Project Engineer

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Minnesota.

📋 Description

• Take ownership of schedule, cost, change, and risk controls for a biopharmaceutical manufacturing project.

• Create and sustain the integrated project schedule in Microsoft Project across engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, CQV, automation, technical transfer, regulatory, and operational ramp-up workstreams.

• Establish and uphold the approved baseline schedule, manage baseline change control, and document any revisions.

• Gather weekly progress using deliverable- and milestone-based measurements.

• Conduct critical path and total float analysis, generate 3-week and 6-week look-ahead schedules, and execute what-if and recovery scenarios.

• Incorporate contractor and vendor schedules into the master schedule and maintain the schedule basis document.

• Develop and oversee the project cost baseline and budget control aligned with the approved capital appropriation.

• Monitor and reconcile commitments, actual costs, and accruals against the budget; coordinate purchase requisitions, purchase orders, and invoice reviews.

• Act as the gatekeeper for purchase orders from SOW submission through to PO approval.

• Prepare monthly cost reports that cover budget, committed costs, incurred costs, forecasts, ETC, and EAC.

• Maintain the project cash flow forecast and spend curve by CBS category.

• Implement Earned Value Management as necessary and analyze cost variances along with recommended corrective actions.

• Manage contingency and reserve, keep a contingency log, and reconcile remaining contingency with residual risk exposure.

• Keep the change log updated, draft Project Change Notices, track contingency expenditures, and manage approvals based on financial thresholds.

• Maintain the project risk register and issues log, facilitate recurring risk workshops, and assign risk owners and mitigation strategies.

• Conduct quantitative schedule and cost risk analysis, including Monte Carlo or QSRA when required.

• Produce the monthly Steering Committee reporting package which includes an executive summary, CAPEX phasing, change control, Level 2 master schedule, milestones, progress updates, risks, actions, and procurement status.

• Report to the client Project Manager and collaborate with the client project team, general contractor, automation supplier, and CQV partners.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 5 years of project controls experience on capital projects, with responsibilities for both schedule and cost.

• Background in Pharmaceuticals / Life Sciences.

• Proven experience managing a resource and cost-loaded integrated schedule in Microsoft Project, including baselining, baseline change control, and integration of contractor and vendor schedules.

• Note that Primavera P6 experience alone does not satisfy this requirement.

• Ability to generate and interpret Earned Value metrics, such as CPI, SPI, CV, SV, ETC, EAC, and VAC.

• Experience in building and maintaining a cost baseline structured by WBS and CBS, including commitments, actuals, accruals, and cash flow forecasting.

• Demonstrated experience in running a change control process, including drafting change notices and managing approvals against financial thresholds.

• Experience in managing a risk register, facilitating risk workshops, and reporting risk status to a governance forum.

• Proficient in Microsoft Excel for cost tracking, earned value analysis, cash flow, and register maintenance.

• Preferred experience in capital projects within pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or other regulated manufacturing sectors, including CQV, technical transfer, and operational ramp-up.

• Experience with Monte Carlo schedule and cost risk analysis is preferred.

• Familiarity with Power BI is preferred.

• A Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, or a related field is preferred.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive salary.

• Health, dental, and vision insurance coverage.

• 401(k) plan.

• Paid time off and holidays.

• Support for professional development and training.

• Remote-first work arrangement.

• Up to 25% travel to the client site in Minneapolis, Minnesota.