Project Associate Jobs in Mokena, IL (NOW HIRING)

Project Management Org / Corporate Services

This position is not eligible for recruiting or sourcing by outside parties.

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Role Summary

Mesa Associates, Inc. is seeking a Project Scheduling Coordinator to support utility clients in the Midwest region, with potential to expand to other geographic areas as the Corporate Services Project Management Organization (CSPMO) broadens this service offering. This position reports directly to the Director of the Corporate Services Project Management Organization and works closely with project managers, engineers, and client stakeholders to support the successful delivery of power delivery and substation design projects. The Project Scheduler plays a key role in developing, maintaining, and communicating project schedules to ensure accuracy, transparency, and alignment between Mesa’s clients and their stakeholders.

This role will require frequent client site visits especially during project forming phases to establish communication rhythm, confirm timelines, and strengthen collaboration.

The Scheduling Coordinator is responsible for performing regular schedule updates and providing weekly lookahead reports to the client summarizing project progress, upcoming activities, and schedule performance.

Desired Project Scheduling Coordinator Functions

• Develop, maintain, and monitor project schedules in Microsoft Project and/or Primavera P6 in accordance with client requirements and internal Mesa standards.
• Conduct client site visits especially during project forming phases to align expectations, review schedule progress, and gather updates.
• Update project schedules regularly, ensuring alignment between engineering deliverables, client milestones, and program objectives.
• Generate and present weekly “lookahead” reports summarizing progress, upcoming tasks, and schedule performance.
• Coordinate with stakeholders to assess schedule impacts and resource needs.
• Track new projects and ongoing changes, ensuring updates are communicated timely to clients and other stakeholders.
• Facilitate internal and external meetings, as needed, to review project status, discuss risks, and implement schedule adjustments as needed.
• Support project managers in controlling schedule performance, analyzing variances, and identifying potential bottlenecks.
• Prepare and distribute key performance indicators (KPIs), earned value insights, and trend analyses to leadership and clients.
• Maintain documentation for baseline schedules, revisions, and change approvals.
• Promote consistency in scheduling practices and contribute to process improvement initiatives within the CSPMO.
• Demonstrate professionalism, ownership, and adaptability while managing multiple projects at varying stages of design and execution.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Competent in both Microsoft Project and Primavera P6. Prefer proficient to advanced skills in both software’s. Mesa is willing to provide additional training to reach skill level required for career progression.
• Familiarity with power utility generation, substation, communication and line design projects and related engineering lifecycles is preferred.
• Understanding of project controls, sequencing, and critical path method (CPM).
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for collaboration with engineers, project managers, and clients.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills to manage multiple priorities efficiently.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel for data analysis and reporting.
• Ability to interpret and apply written schedule criteria from utility clients.
• Willingness to travel for client site visits and meetings (weekly during kickoff, then periodically thereafter).

Education

Required:

• Associate's degree in engineering, Construction Management, Business, or a related field from an accredited curriculum.
• 4+ years of relevant project scheduling or coordination experience within engineering, design, or utility infrastructure projects. Compensation will be commensurate with years of experience.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain complex project schedules and provide analytical reporting to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Location Requirements

• Live within reasonable daily commuting distance of Northwest Indiana (Chicagoland suburbs)
• Willing to travel locally (day trips) up to 30% at least during client relationship building phases
• Remote & hybrid candidates will be reviewed as long as they reside within the Northwest Indiana region due to project location

Notice to External Search Firms: Mesa Associates, Inc. and its subsidiaries do not accept unsolicited resumes and will not be obligated to pay a placement fee for unsolicited resumes. Mesa Associates, Inc. Talent Acquisition engages with approved search firms directly for specific hiring needs.