Project Controls Specialist Jobs for OPT Students
Project Controls Specialist roles in cost management, schedule analysis, and earned value management qualify as specialty occupations under OPT work authorization. Most positions require a degree in engineering, construction management, or a related field, making them a strong fit for F-1 students with STEM OPT extensions.
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Get Access To All JobsWhat 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 supporting our rail/transit client with multiple project controls functions as a Procore-trained Super User with extensive experience supporting infrastructure design and construction projects, including transit and transportation sectors. The Procore Project Controls Specialist will lead efforts tracking and reporting on the status of the Procore Project Portfolio and closeout progress, and will provide on-call support to the Procore Admin Team.
This position will be based at the clients' offices in Alexandria, Virginia.
What You’ll Do:
- Prepare and analyze master project/program schedule, baseline schedules, progress schedules, specialty schedules, schedules analysis and project progress reporting. Works with schedulers, as appropriate, to perform schedule duties as defined. Provide or review schedule updates, produce exception reports of schedule deviations, and recommend recovery plans.
- Develop cost estimates, including conceptual estimates, change order estimates, and other estimates as defined. Develop cost report templates, as needed. Prepare and issue budget/cost and change management reports. Produce regular budget/cost reports, including current status, forecast at completion, and variance versus baseline budget.
- Oversee and maintain project management control system (PMCS) and/or document controls system, as relevant. Oversee document control resources and/or perform document controls responsibilities for engineering, procurement and construction documentation.
- Establish and/or maintain project controls procedures for projects, including cost estimating, budget/cost management, scheduling, document control, reporting, risk management and claims analysis functions.
- Assess the cost and schedule impacts of design/construction changes and assist project leadership / staff in developing workarounds and schedule recovery plans. Identify trends and deviations and recommend corrective measures to be implemented. Regularly communicates to project management regarding deviations, risks, and trends that are, or may, impact project cost and schedule. Analyze issues to determine root causes of variances and make recommendations for correcting deviations to maintain cost and schedule targets.
- Develop and produce reports for client and project management (PM) staff to monitor progress and status of project. Prepares PM for internal and external meetings by providing reports, analysis, and backup documentation to assist in the management of the project and dissemination of information/ reports/ deliverables to the PM, client, and stakeholders.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
What You’ll Need:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management or related field and 6 years' relevant experience
- In lieu of education, 10 years' relevant experience, or 6 years' relevant direct contractor experience
What You’ll Bring:
- Leading efforts to categorize archive requirements and close out inactive legacy Procore projects.
- Coordinating with the Office of Design and Configuration Management to archive documents for closed projects.
- Tracking and reporting on the status of the Procore Project Portfolio and closeout progress.
- Providing on-call support to the Procore Admin Team.
- Developing checklists, job aids, and SOPs, and training the (to be hired) Associate Construction Project Manager on closeout procedures.
What We Prefer:
- Procore-trained Super User with extensive experience supporting infrastructure design and construction projects, including transit and transportation sectors.
- 10 years of experience in project controls, document management, and process improvement within large-scale public agency environments.
- Demonstrated expertise in project closeout, archiving, and document control procedures, including coordination with design and configuration management teams.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Power BI for data analysis, reporting, and dashboard creation.
- Skilled in developing and implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs), training materials, and process documentation.
- Project Controls experience in three or more phases of project lifecycle (e.g., predesign, design, procurement, construction, and post-construction phases)
- Project Controls experience working as client's PM/CM agent (e.g., providing program management/construction management services), or as part of design-build contractor (or equivalent design and construction experience)
- One or more of the following AACE certifications: PSP, EVP, CCP, CEP, DRMP
Additional Information
Click here for benefits information: HNTB Total Rewards
Click here to learn more about Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran
Visa sponsorship is available for this position.
Locations:
Arlington, VA (Alexandria), Washington, DC
The approximate pay range for Washington, DC is $110,390.23 - $172,661.65. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position 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.
The approximate nationwide pay range for this position is $95,991.51 - $187,675.71. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position 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.
Job Type: Regular
Full/Part Time: Full time
Job Category: Project Controls Group
ReqID: R-29644
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 supporting our rail/transit client with multiple project controls functions as a Procore-trained Super User with extensive experience supporting infrastructure design and construction projects, including transit and transportation sectors. The Procore Project Controls Specialist will lead efforts tracking and reporting on the status of the Procore Project Portfolio and closeout progress, and will provide on-call support to the Procore Admin Team.
This position will be based at the clients' offices in Alexandria, Virginia.
What You’ll Do:
- Prepare and analyze master project/program schedule, baseline schedules, progress schedules, specialty schedules, schedules analysis and project progress reporting. Works with schedulers, as appropriate, to perform schedule duties as defined. Provide or review schedule updates, produce exception reports of schedule deviations, and recommend recovery plans.
- Develop cost estimates, including conceptual estimates, change order estimates, and other estimates as defined. Develop cost report templates, as needed. Prepare and issue budget/cost and change management reports. Produce regular budget/cost reports, including current status, forecast at completion, and variance versus baseline budget.
- Oversee and maintain project management control system (PMCS) and/or document controls system, as relevant. Oversee document control resources and/or perform document controls responsibilities for engineering, procurement and construction documentation.
- Establish and/or maintain project controls procedures for projects, including cost estimating, budget/cost management, scheduling, document control, reporting, risk management and claims analysis functions.
- Assess the cost and schedule impacts of design/construction changes and assist project leadership / staff in developing workarounds and schedule recovery plans. Identify trends and deviations and recommend corrective measures to be implemented. Regularly communicates to project management regarding deviations, risks, and trends that are, or may, impact project cost and schedule. Analyze issues to determine root causes of variances and make recommendations for correcting deviations to maintain cost and schedule targets.
- Develop and produce reports for client and project management (PM) staff to monitor progress and status of project. Prepares PM for internal and external meetings by providing reports, analysis, and backup documentation to assist in the management of the project and dissemination of information/ reports/ deliverables to the PM, client, and stakeholders.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
What You’ll Need:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management or related field and 6 years' relevant experience
- In lieu of education, 10 years' relevant experience, or 6 years' relevant direct contractor experience
What You’ll Bring:
- Leading efforts to categorize archive requirements and close out inactive legacy Procore projects.
- Coordinating with the Office of Design and Configuration Management to archive documents for closed projects.
- Tracking and reporting on the status of the Procore Project Portfolio and closeout progress.
- Providing on-call support to the Procore Admin Team.
- Developing checklists, job aids, and SOPs, and training the (to be hired) Associate Construction Project Manager on closeout procedures.
What We Prefer:
- Procore-trained Super User with extensive experience supporting infrastructure design and construction projects, including transit and transportation sectors.
- 10 years of experience in project controls, document management, and process improvement within large-scale public agency environments.
- Demonstrated expertise in project closeout, archiving, and document control procedures, including coordination with design and configuration management teams.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Power BI for data analysis, reporting, and dashboard creation.
- Skilled in developing and implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs), training materials, and process documentation.
- Project Controls experience in three or more phases of project lifecycle (e.g., predesign, design, procurement, construction, and post-construction phases)
- Project Controls experience working as client's PM/CM agent (e.g., providing program management/construction management services), or as part of design-build contractor (or equivalent design and construction experience)
- One or more of the following AACE certifications: PSP, EVP, CCP, CEP, DRMP
Additional Information
Click here for benefits information: HNTB Total Rewards
Click here to learn more about Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran
Visa sponsorship is available for this position.
Locations:
Arlington, VA (Alexandria), Washington, DC
The approximate pay range for Washington, DC is $110,390.23 - $172,661.65. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position 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.
The approximate nationwide pay range for this position is $95,991.51 - $187,675.71. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position 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.
Job Type: Regular
Full/Part Time: Full time
Job Category: Project Controls Group
ReqID: R-29644
How to Get Visa Sponsorship as a Project Controls Specialist
Target infrastructure and construction firms
Large engineering, procurement, and construction firms hire Project Controls Specialists regularly and have established visa sponsorship pipelines. Focus your applications on companies with active federal contracts, where project controls expertise is a compliance requirement, not a luxury.
Highlight earned value management experience
EVM proficiency is a hard requirement for many government-adjacent project controls roles. Demonstrating hands-on experience with cost performance index and schedule performance index calculations signals technical depth employers need when justifying specialty occupation status for OPT and H-1B.
Prioritize STEM OPT-eligible positions
Project Controls Specialist roles under construction management, industrial engineering, or systems engineering CIP codes typically qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Confirm your degree's CIP code with your DSO before accepting an offer to ensure you maximize your authorized work period.
Lead with Primavera P6 and cost control software skills
Employers screening for project controls candidates filter heavily on scheduling and cost software proficiency. Listing Primavera P6, Oracle Unifier, or SAP PS on your resume above the fold increases your chances of passing initial recruiter screening before sponsorship discussions even begin.
Address your OPT timeline directly with hiring managers
Project controls hiring cycles can run two to three months. Proactively share your OPT expiration date and STEM extension eligibility early, so employers can align their H-1B sponsorship timeline with their project staffing needs without last-minute surprises.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Does a Project Controls Specialist role qualify as a specialty occupation for OPT and H-1B purposes?
Yes, in most cases. Project Controls Specialist positions typically require a bachelor's degree or higher in engineering, construction management, or a closely related field, which meets the specialty occupation standard. Roles focused on cost engineering, schedule analysis, or earned value management have a strong track record of H-1B approval, but the specific job duties and degree match both matter.
Which degree fields qualify F-1 students for the STEM OPT extension in project controls roles?
Degrees in civil engineering, industrial engineering, systems engineering, construction management, and engineering management are the most common pathways to STEM OPT eligibility for project controls work. Degrees in business or general management without a STEM CIP code typically do not qualify. Confirm your specific degree's CIP code with your international student office before relying on the extension.
Where can I find Project Controls Specialist jobs that are open to OPT candidates?
Migrate Mate lists project controls roles from employers who are open to sponsoring international candidates. Filtering for OPT-friendly positions saves significant time compared to applying broadly and discovering sponsorship constraints late in the process. Most employers hiring for government contract or infrastructure projects are accustomed to working with candidates on work authorization.
How far in advance should I start applying for Project Controls Specialist roles given the H-1B lottery timeline?
Start applying at least six months before your OPT expires. H-1B registration opens in March for an October 1 start date, meaning your employer needs to be committed to sponsoring you by late February at the latest. For OPT holders expiring mid-year, missing one lottery cycle can mean a gap in work authorization, so early applications are critical.
Can I work as a Project Controls Specialist as an independent contractor on OPT?
Self-employment on OPT is permitted under USCIS rules, but it carries significant compliance risk. You must be actively engaged in work related to your degree field, and the arrangement must constitute genuine employment rather than passive income. Most project controls contractors work through staffing agencies or consulting firms, which simplifies the employment verification requirements under the OPT terms.
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