Project Analyst III

HNTB Corporation; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 92,000 - 143,000; Full time

Job summary

HNTB Corporation in Chicago, IL seeks a Project Analyst to provide financial guidance across the project lifecycle, focusing on budgets, profitability, cash flow and contract compliance.

You will model gross margin scenarios, review client contracts, oversee budget changes, invoices, and revenue recognition while collaborating with the project team to ensure GAAP alignment and accurate reporting. This role offers growth through mentoring and training within an employee-owned firm.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or 9+ years of related experience
• Strong financial analysis and reporting skills
• Knowledge of project accounting and cost controls

Responsibilities

• Provide financial guidance across the entire project lifecycle
• Model gross margin scenarios and advise on revenue and cash performance
• Review client contracts for payment terms and opportunities for revenue enhancement
• Oversee budgets, commitments, forecasts, and expenditures to align with contracts
• Ensure timely invoice approvals and accurate revenue recognition
• Collaborate with project manager and cash team to resolve billing discrepancies
• Generate and review reports to identify cost overruns and variances
• Forecast EAC and monitor cost accounts for changes and trends
• Lead earnings review processes and apply GAAP concepts to project finance
• Mentor Project Finance Associates and other analysts

Skills

Financial analysis

Excel

Project accounting

Data interpretation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Engineering, or related field

Tools

HNTB reporting system

Project management system

Job description

What We're Looking For At HNTB, you can create a career that is meaningful to you while building communities that matter to all of us. For more than a century, we have been delivering solutions for some of the largest, most complex infrastructure projects across the country. With our historic growth, it is an exciting time to join our team of employee-owners. This opportunity entails being responsible for providing financial guidance to project teams, with a focus on budgets, profitability, earnings variances, cash flow, and contract compliance. The Project Analyst acts as the primary financial advisor throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring success in areas such as contracting, compensation and payment terms, workplan/project management system alignment, budgets, cost controls, revenue recognition, and cash and invoice management.

What You'll Do:

• Engages and supports all financial aspects across the entire project lifecycle.
• Models and analyzes gross margin scenarios from initial engagement through final negotiations, offering revenue and cash performance recommendations and enhancement strategies.
• Performs client contract review; assessing payment and compensation terms and recommends opportunities for revenue enhancement and positive cash performance.
• Ensures the accuracy of the PM system by overseeing changes to budget, commitments, forecasts, and expenditures, aligning work plans with client/contract requirements.
• Reviews and ensures timely and accurate invoice approval and payment applications according to client terms and requirements, including subcontracting needs.
• Collaborates with the project manager and cash management team to proactively resolve billing and revenue discrepancies.
• Generates and evaluates standard and ad hoc reports to identify and track potential cost issues and overruns.
• Investigates budget anomalies, resolves variances, and escalates findings.
• Forecasts and monitors project estimate-at-completion (EAC) by recording potential and actual changes to cost accounts, including change orders, trends, and deviations.
• Facilitates or leads an efficient earnings review process with the project team, using GAAP and revenue recognition concepts to analyze project finance performance.
• Performs project revenue adjustments with general supervision.
• Escalates project performance that impacts office results to the office finance manager in a timely manner.
• Develops client and subconsultant relationships, ensuring effective client service and efficient subconsultant management.
• May provide training and onboarding for project management staff on HNTB project management processes and procedures as needed.
• May offer guidance and mentorship to Project Finance Associates and earlier career Project Analysts, including oversight of day-to-day work.
• Utilizes PFAs for routine transactional support.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

What You'll Need:

• Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of financial, project accounting/analysis, or related experience, or In lieu of education, 9 years of financial, project accounting/analysis, or related work experience

What You'll Bring:

• Ability to manage ownership of the project finance responsibilities for medium to large projects of increasing risk and complexity.
• Has ownership of large projects of varying complexity.
• Ability to read and comprehend contract requirements to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Strong understanding of HNTB internal project finance/accounting processes, able to provide guidance in those areas to other project finance staff and project managers.
• Advanced data analysis skills in tools such as Excel, HNTB's enterprise reporting system, and HNTB's project management system.
• Able to develop new, dynamic approaches to processing, interpreting, and analyzing data to drive effective action.
• Strong conceptual and analytical skills, driving action on data.
• Excellent organizational skills, ability to multitask, and self-directed.

What We Prefer:

• Project Management certification, and/or other contracting/project management certifications
• Bachelor's degree in relevant Finance, Accounting, Business, Engineering, or related field
• Master's degree in business or engineering
• Knowledge of project financial management/cost controls
• Knowledge of accounting/financial principles and practices
• Knowledge of A/E industry

Additional Information

• Click here for benefits information: HNTB Total Rewards
• Click here to learn more about Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
• #RN .

Locations: Chicago, IL . . . . . . . . . . . .

The approximate pay range for Illinois is $91,710.82 - $143,445.15.

Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position based on all selected locations within the state at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state.

NOTICE TO THIRD-PARTY AGENCIES:

HNTB does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or agencies. Any staffing/employment agency, person or entity that submits an unsolicited resume to this site does so with the understanding that the applicant's resume will become the property of HNTB. HNTB will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion and without any fee owed to the submitting staffing/employment agency, person or entity. Staffing/employment agencies who have fee agreements with HNTB must submit applicants to the designated HNTB recruiter to be eligible for placement fees. At HNTB, we are harnessing the power of collaboration and innovation to establish a new vision for the future of mobility across our country. You don’t have to look far to see our impact. For more than a century, HNTB’s spark has connected people and places, expanded opportunity, and left a lasting impact on our communities. Our culture of integrity and inclusion, combined with groundbreaking solutions, has affirmed our reputation and positioned our firm as the industry leader in delivering extraordinary value.

When you join HNTB, you are joining an employee-owned firm founded on the values of integrity, collaboration, personal accountability, respect for others, and the development of all employees. We are committed to the continual improvement of an inclusive workplace. We encourage our employees to bring their whole and authentic selves to work, provide them a meaningful welcoming environment where they are valued, celebrated and respected. Diversity of thought and unique perspectives drives innovation, engagement and retention, which makes HNTB better and brings value to our clients and our communities.

Equal Opportunity Employer HNTB is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or other status protected by law. We will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with a disability where appropriate.

Work Authorization In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, we will only employ qualified individuals legally authorized to work in the United States (if the position is or will be one which is subject to U.S. law). Verification of employment eligibility will be required. HNTB participates in E-Verify Know your rights: Right to Work