Risk manager (risk register/mitigation)

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Job Description:

Parsons is seeking an experienced Risk Manager to support a major program and construction management team delivering a large, complex industrial infrastructure project.

The Risk Manager will administer the program’s risk and opportunity management process, maintain the risk register, facilitate risk assessments, and coordinate mitigation activities. The selected candidate will work with program leadership, engineering, construction management, project controls, procurement, quality, safety, commissioning, contractors, and Client representatives to identify threats and opportunities early and support informed decision-making.

This position is based near Little Rock, Arkansas and is part of a 4–5 year contract. During the first year, remote work is permitted. After the first year, the selected candidate will be required to either reside within commuting distance of Little Rock, AR or be willing to relocate to the area.

Periodic travel and coordination with program leadership, Client representatives, contractors, consultants, suppliers, and on-site personnel may be required.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Develop, implement, and maintain the Program Risk and Opportunity Management Plan, procedures, scoring criteria, reporting requirements, and escalation thresholds.
• Establish and maintain a comprehensive risk and opportunity register within the approved PMIS or risk-management platform.
• Ensure risk entries clearly identify causes, potential events, consequences, probability, impact, ownership, mitigation actions, due dates, and residual exposure.
• Facilitate risk workshops, interviews, planning sessions, readiness reviews, and lessons-learned discussions with multidisciplinary stakeholders.
• Identify and evaluate risks involving design, permitting, procurement, supply chain, construction, cost, schedule, quality, safety, security, commissioning, operations, and contractual performance.
• Coordinate with risk owners to develop practical mitigation strategies, contingency plans, trigger conditions, and measurable completion requirements.
• Monitor mitigation actions, follow up on overdue items, evaluate effectiveness, and recommend additional measures when exposure remains unacceptable.
• Apply consistent qualitative assessment criteria and develop risk heat maps, priority rankings, trend reports, and escalation recommendations.
• Support quantitative cost and schedule risk analyses, including risk-adjusted forecasts, sensitivity analyses, scenario evaluations, and contingency assessments.
• Coordinate risk information with project schedules, cost forecasts, change management, contractor performance, procurement status, and program reporting.
• Distinguish risks from active issues, assumptions, constraints, changes, and decisions and ensure each is managed through the appropriate process.
• Review contractor and consultant risk registers and mitigation plans and escalate significant or cross-cutting exposure to program leadership.
• Administer the opportunity-management process and track potential cost savings, schedule improvements, risk reductions, and other program benefits.
• Develop risk dashboards, key performance indicators, executive summaries, and recurring reports for program leadership and the Client.
• Maintain complete and auditable records of assessments, assumptions, decisions, mitigation plans, approvals, status changes, and closures.
• Provide training and guidance to program personnel regarding risk identification, assessment, mitigation, escalation, and reporting.
• Support audits and program reviews by providing risk registers, analyses, meeting records, mitigation evidence, and related documentation.
• Promote proactive risk identification, transparent reporting, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Work remotely during the first year, with the expectation of residing within commuting distance of Little Rock, Arkansas, or relocating to the area thereafter.
• Support periodic travel and coordination with program leadership, Client representatives, contractors, consultants, suppliers, and on-site personnel.

What Required Skills You'll Bring:

• Master’s degree and at least 7 years of relevant experience, or a bachelor’s degree and at least 10 years of relevant experience in risk management, project controls, engineering, construction management, project management, or a related field.
• Experience administering risk management for a large industrial, construction, infrastructure, Federal, or government program.
• Demonstrated experience facilitating risk workshops, maintaining risk registers, coordinating mitigation plans, and preparing management reports.
• Comprehensive knowledge of project risk identification, assessment, response planning, mitigation, monitoring, escalation, and closure.
• Ability to develop clear risk statements and consistently assess probability, impact, proximity, and residual exposure.
• Strong analytical, forecasting, problem-solving, facilitation, and decision-support skills.
• Working knowledge of project controls, critical-path scheduling, cost forecasting, contingency, change management, and performance reporting.
• Ability to synthesize complex technical and business information into concise, actionable recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including preparation of risk reports, dashboards, heat maps, and executive briefings.
• Strong stakeholder-management skills and the ability to constructively challenge unsupported assumptions, ratings, or mitigation plans.
• Proficiency with risk-management systems, PMIS platforms, Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
• Demonstrated integrity, accountability, professional judgment, and commitment to transparent risk management.

What Desired Skills You'll Bring:

• Experience integrating risk with cost, schedule, change management, procurement, quality, safety, and commissioning.
• Experience supporting quantitative cost or schedule risk analysis.
• Familiarity with Primavera P6, Deltek Acumen Risk, ARM, Safran Risk, Power BI, or comparable tools.
• Project Management Institute Risk Management Professional or Project Management Professional certification.
• AACE certification in risk, planning, scheduling, or cost management.
• Experience reviewing contractor and consultant risk registers and mitigation plans.
• Experience developing risk-adjusted forecasts, sensitivity analyses, scenario evaluations, contingency assessments, and opportunity-management reports.
• Experience supporting audits, program reviews, readiness reviews, and executive decision forums.

Security Clearance Requirement:

None

This position is part of our Federal Solutions team. The Federal Solutions segment delivers resources to our US government customers that ensure the success of missions around the globe. Our intelligent employees drive the state of the art as they provide services and solutions in the areas of defense, security, intelligence, infrastructure, and environmental. We promote a culture of excellence and close-knit teams that take pride in delivering, protecting, and sustaining our nation's most critical assets, from Earth to cyberspace. Throughout the company, our people are anticipating what’s next to deliver the solutions our customers need now.

Salary Range:

$125,100.00 - $225,200.00

We value our employees and want our employees to take care of their overall wellbeing, which is why we offer best-in-class benefits such as medical, dental, vision, paid time off, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), 401(k), life insurance, flexible work schedules, and holidays to fit your busy lifestyle!

This position will be posted for a minimum of 3 days and will continue to be posted for an average of 30 days until a qualified applicant is selected or the position has been cancelled.

Parsons is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other protected status.

We truly invest and care about our employee’s wellbeing and provide endless growth opportunities as the sky is the limit, so aim for the stars! Imagine next and join the Parsons quest—APPLY TODAY!

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