Project Analyst

Are you curious how the business and capital project worlds combine to deliver industrial facilities such as chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, food production, petroleum refineries, new energy projects, consumer products, and more? Do you love making connections and solving puzzles or problems? Are you detailed and focused, yet you also have broad interests and ideas and excellent communication skills? Do you enjoy analytical research work while also being comfortable client-facing? Are you seeking mentorship and a clear career path in your professional growth?

If so, please apply as a Project Analyst in IPA’s North America office! The Project Analyst will lead evaluations and consulting for Fortune 500 firms in different industries to improve the effectiveness of their capital projects.

Independent Project Analysis (IPA) has an opening in our North America office (located in Ashburn, VA) for a Project Analyst. The candidate should have strong analytical skills and intellectual curiosity and a desire to contribute as a thought leader. The candidate’s interest in studying the factors that determine success in complex, technologically advanced projects and organizations is critical. Aptitude for and demonstrated skills to be a successful analyst include your ability to connect in real life with the data and vice versa, to know when to ask more questions and when to just listen, as well as to be self-motivated to learn and thrive.

IPA’s client portfolio includes world-leading companies in both the heavy and light industries around the world. IPA has offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, Brazil, and Singapore; as such, major industry leaders globally rely on us to assess the health of their capital project systems and provide recommendations to improve their performance. IPA evaluates hundreds of capital projects every year, developing very complete technical, business, and people histories from their front-end through early operation. These histories become the data we use to find what works and what does not work in capital projects. The IPA project databases are unique and the most comprehensive sources of capital project experience in existence. IPA also takes a leading role in empirical research into the drivers of better projects and project systems, using our extensive databases of past project performance.

Responsibilities of the Project Analyst role include:

• Interfacing directly with clients in person to collect project data and uncover areas of risk
• Applying statistical analysis to quantify your findings
• Writing reports to provide insight and recommendations for clients
• Delivering verbal feedback and presentations to technical and business audiences
• Working collaboratively with capital project teams and project organizations to improve business competitiveness
• Conducting research on the drivers of project success and failure using statistics and IPA’s proprietary database

Project Analysts must have:

• Demonstrable English language oral and written communication skills; fluency in Spanish or French is an advantage
• Excellent listening, presentation, and report writing skills with strong attention to detail
• Intellectual curiosity
• Solid analytical skills
• Strong interpersonal skills to develop and maintain relationships at senior levels with client companies
• Strong work ethic
• Positive attitude and willingness to work in a team
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and under pressure
• Flexibility in taking on a variety of assignments

• This position requires up to 30% travel. Candidates are required to have proper documentation for necessary business travel.

In terms of education and experience, we prefer:

• A Master’s degree (preferred) or bachelor’s degree or equivalent in engineering, science (biology, chemistry, physics), statistics, operations research, finance, economics, or related fields
• 3 years of experience in a relevant position in the pharmaceutical industry (e.g., analyst, consultant, project manager, researcher, statistician, engineer) is desirable

For over 35 years, IPA has delivered groundbreaking research and quantitative risk analyses to enhance the value generated by our clients’ capital project systems and meet their obligations for sustainable and safe performance. IPA guides capital‑intensive organizations to establish the right combination of people, work process, and governance to maximize performance across several measures: cost, schedule, safety, operability performance, and carbon reduction. We have a dataset of over 24,000 capital projects as the basis of our work. Our clients are leading companies in the energy, minerals, infrastructure, chemicals, pharmaceutical, and consumer products sectors. IPA is committed to social and ethical responsibility, and all global offices initiate or participate in local charity initiatives to support those in need. IPA is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

Applicants should complete the form below and include a cover letter, resume, and salary requirement.