Project Controls & Design Manager - GSM

GEMS Education; Dubai; On-site; AED 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

GEMS Education is seeking a Project Controls & Design Manager to drive the design and delivery of projects within GSM. The role involves generating data, guiding cross‑department teams, ensuring on‑time delivery within budget, and facilitating smooth handover and operations.

Key responsibilities include establishing project controls, managing scheduling, cost tracking, risk management and reporting, and coordinating with finance, vendors and stakeholders to meet KPI targets across multiple

Responsibilities

• Set project controls guidelines and responsibilities within a business unit or Project Plan
• Implement tools and systems to manage earned value, cashflow, cost, revenue, forecasting and schedule
• Collaborate with Finance to develop methodologies that improve forecast accuracy
• Direct and manage work to meet KPI’s for safety, quality, scope, cost, time
• Manage service providers, consultants, contractors and vendors for each project
• Prepare, draft and present project technical documents including monthly and technical reports
• Attend and contribute to handover and kickoff meetings and provide controls input during project setup
• Oversee scheduling to meet standards and timelines, manage baseline schedule and schedule updates
• Conduct detailed review of project performance, forecast progress, and endorse corrective actions
• Oversee and support project change management and risk mitigation activities
• Communicate with estimators, project managers, operations teams and senior leadership

Job description

Purpose

TheProject Controls & Design Manager drives the design and delivery of projects across GEMS School Management (GSM). The role will be responsible for generating data and providing guidance to lead, control, and manage projects internally across all departments, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to budget, as well as facilitating smooth handover and operations. Accountabilties include project planning & scheduling, progress measurement and monitoring, risk management, and reporting.

Key Accountabilities

Project Controls Systems & Tools

• Set project controls guidelines and responsibilities within a business unit or Project Plan, as well as implement tools and systems necessary to effectively and proactively manage, control, and report on earned value management, cashflow, cost, revenue, forecasting and schedule (progress and projection) for projects
• Provide guidance to project controls and operations/project management teams to recognize emerging issues, leverage lessons learned and drive toolset/process adoption, ensure accuracy of key project metrics in a timely manner, and adherence to corporate guidelines and best practices
• Collaborate with other internal personnel i.e. Finance, to develop methodologies that will enhance accuracy of project level financial forecasting

Design Management

• Direct and manage work by project teams and service providers to deliver the project/s to meet specific departmental and corporate KPI’s for safety, quality, scope, cost, time, and maintain strong relationships with all parties.
• Manage service provider organizations, consultants, contractors and vendors for each project.
• Responsible for up to 10 projects, concurrently.
• Prepare, draft and present, project technical documents including monthly reports, technical reports and presentations.

Project Setup

• Attend and contribute to Handover and Kick-Off meetings
• Provide project controls input on the commercial, administrative and reporting requirements during project setup
• Collaborates with key stakeholders on project setup to ensure best practices are followed and project team requirements are set

Scheduling

• Oversees scheduling functions to ensure projects meet standards and target completion dates
• Oversees the management of the progression of the Schedule throughout the project life-cycle
• Oversees contributions to the Baseline Schedule
• Manage the administrative procedures relating to Schedule updates
• Oversee all schedule analysis and forecasting reporting
• Contribute to all change management scheduling activities

Progress & Cost Tracking

• Conducts detailed review and analysis of project performance control and reporting to understand and articulate key metrics and trending
• Ensure management is provided with timeline review and progress of all projects and activity including completion of monthly project status report and forecasting reporting and endorse suggested corrective actions to maintain the project within planned cost and schedule
• Ensures that tracking and forecasting, progress monitoring, cost reporting meet specific project requirements
• Reviews and approves all project controls reporting

Scope & Change Management

• Oversees and supports project change management for all the inernal departments

Risk Management

• Identifies commercial risks and develops mitigation measures to ensure project control deliverables
• Identify opportunities of Project Controls improvement for management review and consideration
• Contribute to risk mitigation plan
• Collaborate on commercial Risk Identification and Assessment activities

Communication

• Key partner Estimators, Project Managers, Operations teams and Senior Leadership
• Communicates with external clients, client groups and partners, vendors and subcontractors as required