Sherri Buchanan
Senior Project Manager at UT-Battelle- Claim this Profile
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Bio
Credentials
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Project Management Professional
Project Management InstituteOct, 2012- Oct, 2024
Experience
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UT-Battelle
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Research Services
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500 - 600 Employee
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Senior Project Manager
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Nov 2018 - Present
Managed $300 million Transformational Challenge Reactor program to rapidly design, build, and operate a microreactor using advanced manufacturing to facilitate advancements that expedite industry adoption. - Served as primary program contact for the Department of Energy (DOE)- Prepared program management plan and annual work plans to align with funding received- Performed all cost management, including coordinating activities at multiple sites and organizations and managing cost across multiple DOE budget and reporting classification codes- Provided day-to-day direction to team and facilitated team integration - Prepared talking points and routinely briefed stakeholders both inside and outside the DOE complex- Prepared monthly, quarterly and annual status reports and presentations- Prepared risk management plan and risk register- Prepared Oracle Primavera schedule
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Tennessee Valley Authority
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United States
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Utilities
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700 & Above Employee
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Small Modular Reactor, Senior Project Manager
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Dec 2012 - Oct 2018
Managed $80 million program to license, develop business case and develop long-term strategy for a first-of-a-kind $4 billion nuclear power generation facility. - Provided structured management for project schedule and team integration in the development of a large, complex regulatory application, including the development and implementation of project procedures to ensure both high quality and optimal efficiency- Served as Point of Contact for both internal and external stakeholders, as well as a member on the Board of East Tennessee Economic Council- Developed and managed cost estimate and forecast, delivering work within 1% of budgets- Prepared corporate and Department of Energy performance reports, using detailed variance analyses and earned value management to identify performance issues and develop mitigation plans- Prepared and maintained scope, schedule & cost baselines- Developed program and project risk management processes while facilitating preparation of risk registers and performing Monte-Carlo simulation and sensitivity analyses- Performed contract management, including RFP development, bid evaluation, contract negotiations, contractor oversight, change control, and invoice approval - Developed integrated Primavera schedule to prepare additional regulatory applications for two sites - Headed business case development, including drafting strategic plan and tactical plans- Developed Level I schedule of activities necessary through construction and start-up while ensuring current activities aligned with long-term goals, as well as a long-range staffing plan outlining staffing changes needed each year tied to specific schedule assumptions, thus ensuring a smooth revision process- Prepared bid proposals for Department of Energy funding opportunities, including the development of narrative, project management plan and detailed cost estimates- Led reviews of other projects to assess risk and readiness of projects to support stage gates
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Senior Manager, Capital Optimization
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Jun 2011 - Dec 2012
Developed and led corporate-wide initiative to standardize and improve project and portfolio management and capture savings in the $2 billion annual project budget. - Assessed Corporate Project Portfolio Management and Project Management within all business units- Implemented an efficient Project Governance and Oversight Structure, which included change management plans and associated training, communications, and procedures- Developed in-depth plans to mature project portfolio management and reporting while developing the framework for a new process to assess the risk and readiness of projects to continue to the next stage in project life cycle, which was used by the executive team throughout the project approval process- Collaborated with the Project Management Peer Team to improve project management procedures - Provided structured leadership throughout the development of a Project Manager Training Program- Briefed Senior Leadership on process improvement recommendations and status of initiatives- Managed newly-implemented electronic project approval and management system, including the resolution of remaining functionality defects, development of reporting strategy, and set-up of user and governance groups
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Controller / Cost Manager
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Mar 2008 - Jun 2011
Provided cost management, business support and oversight for Nuclear Generation Development and Construction organization, with annual budgets of ~$1 billion. Supported Senior Vice President and project managers in all cost management aspects of large-scale, complex construction projects and assisted in the development of future business alternatives. Provided cost management for Department of Energy funded programs. • Prepared budgets and forecasts for projects and corporate functions • Prepared monthly, annual and ad-hoc reports • Proactively identified issues impacted by project planning and pursued resolution • Analyzed cost trends and recommended corrective actions• Performed financial analysis needed to support project decision-making• Coordinated updates to company financial statements • Provided advice to senior management and staff • Core member of organization’s Investment Review Board for project planning and oversight• Helped develop organizational control systems for newly established SBU and subsequent BUs• Managed operational business planning process, including preparing long range plan, which was a primary communication tool for both internal and external stakeholders • Participated with Senior Vice President in presentations to COO, CFO and CEO• Prepared presentations for Senior Vice President covering financial and operational issues• Wrote SBU narrative for company business plan for 2009 through 2012• Supervised daily work of 7 cost analysts
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U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
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United States
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Government Administration
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400 - 500 Employee
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Lead Inspector/Auditor
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Jan 1999 - Feb 2008
Analyzed complex technical and management problems and identified value added improvements to management and financial systems for $24 billion government agency and supporting contractors. Heavy focus on large projects.• Managed multiple projects simultaneously with changing priorities• Conducted special projects requested by Congress and senior Department of Energy officials• Evaluated performance, project risk, identified control weaknesses and developed cost-effective mitigation strategies for multi-billion construction and environmental remediation projects• Developed successful strategies for complex, multiple site program reviews • Conducted detailed analyses of financial and operational systems• Performed contract compliance reviews • Supervised daily work of 2-5 staff and trained staff throughout organization• Prepared annual work plan for southeast region• Prepared 21 publically issued reports covering a wide range of financial and operational issues• Briefed senior-level officials on a regular basis• Clearly communicated highly technical information to all organizational levels • Helped prepare Congressional testimony• Helped to develop new processes, including procurement practices• Auditor of the Year Awards in 2001 and 2003• Audit of the Year in 2002 and Inspector of the Year Award in 2005
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Education
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University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration
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