Lead Project Controls Specialist - Cost​/Philadelphia

Lead Project Controls Specialist - Cost -  - New York/Philadelphia

Date:
Jan 9, 2026

Location:

New York, NY, US, 10119

Company:
Amtrak

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As we move America’s workforce toward the future, Amtrak connects businesses and communities across the country. We employ more than 20,000 diverse, energetic professionals in a variety of career fields throughout the United States. The safety of our passengers, our employees, the public and our operating environment is our priority, and the success of our railroad is due to our employees.

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Our values of ‘Do the Right Thing, Excel Together and Put Customers First’ are at the heart of what matters most to us, and our Core Capabilities, ‘Building Trust, Accountability, Effective Communication, Customer Focus, and Proactive Safety & Security’ are what every employee needs to know and do to be most impactful  living the Amtrak values, focusing on our capabilities, and actively embracing and fostering diverse ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives, together we will honor our past and make Amtrak a company of the future.

This person in this role will manage and execute cost engineering and control activities for capital construction within Amtrak’s Major Power Portfolio. Under general direction from the Project Controls Manager and the Project Manager, the Lead Project Controls Specialist Cost analyzes cost performance, develops estimates, creates and manages budgets, and liaises frequently with Amtrak’s Capital Finance Team. This position supports attainment of department or project-specific goals and outcomes through the delivery of project control services, ensuring close alignment between project control staff and project management team(s).

• Serve as Lead Cost Control Specialist, responsible for analyzing, developing, maintaining, controlling and reporting project design and construction cost, forecasts and expenditures. These forecasts include analyses of project cash flow, commitment plans, and funding in accordance with grant and funding contribution agreements.
• Assure compliance with department and enterprise practices on project budgeting, forecasting, scheduling, change management, cost controlling, and related project-specific requirements. Support maintenance of department policies and procedures on project cost control, cost control tools and techniques, work breakdown structures, risk management, contingency determination, management and utilization, and earned value management. Incorporate current best practices used in the construction and transportation industries.
• Perform monthly analysis and report cost performance. Develop “bottom-up” forecasts to evaluate performance against Total Life of Project Cost and Schedule. Provide detailed analysis to project team to improve project performance and forecasting as well as to Capital Finance team to support corporate reporting and grants management.
• Collect project performance data such as installed quantities, expended labor and other progress measurement from enterprise tools (e.g., Maximo) and/or project management staff to assess project/portfolio cost performance.
• Maintain reporting mechanisms, dashboards, and presentations about project performance indicators and feed this data to ensure a cohesive picture of project’s contribution to the project and/or portfolio.
• Assist in the development of annual operating plan that includes working closely with project managers to estimate costs for upcoming fiscal year as well as out years. Work with Capital Finance to refine plan as necessary. Oversee administration of department budget, including managing off-cycle reprogramming requests for new or adjusted funding on projects and preparation and approval of purchase requisitions.
• Perform investigations such as market analysis, visits to the field, and interviews of delivery staff (e.g., engineers, superintendents, construction managers), to understand construction means and methods in order to develop cost estimates.
• Participate in risk evaluation sessions or preconstruction reviews and ensure risks are documented and assessed…