The Project Controls Specialist is an experienced individual contributor responsible for leading the day-to-day execution, analysis, and integrity of Project Controls on assigned projects. Working under the direction of the Project Controls Director, the role integrates cost, schedule, forecasting, risk, change management, energy performance, progress measurement, and reporting information to support informed decision-making and successful project outcomes.

This is a hands-on role embedded within the project team. The Project Controls Specialist independently leads Project Controls execution on assigned small-to-medium projects or defined scopes within larger, more complex projects. The position owns established Project Controls processes, identifies emerging issues, evaluates project performance, develops recommendations, and drives follow-through on corrective actions. The role collaborates with the Project Controls Director when project complexity, risk, or business impact requires additional technical leadership.

The Project Controls Specialist is expected to serve as the primary Project Controls resource for assigned projects and demonstrate ownership, commercial awareness, sound judgment, effective communication, and the ability to influence project outcomes while consistently applying enterprise Project Controls standards and methodologies.

Specific responsibilities include:

Project Leadership, Team Integration, and Project Setup

• Serves as the primary Project Controls resource and an active member of assigned project teams, providing timely, objective information that supports financial, schedule, and execution decisions.
• Works with Project Management, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Pre-Construction, Finance, and Project Controls personnel to align project information and execution priorities.
• Leads Project Controls setup and mobilization for assigned projects, including work breakdown structures, coding structures, baseline controls, responsibility assignments, reporting cadence, and execution requirements.
• Independently identifies emerging performance issues, evaluates root causes, develops recommendations, and escalates material risks or decisions to project leadership and the Project Controls Director.
• Builds effective working relationships with subcontractors, vendors, and internal stakeholders while representing the Company professionally.

Cost Management, Financial Performance, and Forecasting

• Leads cost management for assigned projects, including budget maintenance, commitment tracking, accruals, productivity analysis, cash flow, cost trending, variance analysis, and Estimate-at-Completion development.
• Leads preparation and analysis of assigned project forecasts and reforecasts, validating assumptions and communicating risks, opportunities, variances, and performance drivers.
• Analyzes actual and forecast results to identify variances and trends and communicates findings to project controls and project leadership.
• Works with Project Management, Finance, and Operations to reconcile source data and support alignment between project controls and financial reporting.
• Maintains accurate, timely, and traceable cost and forecast information in accordance with enterprise standards.

Schedule Management

• Develops, maintains, updates, and analyzes assigned project schedules, including logic, critical path, milestones, progress, resource requirements, and forecast completion dates.
• Leads schedule status collection and validation and performs critical path, variance, milestone, and trend analysis to identify threats to project delivery.
• Develops look-ahead schedules, schedule views, and narratives to support project execution.

• Maintains schedule issue logs and follows up with responsible stakeholders on open items and key dates.

Risk Management

• Facilitates identification, assessment, documentation, and monitoring of project cost, schedule, resource, and execution risks and opportunities.
• Maintains risk and opportunity register information, including exposure, ownership, mitigation actions, due dates, and potential impacts.
• Performs appropriate risk analysis, monitors mitigation and contingency actions, and communicates material changes in project exposure.  

Change Management

• Administers the change management process for assigned projects, ensuring trends, scope changes, claims, and potential impacts are identified, evaluated, documented, tracked, and reflected in cost, schedule, and forecast information.
• Develops or coordinates change estimates, pricing support, schedule impact analyses, back charges, and related documentation.

• Maintains accurate change logs and provides visibility into the status of pending, approved, rejected, and realized changes.

Energy Management

• Incorporates energy production, savings, performance commitments, and related economics into applicable Project Controls processes for assigned projects.

• Collects and analyzes performance information and assists project and technical leaders in identifying variances and corrective actions.

Planning & Project Setup

• Leads or coordinates Project Controls elements of execution planning and project startup with Pre-Construction, Estimating, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Project Management.
• Develops the baseline schedule, work breakdown structure, preliminary time-phased spend, controls procedures, and Project Controls content within the Project Execution Plan.

• Supports proposals, constructability planning, feasibility studies, and project close-out data collection as assigned.

Interface with Operational Finance

• Coordinates with Operations Finance and Project Accounting on revenue recognition, margin, billing, cash, reforecasting, accruals, and month-end alignment between Project Controls information and the financial ledger.
• Investigates discrepancies and drives timely resolution of differences among project forecasts, operational expectations, and financial reporting.

• Provides project leadership and the Project Controls Director with clear information and recommendations regarding material financial trends, risks, and opportunities.

Reporting & Performance Analytics

• Develops, analyzes, and presents accurate and timely Project Controls reports, dashboards, KPIs, cost curves, progress information, and management analyses for assigned projects.
• Performs trend, variance, productivity, and performance analysis and recommends actions to address unfavorable performance or protect emerging opportunities.
• Prepares project controls information for weekly, monthly, quarterly, client, and internal project reviews.
• Ensures reporting is traceable to source data and aligned with established definitions, standards, and cadence.

Team Leadership, Culture and Talent Development

• Provides technical guidance, coaching, and mentoring to project controls associates, schedulers, cost engineers, and analysts as assigned.
• May coordinate day-to-day work and quality reviews for project controls personnel on assigned projects without assuming formal manager accountability.
• Demonstrates an ownership-driven approach by proactively identifying issues, asking questions, and contributing to project outcomes.
• Shares knowledge, supports onboarding and development, and contributes to a collaborative project controls community.

Standards, Tools, and Continuous Improvement

• Applies enterprise Project Controls standards, procedures, tools, systems, and methodologies on assigned projects.
• Maintains data quality and process compliance, addresses gaps within assigned responsibilities, and recommends broader improvements to the Project Controls Director.
• Supports continuous improvement through technology, automation, analytics, lessons learned, and proven Project Controls practices.
• Performs other project controls duties and supports special initiatives as assigned.

Required Education, Experience, and Qualifications

• 4-year degree in engineering, construction management, business, finance, or related fields or

• 2 - 5 years of relevant experience in project controls or project management, preferably in building construction, or EPC.

• Demonstrates experience using Primavera.

• Effective verbal and written communication skills.

• Detail-oriented and willing to tackle various ongoing projects in a fast-paced environment.

• Problem-solving Attitude and high level of coordination skills. 

• Demonstrated effectiveness in working with others in a multifunctional team.

• Accepts change and works well under pressure. 

• An understanding of JDE Edwards is not required but would be a plus. 

• Knowledge of common business tools such as Microsoft Office applications. 

• Awareness of contract and construction terminology.

Preferred Education, Experience, and Qualifications

• N/A

• Up to 25% of time will be spent traveling to project sites, client locations, regional offices, and company facilities to support project execution, embedded project controls leadership, client engagement, and business operations.

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Climbing stairs.
• Remaining in a stationary position, often kneeling, standing or sitting for prolonged periods.
• Repeating motions that may include the wrists, hands and/or fingers.
• Quiet environment.
• Light work that includes adjusting and/or moving objects up to 20 pounds.