Project Controls Manager - Project Farma

Project Farma’s purpose is to improve patient lives by accelerating the delivery of life-changing therapies. We accomplish this through the successful execution of high-quality life sciences projects across the full project lifecycle. Project Farma (PF) team members collaborate with cross-functional teams to build trusted client relationships, deliver an exceptional customer experience, and contribute to business growth by identifying opportunities and applying data-driven insights to support project planning, cost, schedule, and performance management.  

This role contributes to organizational success by supporting financial performance, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement, while also investing in people throug

h mentorship, knowledge sharing, and professional development. 

All team members are expected to embody Project Farma’s values by being curious, personable, and unselfish, while maintaining a strong commitment to a Patient Focused and People First mindset. 

The Project Controls Manager/Sr. Manager is responsible for leading teams and overseeing the execution of work aligned to project, client, and business objectives. This role balances people leadership with operational accountability, including coaching, performance management, resource planning, and ensuring high-quality delivery within defined scope, timelines, and budget. At more senior levels, this role provides experienced leadership and operational oversight across multiple projects or functional areas, with accountability for team performance, talent development, and consistent execution of business priorities, while partnering with senior leaders to drive continuous improvement, scalability, and organizational effectiveness. 

Key Responsibilities 

As a Project Controls Manager/Sr. Manager, you will work collaboratively with clients, vendors, contractors, and other Project Farma Team Members to lead projects related to biomanufacturing across the entire engineering lifecycle. You will apply your advanced technical skills to meet project team and client needs for all project controls deliverables. 

You will be responsible for delivering high quality work, forming and maintaining and maintaining valuable, long-term relationships with our clients, and continually strengthening your technical and industry knowledge. Additionally, you will lead a team of project engineers in both performance and deliverable including but not limited to:  

• Summary project plans and milestone management reports 

• Detailed project execution schedules  

• Activity tracking and variance reports  

• Budget estimates, project cost reports and forecast trend analysis reports  

• Issue, risks and scenario analysis reports 

• Scope and change management impact analysis reports 

• Comprehensive monthly project status reports 

PROJECT CONTROLS EXECUTION  

• Analysis of complex project data and then deliver clear, articulate and concise messages in a compelling manner to support decision making.  

• Independently prepare project controls reports, dashboards, and management summaries, and performance metrics. 

• Utilize and integrate inputs from Project Coordinators, field teams, vendors, and cross functional stakeholders while maintaining accountability for final project controls outputs. 

• Communicate project status, schedule impacts, and field decisions promptly while highlighting downstream impacts to scope, cost, schedule, and resources. 

• Provide hands-on support and troubleshooting for clients navigating the engineering life cycle of cutting-edge equipment and manufacturing processes.  

• Develop project tools such as site dashboards, detailed schedules, deliverable trackers, etc.   

• Perform due diligence and quality checks on subject domains to generate high-quality project deliverables.  

• Proactively identify and escalate roadblocks and utilize critical thinking skills and knowledge of problem-solving skills to identify creative solutions to those problems and roadblocks. 

Continually develop a technical aptitude of project controls services within the life-science space including but not limited to: 

• Capital project management (CAPEX) for new/existing facility builds 
• Facility shutdowns/turnarounds 
• Technology transfers 
• Enterprise system integrations 
• Validation Life Cycle, including Commissioning and Qualification, Process Validation, Computer System Validation, etc.  
• Quality, Regulatory, and Compliance  
• GxP Automated Systems   
• Quality Control, including commercial and construction 
• Operational readiness  

SCHEDULE, COST & PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT  

• Lead and maintain integrated project schedules, including baseline management, updates, metrics establishment and look-ahead planning. 

• Directly develop, maintain, and update project schedules, cost models, progress tracking tools, and performance reports. 

• Perform detailed schedule logic updates, progress status, forecasting, variance analysis, and recovery planning. 

• Track and challenge installed quantities, productivity, and earned values to support accurate cost and schedule forecasting 

• Monitor cost performance, change impacts, and forecast trends in coordination with the Project Manager. 

• Identify schedule and cost variances, risks, and opportunities, and recommend mitigation or recovery actions  

REPORTING & ANALYTICS  

• Prepare and issue weekly, monthly, and ad-hoc internal and external project controls reports  

• Develop and maintain project dashboards and performance metrics aligned with project and corporate requirements  

• Conduct in-depth analysis of schedule, cost, and performance data to support proactive decision-making  

• Review, challenge, and enhance weekly, monthly, and ad‑hoc project controls reports. 

SYSTEM, STANDARDS & DATA INTEGRITY   

• Design, Implement and maintain approved project controls systems, coding structures, and procedures on the project  

• Ensure accuracy, consistency, and integrity of all project controls data across systems and reports  

• Provide guidance to project teams on project controls processes, data requirements, and reporting standards  

• Support continuous improvement of project-level controls workflows and reporting efficiency  

 
  STAKEHOLDER & TEAM LEADERSHIP  

• Create alignment with cross-functional client departments including but not limited to Design, Construction, Validation, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Engineering groups.  

• Direct and coordinate project controls support activities, defining required inputs, formats, and timelines  

• Review and validate inputs provided by Project Coordinators, including quantities, progress updates, and documentation, prior to incorporation into project controls systems  

• Direct and coordinate project controls activities, defining inputs, formats, and timelines. 

• Provide ongoing guidance and feedback to Project Coordinators to ensure data accuracy and consistency  

• Coordinate closely with other teams to ensure field execution is accurately reflected in project controls  

• Lead initiatives and projects by ensuring Team Members understand team and individual goals and responsibilities, managing priorities, and ensuring timely and high-quality completion of work.  

• Act as a Subject Matter Expert providing technical direction, training, mentorship, career development, and performance assessments for project Team Members.  

• Develop strategies for the success of the service line or market target such as planning, scheduling, estimating, monitoring, progress measurement, risk management, training, and reporting procedures.  

• Manage new and existing client accounts, focus on project delivery, actively seeking to maintain and grow accounts in line with organizational growth targets.  

Attributes for Success 

• Technical Delivery: Applies advanced technical knowledge and professional expertise  

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Seeks better ways, adapts to change and champions new ideas.  

• Customer Focus & Professionalism: Represents PF with consistent professionalism, appropriate escalation and respect for internal stakeholders, even during high stress delivery situations

• Integrity & Humility: Demonstrates self-awareness and puts PF mission above ego  

• Collaboration & Communication: Communicates clearly and proactively and drives transparent alignment with clients.  

• Project Execution: Delivers reliably, manages priorities and drives for high quality outcomes  

• Growth Mindset: Shows openness to new ideas, feedback and change 

Experience Required 

• Bachelor’s Degree (and/or Masters) in technical Sciences, Engineering, Regulatory or related discipline OR a combination of equivalent experience project controls, general construction, cGMP facility start-up, project management and/or comparable military experience.  

• Advanced experience with Microsoft Excel; Microsoft Project, Oracle Primavera P6, and/or Smartsheet is a plus. 

• 7-13 Years of Experience required 

• Willingness to travel as required for client project assignments. 

Other Preferred 

• Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification