Senior/Project Cost Analyst

Job Title: Project Cost Analyst

Job Code: 106576

Summary

Applies project cost management methodology, processes, tools, techniques, and information management systems to effectively manage project costs throughout the project life cycle. Develops effective cost management strategy and plans, estimates project cost, develops project budgets and cost performance baselines, collects, assesses, and analyzes cost performance, and recommends cost corrective actions; performs project cost close-out for designated projects.

Initiates cost management applying enterprise cost constraints and budget; develops and maintains the project estimate; synchronizes the project budget; maintains cost change control, status project costs; assesses project costs, analyzes project costs, controls project costs during each project life cycle.

Manages the development and progression of the project estimate and budget throughout the project life cycle; estimates types and quantities of resources and associated resource rates and reconcile project budget. Plans and manages cost collection and performs cost performance measurement and cost reporting. Generates recommendations for project corrective action, preventive action, and predictive action.

Expands cost analyst and project management capability and competence using industry standards (AACE, PMI, Construction Management Industry, etc.) and best practice application to expand knowledge base and optimum application.

Engages project stakeholders to establish and develop an accurate cost estimate and budget in addition to qualitative cost collection and processing. Effectively communicates and disseminates cost management and reporting status and work performance information to the project management team, project team, and impacted product stakeholders for project objective management.

Proficiency and versatility in cost estimating and budgeting; integration with other project management information systems with data quality/data integrity assurance to create integrated project baselines

Provides cost analysis for Electric and Gas transmission and distribution projects and Generation projects ranging from $500k to $200M.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Utilizes organized project work elements for enhanced project estimating and budgeting in assigning more accurate planned value. Applies WBS attribute proficiency to integrate project baseline elements to provide an optimum, achievable project plan. Performs more effective earned value criteria (EV) to enable enhanced parametric forecasting. Provides quick turnaround of project work performance data to enable maximum time for implementation of corrective action.
• Ensures estimate and budget quality management in accordance with project management industry standards. Ensures developing cost analysis quality and cost analysis quality. Utilizes cost quality control metrics and apply cost measurement inspections to drive effective cost control.
• Applies cost risk management to the development of the project cost estimate and integrate estimate uncertainty with project risk. Quantifies risk response to more effectively forecast cost performance.
• Assists in contract commercial management, facilitates contract payments, conducts contract performance assessment and reporting and initial contract performance analysis and contract commercial forecasting. Performs contract reviews relative to payment requirements and supporting documentation.
• Applies core project cost management expertise.
• Reviews and coordinates the management and utilization of project initiation, project planning, project controls guideline and project controls related standards, project controls management processes, job aids and tools.
• Integrates cost management with core project controls (schedule management, scope management) to drive core objective performance.
• Manages cost effort.
• Tailors cost management processes.
• Tailors/creates cost management tools / techniques to advance cost performance.
• Utilizes cost estimating to validate contractor initial estimates, forecasts, and estimates at completion. Manage the Basis of Estimates.
• Develops/applies proficiency in project cost budgeting and cost base lining. 
• Processes labor timesheets, invoices, and other submittals associated with contract labor; code invoice details for Nature of Expenses, Work Breakdown Structure and Cost Budgeting System codes; Assist Project Managers and Cost Budget Analysts in the accrual process.
• Evaluates manpower, labor hours, and labor cost requirements versus budget limitations and perform cost and schedule analysis.
• Maintains/manages project Estimate at Completion.
• Works to implement cost preventive action.
• Performs standard project and special project cost reporting as required by the project stakeholders; compiles and produces cost reports as required and directed.
• Applies proficiency in schedule management processes and the impact of project planning and scheduling on cost management. Utilizes planning and scheduling proficiency; Analyzes project schedules and the impact of schedule on cost. Applies critical path methodology and schedule risk management to develop schedule forecasting proficiency and ability to determine estimate completion date (ECD) competence and integrate schedule risk into cost impact.
• Applies proficiency in core integration; scope, cost, and schedule.
• Applies product life cycle costing competence.
• Assists the project management team, Major Project managers, Director, and other relevant stakeholders in retrieving cost management information and reporting.
• Engages project stakeholders to optimize cost planning and cost control.
• Applies proficiency in effective communication and assessing project stakeholders for their core and special cost reporting, cost assessment, and cost analysis needs and provide those stakeholders with optimum communication, information, and reporting.
• The Project Cost Analyst will manage in accordance with Industry standards, the NiSource Project Management Guidelines and Standards, and industry best practices.

Required Qualifications for Position

• Bachelor’s Degree and four years of experience working in Microsoft Excel, or equivalent software program, with responsibilities for data manipulation, integration and subsequent report generation. Additional qualifying experience in excess to the minimum stated above may be substituted for the required education on a year for year basis. 
• Expanded knowledge base in project estimating, project budgeting, earned value management, project planning and scheduling.
• Expanded comprehension in project controls guidelines, standard, processes, and job aids.
• Manages project stakeholders using cognitive ability, personal effectiveness, innovation, value based decision-making, integrated communication (soft and hard skills); conflict resolution, and team work.
• Must possess exceptional communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate with and communicate to all levels of personnel in the organization.
• Ability to work independently.
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Excel.
• Ability to build project budgets.
• Expanded proficiency in project scheduling software and integration of project controls information.
• Valid driver’s license.

Preferred Additional Qualifications for Position

• Experience in large industrial Capital Project environments.

Job Title: Senior Project Cost Analyst

Job Code: 107297

Job Summary

Provide integrated project cost management. Seamlessly integrate project management methodology, processes, tools, techniques, and information management systems to effectively manage project costs throughout the project life cycle. Relate other subsidiary project management systems with cost management; integrate cost management processes with the other core management systems; scope, cost, schedule and risk management.

Perform integrated cost initiation, cost planning, cost execution, cost monitoring, cost control, cost closure, and cost lessons learned within and between projects in the Major Project performance repository.

Expand proficiency in scope management and WBS organization, schedule management, quality management, and risk management and provide integrated project planning and baseline development. Integrate risk management with project estimating; time phase planning costs along the project schedule; apply earned value planning, reporting and management. Establish effective cost and schedule forecasting; Apply quality planning and control for proactive cost (opportunity) management.

Integrate cost engineering and project management capability and competence using industry standards (AACE, PMI, Construction Management Industry, etc.) and best practice application to integrate knowledge areas for optimum application.

Engage project stakeholders to integrate cost management with schedule management, risk management, and project quality management. Utilize effective communication processes to disseminate relevant and timely cost information to enhance project decision making. 

Apply risk and quality management to drive objective based management to increase project performance.

Provides cost analysis for Electric and Gas transmission and distribution projects and Generation projects ranging from $500k to $400M.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Increase proficiency in cost analysis and integrated cost and schedule forecasting using quantitative risk management tools and techniques (Expected Monetary Value and Sensitivity Analysis) to better predict project cost performance and enable timely corrective, preventive, and predictive action.
• Develop qualitative integrated project baselines that are used to effectively measure project performance and provide the ability to take corrective/preventive/predictive action. Apply the cost of quality to cost management.
• Applies integrated objective risk management to the project baselines to optimize project risk responses.
• Orchestrates contract commercial management, facilitates contract payments, conduct contract performance assessment and reporting and initial contract performance analysis and contract commercial forecasting. Performs contract reviews relative to payment requirements and supporting documentation.
• Applies core project controls expertise.
• Review and coordinate the management and utilization of project management guidelines, project management standards, processes, job aids, and tools.
• Integrates all project management subsidiary systems to improve project performance.
• Directs cost effort.
• Tailors cost management processes.
• Tailors/creates cost management tools/techniques to advance cost performance.
• Provides continuous life cycle cost estimating/forecasting with increased predictability.
• Manages the project budget and cost performance baseline.
• Evaluate manpower, labor hours, and labor cost requirements versus budget limitations, perform cost and schedule analysis, and make corrective/preventive recommendations.
• Maintains/manages project Estimate at Completion and recommends areas of improvement to project stakeholders.
• Works to implement cost predictive (opportunity) actions.
• Perform standard and advanced project and special project cost reporting as anticipated for the project stakeholders; compiles and produces cost reports as needed.
• Uses schedule analysis techniques to optimize schedule and cost performance; identifies corrective, preventive, and predictive project actions to enhance probability of achieving project objectives.
• Apply integrated project management proficiency in core integration; scope, cost, and schedule.
• Optimize product life cycle costing competence.
• Assist the project management team, Major Project managers, Director, and other relevant stakeholders in retrieving cost management information and reporting.
• Applies integrated thinking to cost management that facilitates improved objective performance.
• Utilize communication competence to drive effective project cost decision making.
• The Senior Cost Analyst will manage in accordance with Industry standards, the NiSource Project Management Guidelines and Standards, and industry best practices.

Required Qualifications for Position

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, Construction Management, Engineering or related field
• Five years of experience working in Microsoft Excel, or equivalent software program, with responsibilities for data manipulation, integration and subsequent report generation. Additional qualifying experience in excess to the minimum stated above may be substituted for the required education on a year for year basis.
• Valid driver’s license.

Preferred Additional Qualifications for Position

• Experience in large industrial Capital Project environments.

Disclaimer

The preceding description is not designed to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required of the position.

Work Authorization

Authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship.

Inclusion & Diversity 
Value inclusion within your day to day responsibilities by respecting others perspectives/convictions, engaging others opinions, creating a safe environment where people, ideas, and opinions are valued within your Team/Customers and external partners.

Respect and take into consideration diversity within your Team/Customers and external work partners by valuing different world views, challenges, and cultures that represent all walks of life and all backgrounds.

Treat others with respect and consideration. Actively participate in creating and contributing to a positive work environment.

Equal Employment Opportunity 
NiSource is committed to providing equal employment opportunities in each of its companies to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, veteran status, disability, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, childbirth or related medical conditions), genetic information, citizenship status, or any protected group status as defined by law. Each employee is expected to abide by this principle.

By applying, you may be considered for other job opportunities. 

Salary Range:

$91,000.00 - $136,600.00

Posting Start Date:

2024-12-23

Posting End Date (if applicable):

2025-01-06Please note that the job posting will close on the day before the posting end date.