Khorshid Azarnoush

Academic Credentials

M.C.M., Construction Management, University of Southern California, 2018
B.Sc., Architectural Engineering, National University of Iran, 2015

Licenses & Certifications

Data Science for Business Certificate from Harvard Online
Project Management Professional (PMP)

Academic Appointments

Commencement Speaker for Viterbi School of Engineering Graduate Students, May 2018
Scholastic Achievement and Service Award Winner, Oct 2017

Professional Affiliations

American Society of Civil Engineers (Committee Member, Region 9 Transportation and Development)

With over seven years of experience, Khorshid Azarnoush has broad expertise spanning project controls, mitigating risks, managing costs, analyzing change orders, and resolving construction disputes. She has led diverse, challenging projects in both the public and private sector, ensuring alignment with project objectives from initial stages to completion. Ms. Azarnoush partners with stakeholders to improve financial outcomes, negotiate terms, and manage risk across construction, energy, and infrastructure sectors. Leveraging her background in data science and working closely with Exponent's data science team, she helps enhance financial reporting workflows, automate processes, and improve overall efficiency in project delivery. Her experience includes the Salesforce Transit Center, a confidential 2,200 MW power plant, Golden Gate Bridge SDNS, wildfire mitigation programs, and sustainability initiatives.

Ms. Azarnoush's Data Science for Business certificate has equipped her with the necessary skills to effectively leverage data from project contracts, bid and IFC estimates, pay applications, job cost reports, and logs for cost analysis to ensure project success. This has helped Ms. Azarnoush assist clients in establishing new cost management and tracking tools for effective project cost tracking.

The overview below details Ms. Azarnoush's responsibilities and skills across various sectors:
Wildfire Mitigation Program, Northern California
Khorshid supported the utility company's wildfire mitigation program by managing monthly forecasts, reconciling actual expenditures, and performing variance analyses. She created custom dashboards in Power BI and used SQL and Excel to automate reporting. Leveraging her data science background, she partnered with Exponent's data science team to optimize the accuracy, efficiency, and scalability of all financial tracking systems.
LAX Modernization, Los Angeles, CA
Khorshid led financial risk identification and mitigation strategies for the airport's modernization program. She built financial projections and scenario models to guide decision-makers through cost uncertainty and partnered with stakeholders to ensure proactive responses to evolving risks. Her ability to translate complex financial data into clear insights was enhanced by automation tools developed in collaboration with the data science team.
Sustainability Programs, Northern California
Upon receiving her LEED AP BD+C certificate, she contributed as the San Francisco sustainability manager for a leading green builder in the US. As portfolio manager for a suite of sustainability initiatives, Khorshid oversaw financial planning and budgeting across multiple projects. Her work enabled efficient oversight and ensured alignment with environmental and financial performance goals such as cutting on-site emissions by 50%.
Salesforce Transit Center, San Francisco
Khorshid led financial negotiations related to change orders, driving cost reductions from $3 million down to just 25% of the original estimate. She coordinated with multiple stakeholders to analyze financial exposure and resolve claims. Her use of data-supported insights during negotiations helped the client achieve significant savings while preserving project timelines.
2,200 MW Power Plant, Confidential
Khorshid conducted earned value analysis and performance-based forecasting to assess delays and damages on this major international energy project. She used scenario modeling to quantify financial impacts and partnered with the data science team to validate large-scale performance data and enhance reporting accuracy.
Golden Gate Bridge SDNS, Northern California
Specializing in cost management and claims resolution, Khorshid analyzed contractor cost submissions, assessed schedule-related damages, and guided negotiation strategies to control budget exposure. She implemented data tools to track budget performance and collaborated with technical experts to align financial strategies with project objectives.

Project Experience

Publications

Prior Experiences