Project Risk Specialist (Risk Management Services)

Project Risk Specialist (Risk Management Services)

PACO Group (PACO) is seeking a Project Risk Specialist to provide risk management services for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ), supporting capital and non-capital projects across various Authority facilities. The selected candidate will be responsible for managing and executing project risk management efforts, including risk identification, assessment, modeling, mitigation, reporting, and continuous improvement of risk processes. The role requires coordination with multiple stakeholders and technical teams to support project authorization, delivery, and oversight. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong experience in project risk management, including facilitation of risk workshops, development of risk models, cost and schedule risk analysis, and preparation of comprehensive risk assessment reports, utilizing Authority-standard tools and processes.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

• Project Risk Management & Analysis
• Identify, assess, and score project risks associated with capital and non-capital projects.
• Perform risk assessment modeling and quantitative analysis using Monte Carlo simulation techniques.
• Analyze cost and schedule risks and quantify impacts on project delivery.
• Utilize tools including Lumivero @Risk (Excel) and Oracle Primavera Risk Analysis.
• Develop and maintain risk registers and associated documentation.
• Recommend and implement improvements to risk management processes, procedures, and reporting.
• Risk Assessment Planning & Preparation
• Compile and review project documentation including: engineering design reports, construction cost estimates, project schedules.
• Plan and organize risk assessment efforts aligned with project authorization requirements.
• Coordinate with stakeholders to define risk assessment team composition.
• Develop schedules, milestones, and deliverables for risk assessment activities and reporting.
• Cost & Schedule Validation
• Independently review project scope, cost estimates, and schedules for accuracy and completeness.
• Validate alignment between scope, cost, and schedule documentation.
• Facilitate coordination sessions with Authority staff to confirm assumptions and inputs.
• Develop Primavera P6 schedules where required to support risk modeling efforts.
• Risk Workshops & Facilitation
• Organize and facilitate risk assessment workshops with project stakeholders and subject matter experts.
• Elicit risk information including likelihood, impact, and contributing factors.
• Document risks in Authority-provided risk register templates.
• Facilitate risk scoring and contingency development for cost and schedule impacts.
• Risk Mitigation & Strategy Development
• Facilitate risk mitigation workshops and present risk analysis results.
• Develop and evaluate mitigation strategies, including: impact on cost, schedule, and scope; effectiveness and likelihood of success; implementation duration and cost.
• Reporting & Documentation
• Prepare draft and final Project Risk Assessment Reports including: executive summary, project description and objectives, workshop notes and assumptions, risk register, risk modeling and contingency results, findings and recommendations.
• Provide reports in both electronic and hardcopy formats.
• Deliver supporting risk models compatible with Authority tools (@Risk, Primavera Risk Analysis, Primavera P6).
• Lessons Learned & Continuous Improvement
• Facilitate lessons learned workshops and document project outcomes.
• Prepare Lessons Learned Reports including: issue background, successes and challenges, impacts, lessons learned, recommendations and corrective actions.
• Support publication of lessons learned within Authority systems.
• Provide ongoing support for continuous improvement of risk management practices.
• Coordination & Stakeholder Interface
• Coordinate with PANYNJ stakeholders, project teams, and subject matter experts across multiple facilities.
• Interface with engineering, project management, and cost/schedule teams to support risk assessments.
• Facilitate workshops, meetings, and briefings related to risk management activities.
• Provide training and mentoring to stakeholders on risk management processes and tools.
• Support communication of risk findings, mitigation strategies, and reporting outputs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or related field, or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification with a technical degree.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience performing project risk assessments.
• Demonstrated experience in: risk assessment workshops and facilitation, risk analysis and modeling, preparation of risk assessment reports.
• Strong understanding of project risk management and project management principles.
• Experience working on capital and/or infrastructure projects.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting large, complex infrastructure or public agency programs.
• Experience supporting Port Authority or similar agency projects.
• Experience contributing to risk management process improvements and program-level initiatives.
• Five (5) to ten (10)+ years of experience in project risk management, including risk assessment, modeling, and workshop facilitation.

Required Certifications

• Ability to obtain a SWAC ID with associated security clearances upon hire.

Preferred Certifications

• PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP).

Skills and Competencies

• Strong analytical and quantitative risk assessment capabilities.
• Proficiency with: Oracle Primavera P6, Oracle Primavera Risk Analysis, Lumivero @Risk (Excel), Microsoft Office Suite.
• Strong communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with limited resources.
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within teams.

Work Environment and Schedule

• Full-time position (40 hours per week).
• Anticipated duration: minimum one (1) year assignment.
• Work performed at 4 World Trade Center, New York, NY, with assignments across various PANYNJ facilities as required.
• Standard work schedule Monday through Friday, with flexibility based on Authority needs.

Compensation

• The good-faith hourly pay range for this position is base rate is $80$100 per hour, depending on experience, qualifications, and client requirements.

Benefits Summary

• 401(k) and 401(k) Employer Matching
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Group Life Insurance, LTD and AD&D
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Professional Development Assistance

EEO Diversity Statement

PACO Group, Inc. is committed to furthering opportunities for everyone in the national construction market. The firm periodically reaffirms this commitment through an active affirmative action plan. It provides Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) to all employees without unlawful discrimination regarding race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, religion, military status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or citizenship status. As an equal opportunity employer, we have recruited, hired, promoted, and retained an ethnically and socially diverse professional staff. Our efforts to date have produced a multidisciplinary workforcea record of diversity that extends to the highest levels of the firm's management.