Project Controls Analyst (US)

Company Overview

Blue Energy’s mission is to unlock energy abundance, energy affordability, energy security, and turn-key decarbonization by developing the fastest path to deploying new nuclear MWs at scale. We are utilizing shipyard manufacturing supply chains and techniques from offshore oil and wind to reduce the cost of nuclear plants by over 60% and the manufacturing timeline to 24 months. Blue Energy is a platform technology that makes use of the latest NRC-approved reactors and is in negotiations with existing nuclear and industrial sites, enabling a much faster regulatory pathway to deploy our first unit. With our innovative centralized shipyard manufacturing approach, we can put nuclear power on a cost-reduction learning curve akin to wind, solar, and lithium-ion batteries.

Blue Energy is seeking a skilled and detail-oriented Project Controls Analyst to join our team for a Small Modular Reactor development project. This role is critical in ensuring the successful delivery of the project by overseeing all aspects of project controls, including cost management, scheduling, risk management, and reporting. The Project Controls Manager will work closely with project management, engineering, procurement, licensing, commercial/business development and construction teams to ensure the project is delivered on time, within budget, and in compliance with safety and regulatory requirements.

Expectations:

• Raise issues and concerns quickly, we strive for a culture where everyone can communicate openly so problems can be resolved as quickly and efficiently as possible. This is as important for technical issues as it is for non-technical and personnel issues. The longer things go “unmentioned”, the longer they “fester” and the more painful they are to resolve.

• Budget and Schedule are important! Everyone, as owners and owners representatives, is ultimately accountable for accomplishing our goals on time and on budget. However, if “Doing it Right” means we need to spend a little more time or money, raise the issue to me and we will discuss the best path forward. It's a balance and we can address all “gray” areas as a team.

• People make mistakes, especially when developing a First of a Kind product. Be open with mistakes of yourself and others, we want to ensure we understand every error, potential error or near miss so that we establish engineered controls or procedural steps to prevent recurrence. These errors, omissions and oversights can be resolved in a professional manner without people fearing reprisal, if we build the culture the right way. We are all responsible for building this kind of working environment.

Responsibilities:

• Cost Control & Budget Management:

  • Develop and maintain the project budget, ensuring alignment with the overall project scope, schedule, and resources.

  • Monitor project costs, track expenditures, and forecast future financial needs to ensure the project stays within the approved budget.

  • Implement cost control systems and processes to identify variances and recommend corrective actions to stay on track.

• Scheduling & Progress Tracking:

  • Develop and maintain detailed project schedules, incorporating licensing, commercial, business development, engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning activities.

  • Monitor progress against the baseline schedule, track key milestones, and provide regular updates on the project's progress.

  • Collaborate with licensing, commercial, construction and engineering teams to identify potential delays, bottlenecks, or conflicts, and work with the project team to mitigate risks.

• Change Management:

  • Implement and manage the change control process to evaluate and document potential scope changes, ensuring that cost and schedule impacts are properly assessed.

  • Coordinate with stakeholders to review and approve changes, ensuring alignment with the project’s objectives and constraints.

• Risk Management:

  • Develop and maintain a comprehensive risk register and associated risk management plan, identifying potential risks related to cost, schedule, resources, and regulatory compliance.

  • Conduct regular risk assessments, prioritizing risks and implementing mitigation strategies to minimize their impact on the project.

• Performance Reporting & Metrics:

  • Prepare and present regular project performance reports, including Earned Value Management (EVM) metrics, cost variance, schedule variance, and forecasting trends.

  • Track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the project’s progress against budget, schedule, and quality standards.

• Coordination with Stakeholders:

  • Work closely with project managers, construction teams, engineers, procurement teams licensing team and commercial team to ensure that project controls align with the overall project and company goals.

  • Communicate regularly with senior management, regulatory authorities, and external stakeholders to provide updates on the project’s status and address any concerns.

• Compliance & Regulatory Adherence:

  • Ensure that all project controls processes comply with nuclear industry regulations, as well as health, safety, and environmental standards.

  • Maintain accurate documentation for regulatory reviews, audits, and internal quality assurance processes.

• Have an understanding of how all plant systems are designed, operated and will perform in the field. It is your responsibility to understand how the plant is designed at a high level to ensure the budget and schedule remain accurate at all times. If you have questions, it’s likely someone else has the same question. Ask the question, get the answers and share the results.

• Work closely with our in-house engineering team as well as engineering and construction sub-contractors to identify and quickly resolve issues, clashes, inconsistencies and potential conflicts. If you realize you need help resolving an issue make sure you request assistance early and resist the urge to try and resolve all issues on your own (don’t try to be a hero!)

• We will have frequent interaction with the Licensing Team who rely on us heavily to ensure all questions, concerns and issues raised by the regulator are addressed accurately and timely

  • Proactively provide support to the Licensing team and identify issues that need oversight by leadership to ensure resolution

• Actively participate in construction and commissioning. This will involve frequent and potentially extended trips to the construction site to participate in, supervise and ensure the quality of construction and commissioning activities. Team leadership to address inevitable issues during construction and commissioning will be a key aspect of this portion of the job responsibilities.

• Assist in the creation of virtual construction simulations to predict potential issues, optimize construction schedules, and ensure that project timelines are met.

• Lead periodic cross-functional budget and schedule reviews for accuracy, completeness, and adherence to engineering standards and project requirements.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Project Management, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field. A Master’s degree or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent is preferred.

• Experience: Minimum of 7 years of experience in project controls, scheduling, cost control, or project management, with at least 3 years of experience in nuclear construction projects or energy infrastructure projects. Proven experience in managing project controls for complex, multi-disciplinary construction projects.

• Technical Skills:

  • Proficiency in project management software such as Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, or similar tools for scheduling and progress tracking.

  • Experience with cost management software and Earned Value Management (EVM) techniques.

  • Strong knowledge of risk management, change control processes, and forecasting techniques.

  • Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills:

    • Ability to analyze project performance data, identify trends, and recommend solutions to improve project outcomes.

    • Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to anticipate and address project challenges proactively.

• Certifications: PMP or other project management certifications are a plus.

• Soft Skills:

  • Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.

  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

  • Strong leadership and decision-making capabilities.

We look forward to your application and helping foster an era of safe, clean, affordable, and abundant energy.

Blue Energy is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t perfectly align with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be the right candidate for this or other roles at Blue Energy now or in the future.