Project Controls Specialist

Position Overview

The Project Controls Specialist supports engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) projects by developing and maintaining project schedules, monitoring budget and forecast performance in an earned value management (EVM) system, and translating schedule and cost data into clear analysis for project teams. The specialist manages assigned work independently, coordinates with project managers and discipline leads, and seeks guidance on priorities, exceptions, and decisions that affect project commitments.

Key Responsibilities

Planning and Schedule Management

• Develop, maintain, and status project schedules in Primavera P6 using approved work breakdown structures, calendars, activity coding, logic, and schedule conventions.

• Build and maintain integrated engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning schedules at a level of detail appropriate to project scope and contract requirements.

• Collect progress and forecast information from project managers, discipline leads, and other responsible parties; validate updates against evidence and agreed rules of credit.

• Review schedule logic, relationships, constraints, calendars, open ends, lags, critical and near-critical paths, float, activity durations, and sequencing for reasonableness and quality.

• Analyze current and baseline schedules to identify slippage, changes in critical path, near-critical work, missed or threatened milestones, and emerging schedule risks.

• Prepare schedule narratives, variance explanations, milestone forecasts, look-ahead schedules, progress curves, and concise schedule status reports.

• Support baseline development, schedule change control, recovery planning, reforecasting, and time impact or what-if analysis as directed.

Cost Control and EVM

• Set up and maintain project budgets, control accounts, time-phased plans, actual costs, commitments, and forecasts in the company’s designated EVM or project controls software.

• Coordinate with project teams and accounting to reconcile actual costs, labor hours, purchase orders, commitments, and other cost data to the project control structure.

• Collect and validate estimate-to-complete (ETC) inputs by discipline, resource, cost category, or work package; document assumptions and key changes.

• Calculate and review estimate at completion (EAC), budget at completion (BAC), earned value metrics, cost and schedule indices, variances, and forecast trends in accordance with project procedures.

• Compare actual costs and hours with budget, earned value, progress, and the current forecast; investigate unusual trends, rate differences, productivity changes, and forecast movements.

• Maintain change, trend, and contingency records as required by project procedures and ensure forecast changes are supported by clear explanations and traceable backup.

• Prepare recurring cost reports and dashboards, including budget-versus-actual, commitments, ETC/EAC, variance explanations, and key forecast risks.

Integrated Schedule and Cost Analysis

• Connect schedule status and forecast dates with cost and labor forecasts to assess the likely cost effect of schedule movement, productivity changes, resequencing, and extended duration.

• Analyze schedule progress against the baseline and current plan, then relate delayed or accelerated work to remaining labor hours, staffing needs, indirect costs, commitments, and EAC exposure.

• Develop supportable forecast scenarios using stated assumptions, such as current performance, planned recovery, revised remaining quantities, or schedule-driven staffing changes.

• Identify the activities, control accounts, disciplines, milestones, or cost categories driving a variance; quantify the exposure where data permits and explain limitations where it does not.

• Prepare analysis that helps project managers act: describe the condition, explain the driver, show the potential consequence, and identify the decision or follow-up needed.

• Present findings in clear written summaries and review them with project managers, discipline leads, and project controls leadership.

Reporting and Coordination

• Deliver accurate weekly and monthly project controls updates in accordance with established reporting calendars and quality checks.

• Coordinate with project managers, engineering and construction leads, procurement, accounting, and other project personnel to obtain timely, consistent data.

• Maintain source documentation, schedule and forecast assumptions, change records, and reporting files so results can be traced and reviewed.

• Escalate missing or inconsistent data, material forecast movement, schedule threats, and control issues promptly; recommend practical follow-up actions.

• Support project setup, control account and cost code alignment, schedule-to-cost mapping, project controls procedures, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications

• Five to ten years of project controls experience supporting engineering, EPC, energy, infrastructure, industrial, or other complex capital projects.

• Demonstrated ability to develop, update, and analyze project schedules using Primavera P6.

• Hands-on experience using an EVM or project cost control system to maintain budgets, actuals, commitments, ETC, EAC, and performance reports. Experience with Contruent or a comparable system is preferred.

• Working knowledge of earned value concepts, cost forecasting, schedule analysis, change control, and project reporting.

• Ability to interpret project data, investigate variances, identify drivers, and develop clear, evidence-based analysis.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, sound attention to detail, and proficiency with Microsoft Excel and other standard reporting tools.

• Ability to manage assigned deliverables independently, organize competing deadlines, and work effectively with periodic direction and review.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience integrating schedule and cost data through a common WBS, control account structure, or project controls platform.

• Experience with EPC project phases, discipline labor forecasting, resource or quantity-based planning, progress measurement, and rules of credit.

• Experience preparing schedule narratives, EAC analysis, executive reporting, recovery scenarios, or project risk and opportunity assessments.

• Relevant degree in engineering, construction management, business, project management, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.

Estimating Support

Estimating is not a core requirement of this position; however, the specialist may occasionally be asked to support estimating activities based on business needs.

Work Approach

The specialist independently manages assigned work with limited day-to-day direction and seeks guidance for priority conflicts, material baseline or forecast changes, and issues requiring management or client alignment.