Project Control - Military veterans preferred

Simpson Gumpertz & Heger

Our Engineering Mechanics and Infrastructure (EMI) team in Orange County, CA is looking for people who enjoy solving difficult problems in a creative way. EMI applies structural engineering mechanics, materials science, numerical simulation, innovative technologies, and collective expertise to solve our clients toughest problems in an inspiring work environment that nurtures life-long learning and growth. A successful candidate may work on providing support for projects related to buildings, nuclear facilities, oil refineries, government facilities, pipelines, tanks, rail vehicles, rotating equipment, and other non-building structures and systems. 

We want someone passionate about orchestrating a portfolio of complex engineering projects to support our technical team in effective project execution. 

We are seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented Project Administrator to join our technical team and support multiple engineering projects. A successful candidate will support several Project Managers (PMs) responsible for overseeing engineering projects, their technical execution, business decisions, and the work of about twenty engineers. You will be responsible for supporting the coordination and tracking of project progress, ensuring delivery of multiple simultaneous projects on schedule and within scope. You will play a pivotal role in managing project milestones, developing project work plans, fostering communication between project stakeholders, identifying risks, coordinating resources, and supporting the technical team in achieving project goals efficiently. 

What you'll be doing: 

SGH has an opening for a Project Administrator with our EMI team in Orange County, CA. This position will include the following: 

• Support Project Coordination and Tracking: Support multiple engineering mechanics projects simultaneously, monitoring and tracking milestones across projects to ensure timely delivery and alignment with client needs and expectations.  Assists in managing daily operations of various projects, ensuring seamless execution by identifying risks, developing project work plans, coordinating project staffing, leveling resources, and delivering on schedule while adhering to strict quality standards. Proactively track milestones in order to identify roadblocks early and ensure accountability among stakeholders to meet project deadlines. 

• Project Planning: Work with PMs to develop and maintain detailed project work plans for each project, including timelines, resource allocation, and deliverables. Work closely with the project team to define project scope and objectives, fostering clear communication and alignment on goals and requirements. Aid in adhering to and planning for quality assurance requirements, such as those required for most nuclear facilities. 

• Portfolio Management: Efficiently balance client needs, project priorities, and competing demands across multiple projects. Work with PMs to ensure that client expectations are met while managing internal resources and timelines effectively. Facilitate teamwork across projects and teams, ensuring cross-functional alignment, and fostering a supportive environment. 

• Resource Management and Staffing: Coordinate staffing and resource allocation across multiple projects, ensuring the right resources are available at the right time. Work closely with team leaders to level resources and optimize team performance across projects. 

• Budget and Schedule Tracking: Track the financial aspects of projects, provide reports on spending, and coordinate or adjust work efforts with the technical leads and project managers to ensure that work is completed within the agreed-to-schedule parameters. Track project schedules and deliverables across multiple projects, adjusting timelines and priorities as necessary. Assist the PMs in ensuring that all projects are completed on time and that any schedule changes are communicated to stakeholders. 

• Stakeholder Communication: Foster communication between staff, leadership, and clients to ensure a shared understanding of project goals, challenges, and expectations. Serve as a point of contact for non-technical project-related updates and issues. Develop and utilize project tracking tools to keep stakeholders, including internal staff, leadership, and clients, updated throughout the project. Provide timely communication, verbally and in writing, regarding project risks, milestones, timelines, and delays. Help to manage competing priorities and expectations across different stakeholders. 

• Administrative Support, Documentation, and Reporting: Support and work closely with technical leads on administrative tasks such as preparing schedules, drafting proposals, meeting preparation, vendor contract management, and procurement. Maintain accurate project documentation, including progress reports, meeting minutes, and status updates. Prepare regular reports on project performance and ensure that all documentation is up-to-date. 

• Risk Management and Assessment: Help identify project risks (e.g., related to the schedule and budget) and develop mitigation strategies. Proactively monitor and resolve issues to keep projects on track. 

• Continuous Improvement: Contribute to the continuous improvement of project management processes and methodologies. Suggest and implement process improvements to enhance project efficiency and outcomes for multiple projects.  Compile lessons learned from completed projects to implement in future projects. 

What Youll Need: 

• Proven experience (3-5 years) in project administration and/or project coordination or equivalent experience in a related field (ideally within engineering mechanics or a technical environment).
• BS or MS with a concentration in Engineering, Project Engineering, Project Management, Administration, a science-related degree, or a business-related degree from an ABET-accredited university required.
• Strong understanding of project management principles, methodologies, and tools (e.g., Gantt charts and project tracking software).
• Ability to manage and prioritize tasks across several projects, meeting deadlines and quality standards.  Experience with resource leveling and staffing coordination across multiple projects.
• Familiarity with risk management and mitigation strategies in a project setting. 
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or similar certification preferred.
• Experience required using Microsoft Office Suite (e.g.,MS Project)
• Experience using project management software and scheduling software tools, such as Primavera P6, preferred.
• Experience within the nuclear industry and/or civil engineering/structural engineering projects is preferred.  
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to manage and motivate diverse project teams. Gets along well with others and provides enthusiastic help and support when appropriate.  

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