Capital Project Portfolio Controller-Engineering

SSA Marine; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401k plan

Paid time off

Job summary

SSA Marine in Seattle seeks a Project Controller to support the Engineering Department with project controls, estimating, cost management, planning and scheduling, and governance across the capital portfolio.

The role evolves into owning the Engineering PMO, maintaining controls procedures, standards, tools, and reporting aligned with the FEL stage-gate model, driving continuous improvement across projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field.
• 5+ years in project portfolio controls, estimating, cost control, scheduling, or PMO support in a capital project portfolio.
• Experience supporting multi-project and portfolio environments.
• PMO or project controls certification preferred.
• FEL / stage-gate project development knowledge.
• Proficiency with Primavera P6, MS Project, Excel, Power BI.
• Fluency in English; Spanish proficiency is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and monitor cost, schedule, and progress controls across the Engineering project portfolio.
• Support preparation and review of project budgets, estimates, and schedules.
• Track project performance against baselines and identify variances, trends, and risks.
• Participate in risk identification and mitigation processes.
• Support implementation of trends and change management.
• Assist monthly reporting, dashboards, and executive summaries for project managers and leadership.
• Support FEL model adoption and stage-gate maturity tracking.
• Maintain auditable project controls data across projects.
• Develop standardized reports and dashboards for leadership review.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, data quality, and consistency across Engineering.

Skills

Project controls

Cost management

Scheduling

PMO support

Data analysis

Communication

English fluency

Education

BA in Engineering or Construction Management

Tools

Primavera P6

MS Project

Excel

Power BI

Job description

SSA Marine is a Seattle-based global operator of marine terminals and stevedoring services, specializing in the movement and handling of cargo across major ports worldwide. As part of Carrix, the company manages container, bulk, and breakbulk operations, as well as intermodal and rail logistics that connect port activity to inland transportation networks. SSA Marine supports the efficient flow of goods across global supply chains, working with shipping lines, ports, and logistics partners to move a wide range of cargo, including containers, automobiles, and industrial materials.

Location: 1131 SW Klickitat Way, Seattle, WA

Hybrid role: Consists of a combination of WFH and onsite work

Salary range: $140,000 - 175,000 per year

The Project Controller supports SSA Marine's centralized Engineering Department by providing project controls, including estimating, cost management, planning and scheduling, trend and change management, progress and performance measurement, and project reporting oversight, and governance support across the capital project portfolio. The role is designed to evolve into a core owner and administrator of the Engineering PMO, responsible for maintaining project controls procedures, standards, tools, and reporting frameworks aligned with SSA Marine's FEL stage-gate model and capital governance processes and recommending continual improvement where required.

This position works across multiple projects and initiatives, supporting early-stage development (FEL 1-3), setup planning, execution readiness, and lifecycle reporting, while enabling consistent decision-making, cost discipline, and schedule transparency.

• Develop, maintain, and monitor cost, schedule, and progress controls across the Engineering project portfolio.
• Support preparation and review of project budgets, estimates, and schedules.
• Track project performance against approved baselines and identify variances, trends, and emerging risks.
• Actively participate in the risk identification and mitigation process.
• Support the implementation of trends and the management of change processes.
• Assist Project Managers and Engineering leadership with monthly reporting, dashboards, and executive summaries.
• Support implementation and ongoing use of the FEL (Front-End Loading) model within the Engineering Department.
• Maintain schedule and deliverable maturity tracking aligned with FEL stage-gates.
• Liaison with the Financial Controller for cost tracking and reporting.
• Support development and upkeep of stage-gate checklists, readiness metrics, and decision support materials.
• Assist with the preparation of materials for internal governance reviews (setup, monthly performance, stage-gate-scaled in accordance with project complexity and size), investment approvals, and executive forums.
• Serve as a key contributor to the establishment, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the Engineering portfolio management process.
• Help define and standardize project controls processes, templates, reporting cadence, and data structures.
• Support the administration of engineering tools (scheduling, cost tracking, reporting platforms).
• Maintain portfolio-level visibility of engineering workload, priorities, and resourcing.
• Maintain accurate and auditable project controls data across projects.
• Develop standardized reports and dashboards for leadership review.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and data quality across the Engineering department.
• Support lessons learned and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Professional degree, BA, in Engineering, Construction Management, or related disciplines.
• 5+ years of experience in project portfolio controls, estimating, cost control, scheduling, or PMO support, in a capital project portfolio. or infrastructure environments required.
• Experience supporting multi-project and portfolio environments required.
• Certification in project controls or planning (e.g., PMI-SP, AACE, PMP) preferred.
• Working knowledge of FEL / stage-gate project development frameworks.
• Experience in the establishment of reporting standards, formats, and frequency.
• Proficiency with project controls and reporting tools (e.g., Primavera P6, MS Project, Excel, Power BI, or similar).
• Proven track record in developing and managing integrated schedules (Primavera P6 or equivalent).
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• Fluency in English required. Spanish proficiency is a plus.

Benefits: Eligible employees (and their families) may qualify for medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as basic life and accidental death insurance, paid disability insurance, including paid parental leave if eligible, and an Employee Assistance Program. Employees will receive paid sick and vacation time, and company holidays if eligible. The company also offers paid bereavement leave and paid jury duty. Eligible employees can enroll in our company's 401k plan, as well as a retirement plan. Employees will be eligible for discretionary and/or metric-based bonuses, dependent on their position.