving skills and a strategic approach to financial management.
• Ability to communicate complex financial concepts clearly to non-financial stakeholders.
• Proven track record of working independently and meeting tight deadlines.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Proficiency in using Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, and the ability to perform tasks such as creating documents, analyzing data, preparing presentations, and managing emails efficiently is expected.

Additional Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong understanding of cost control and budgeting principles within the context of large-scale projects, with a proven track record of utilizing specialized software to streamline cost analysis, forecasting, and variance reporting.
• In-depth knowledge of project management methodologies and the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and maintain accurate project cost baselines, financial projections, and cost forecasts.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate multiple data sources from various project management and financial systems to create cohesive and accurate financial reports for stakeholders.
• Ability to troubleshoot and resolve system integration issues across project management software and financial reporting tools, ensuring seamless data flow and accuracy in financial reporting.

Cumming Group is committed to providing Equal Employment Opportunity in its personnel policies and practices. It is Cumming Group's policy to recruit, hire, train and promote Team Members and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, marital status, registered domestic partner status, genetic information, sexual preference, sexual orientation, gender (including gender expression and gender identity), pregnancy (including childbirth or related medical conditions, including breastfeeding), military service, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical disability, mental disability, veteran status or any other protected classification under federal, state, or local law. All such decisions are based on (1) individual merit, qualifications, and competence as they relate to the particular position, and (2) promotion of the principle of equal employment opportunity.

All other terms and conditions of employment, such as compensation, benefits, transfers, layoff, return from layoff, training, education, and social and recreational programs, are administered without regard to the characteristics described above. To this end, Cumming Group complies with all provisions of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, all of the rules, regulations and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor, and all similar state and local laws.

The salary range for this full-time role is $95,000.00-$126,666.68 per year. Ranges are determined based on the position, geography, client and industry experience and level, and represent a good faith effort to provide a fair and equitable salary. This range reflects base salary only, and not the total compensation package. Cumming Group reserves the right to pay more or less than the posted range, depending on a candidate's experience, skills, and qualifications, including client requirements.

In addition to base salary, Cumming Group offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Medical
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• 401(k)
• 401(k) Matching
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Short and long-term disability
• Employee Assistance Program