Principal Project Manager - Electric Utility

About Power Rise Power Rise is a premier provider of project and construction management services for electric and gas utility clients. We specialize in delivering reliable, resilient, and innovative solutions that drive success for capital projects. Our leadership team brings decades of experience in the energy sector, ensuring expert execution and strategic management across all project phases. At Power Rise, we champion safety, innovation, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring every project contributes to a more equitable and sustainable energy future.

Power Rise is seeking a Principal Project Manager to serve as a recognized industry expert and senior individual contributor accountable for the delivery of our most complex, highest-risk electric utility capital projects. This role owns electric transmission, substation, and distribution projects, leading project teams through business case and capital approval, development and execution of project plans, and project closeout. Operating under little to no supervision, you will provide strategic direction, commercial rigor, and executive-level communication across a portfolio of concurrent projects and may lead high-profile business initiatives with direct accountability for execution.

• Develop, manage, and meticulously maintain comprehensive project plans, critical path schedules (utilizing tools like MS Project or Primavera P6), and robust budgets for large-scale electric utility capital initiatives. oLead, mentor, and inspire multidisciplinary project teams, fostering a collaborative, innovative, and high-performing environment that thrives on efficiency and excellence.
• Oversee and direct all project phases, from initial concept and strategic planning through detailed engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and final closeout, ensuring unwavering alignment with client objectives, contractual requirements, industry best practices, and all regulatory mandates.

• Proactively identify, perform in-depth analysis of, and strategically mitigate complex project risks by developing and implementing comprehensive risk management strategies and robust contingency plans. oCommunicate with exceptional clarity, transparency, and professionalism to executive clients, key senior stakeholders, regulatory bodies, and internal project teams, providing timely, insightful updates, comprehensive reports, and impactful presentations.
• Collaborate with other project managers, work management, and functional managers to assure optimal utilization of resources across a portfolio of concurrent projects and annual programs.

• Drive innovation and champion continuous improvement initiatives within project management processes, tools, and methodologies, actively seeking opportunities to optimize efficiency, enhance quality, and improve project outcomes.
• Stay at the forefront of industry trends, emerging technologies, and evolving best practices in utility project management to ensure Power Rise maintains its leadership position.

• Acquire and manage contract resources by participating in the contractor selection process, preparing contract requisitions, negotiating and approving change orders and contract payment authorizations, and formally evaluating contractor performance.
• Review contractor invoices for accuracy and completeness and manage all project financials, including cost engineering, cash flow, accruals, contingency drawdown, and major equipment procurement, to deliver projects at or below approved budget.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Electrical, Civil, Mechanical), Construction Management, or a closely related technical or business field; in lieu of a bachelor's degree, 16+ years of directly relevant project management experience. oA minimum of 12+ years of progressive and impactful experience in project management, with a proven and verifiable track record of successfully managing and delivering large-scale, complex electric utility capital projects (transmission, substation, and distribution).
• Demonstrated proficiency managing large, complex projects using established project management techniques, including planning and control (work breakdown structures, critical path analysis, scope control), issue and risk management, business case development…