Who we are. At Mercer Mass Timber we are exceptional people making mass timber for a more sustainable world. We are North America’s largest Mass Timber Manufacturer, with facilities in Penticton, British Columbia, Spokane Valley, Washington, and Conway, Arkansas with a combined annual production capacity of over 255,000 cubic metres of mass timber. MMT is part of Mercer International, a leading forest products company who is one of the world’s largest market pulp producers and operates the world’s largest sawmill. Mercer has operations in Canada, Germany, and the United States.
Position DescriptionReporting to the Operations Manager - Projects, the Mass Timber Construction Risk Manager is responsible for identifying, assessing, and mitigating technical, contractual, safety, and financial risks associated with mass timber and hybrid structural construction projects. This role works closely with engineering, project management, manufacturing, and site teams to ensure project risks are proactively managed throughout the project lifecycle from design development through fabrication, delivery, and installation. The Risk Manager ensures alignment between project scope, engineering requirements, construction sequencing, and contractual obligations while protecting the company from cost exposure, schedule disruption, and liability.
Responsibilities- Identify and evaluate technical, construction, schedule, financial, and contractual risks across mass timber projects.
- Develop and maintain project and/or program risk registers with input from project and client team members.
- Plan, design, and implement risk management processes tailored to the client’s needs and aligned with best practice (e.g., AACE International, Project Management Institute, ISO 31000).
- Conduct risk reviews during design, preconstruction, and installation phases while providing regular risk status updates to senior leadership
- Conduct quantitative cost and schedule risk analysis (QCRA/QSRA) using probabilistic and simulation-based methods to evaluate forecast uncertainty and outcome distributions.
- Analyze economic drivers of project risk, including market conditions, labor and commodity trends, productivity assumptions, and systemic risk factors.
- Prepare economic risk assessments, forecasts, and scenario analyses to support project managers, executives, and clients in strategic decision making.
- Advise project leadership on risk-adjusted contingency and schedule reserve ranges based on quantitative economic analysis.
- Monitor project risks and escalate issues that may impact cost, schedule, safety, or quality.
- Support project teams in developing and implementing appropriate internal and external response plans for critical risks.
- Manage challenging behaviors and maintain effective working relationships based on diplomacy while maintaining independence and not being swayed in judgment or course of actions.
- Demonstrate strong organizational, analytical, and multi-tasking skills (i.e., ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously).
- Review contracts, subcontracts, and scopes of work to identify risk exposure.
- Support negotiation of risk-related contract terms, including warranty and liability provisions.
- Assist in managing claims, disputes, and change orders related to risk events.
- Document risk events and maintain records of mitigation strategies and outcomes.
- Facilitate cross-functional risk reviews with project teams.
Qualifications and Experience- Bachelor’s degree in Construction Law, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field.
- 8+ years of experience in construction, structural systems, or project risk management.
- Experience with mass timber, structural steel, or hybrid structural systems.
- Strong understanding of construction sequencing and structural erection methods.
- Experience reviewi