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Position Description

Harper Brothers Construction - Project Controls Lead

Houston, TX

Onsite: Mon-Fri

About the Role

We're seeking a strategic and data-driven Project Controls Lead to join our growing team. In this role, you will lead the analysis, reporting, and interpretation of project performance across the organization, transforming complex operational and financial data into meaningful insights that drive better decisions.

This position goes beyond traditional project controls. You will be responsible for identifying cost trends, uncovering performance anomalies, auditing data integrity, building executive dashboards, and helping operational leaders understand the stories behind project outcomes. You will analyze both wins and losses, highlighting what drove success, where projects underperformed, and how lessons learned can be leveraged across the business.

As a trusted advisor to operations and leadership, you will help ensure Harper Brothers Construction continues to execute projects safely, efficiently, and profitably.

What You'll Do

Lead Project Performance Analysis

• • Own project cost analysis across all active and completed projects.
  • Monitor budgets, actual costs, labor productivity, production quantities, and earned performance metrics.
  • Analyze project financial performance and provide actionable recommendations to leadership.
  • Identify emerging trends and potential risks before they impact project outcomes.
  • Support strategic decision-making through data-driven analysis.

Investigate Trends, Anomalies & Root Causes

• • Monitor project data to identify unusual cost, labor, production, or schedule trends.
  • Investigate variances and anomalies to determine root causes.
  • Evaluate both positive and negative project performance drivers.
  • Highlight opportunities for operational improvement, cost reduction, and increased profitability.
  • Deliver clear recommendations based on findings.

Own Project Audits & Data Integrity

• • Lead project controls audits to ensure accuracy and consistency across systems.
  • Review labor coding, equipment allocations, quantities installed, subcontractor costs, and purchase order activity.
  • Validate financial and operational data used for reporting and forecasting.
  • Partner with project teams to correct discrepancies and improve reporting processes.
  • Establish best practices for data governance and project controls accuracy.

Build Executive Dashboards & Performance Reporting

• • Develop and maintain dashboards that provide visibility into project health and company performance.
  • Design reporting tools using Power BI, Excel, Viewpoint, and other business systems.
  • Create meaningful KPIs focused on cost, productivity, forecasting accuracy, and operational efficiency.
  • Deliver weekly and monthly performance reports to project teams and executive leadership.
  • Ensure reporting is clear, accurate, and focused on driving action.

Tell the Story Behind the Numbers

• • Analyze project wins and losses to identify patterns and lessons learned.
  • Evaluate successful projects to understand key drivers of profitability and execution excellence.
  • Assess underperforming projects to determine where assumptions, planning, execution, or controls broke down.
  • Translate financial and operational data into clear business narratives.
  • Present insights in a way that helps leaders make informed decisions and improve future performance.

Support Forecasting & Strategic Planning

• • Lead cost forecasting and trend analysis efforts.
  • Support annual budgeting and project planning activities.
  • Develop forward-looking metrics and predictive reporting tools.
  • Prepare data and insights for monthly operational and financial reviews.
  • Partner with leadership on business improvement initiatives and strategic decisions.

Be a Trusted Partner to Operations

• • Collaborate with Project Managers, Division Managers, Estimators, Finance, and Field Operations teams.
  • Challenge assumptions and provide objective analysis of project performance.
  • Promote accountability through transparency and consistent reporting.
  • Help build a culture where data drives decisions and continuous improvement is expected.

Position Requirements

What You Bring

• • Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Finance, Engineering, Business, Accounting, or related field preferred.
  • 5+ years of experience in Project Controls, Cost Engineering, Construction Finance, Project Analytics, or a related discipline.
  • Strong experience in heavy civil, infrastructure, utility, or large-scale construction environments.
  • Advanced understanding of job costing, forecasting, earned value principles, productivity analysis, and project financial management.
  • Experience analyzing project performance and identifying trends, risks, and root causes.
  • Advanced proficiency in Excel, Power BI, Viewpoint, HCSS, and reporting platforms.
  • Experience building dashboards and executive-level reporting tools.
  • Strong analytical, auditing, and investigative skills.
  • Ability to transform data into actionable business insights and compelling stories.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
  • Proven ability to balance detail-oriented analysis with strategic thinking.

Success in This Role

The successful Project Controls Lead doesn't simply report numbers. They:

• • Know where every project stands financially.
  • Identify issues before they become problems.
  • Challenge data that doesn't make sense.
  • Build reporting that leaders actually use.
  • Explain why projects win or lose.
  • Turn trends into action plans.
  • Help operational leaders make smarter decisions.
  • Create visibility that improves profitability across the organization.

This role serves as the bridge between project execution, financial performance, and strategic decision-making, helping Harper Brothers Construction continuously improve how we build, perform, and grow.

Why Join Harper Brothers Construction?

• • Be part of a company that puts people and safety first.
  • Work on impactful infrastructure projects across multiple states.
  • Join a high-performance, team-first culture.
  • Gain direct visibility into project strategy, performance, and execution.
  • Opportunities for growth and career advancement.
  • Play a meaningful role in building critical infrastructure that makes a lasting impact.
  • Great benefits including PTO, paid holidays, 401(k), medical, vision, dental, and more.