Project Controls Manager - Rail

Parsons; Dubai; On-site; AED 390,600 - 613,800; Full time

Job summary

Parsons is seeking a Project Controls Manager - Rail in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This role involves leading the project controls function for a major railway programme, covering planning, scheduling, cost management, and performance reporting.

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 15 years of relevant experience, including strong proficiency in Primavera P6 and project governance for rail infrastructure.

Joining Parsons means contributing to complex infrastructure projects with a strong focus on governance and delivery performance.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of experience in project controls on large-scale construction, railway, metro, or infrastructure projects.
• Strong command of planning, scheduling, cost control, and risk management.
• Prior experience on metro rail projects is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for project controls activities.
• Guide planning and risk teams with technical direction.
• Develop, implement, and maintain project controls processes.

Skills

Project controls management

Planning and scheduling

Cost control

Risk management

Primavera P6

Power BI

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or related discipline

Tools

Primavera Risk Analysis

Job description

Project Controls Manager - Rail Job Snapshot

Role: Project Controls Manager - Rail

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Industry: Civil Engineering

Function: Project Management

Experience: Minimum 15 years project controls experience

Job Type: Full-time Position

Project Controls Manager - Rail in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is a Civil Engineering opportunity for a senior project controls professional with strong expertise in planning, scheduling, cost control, risk management, claims assessment, Primavera P6, Primavera Risk Analysis, Power BI, progress reporting, and metro rail infrastructure governance. This role is suited for an experienced project controls leader who can manage schedule integrity, cost efficiency, risk visibility, performance reporting, and contractual coordination across a major railway project.

Job Details

Country: United Arab Emirates

City: Dubai

Industry: Civil Engineering

Function: Project Management

Salary: 35000-55000 Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in the job city; please confirm the final offer with the employer.

Gender: Any

Candidate Nationality: Any

Job Type: Full-time Role

Context

The Project Controls Manager - Rail will lead the full project controls function across a major railway programme, covering planning, scheduling, cost management, change control, risk workshops, progress measurement, claims support, and performance reporting. The role is central to maintaining reliable project governance by integrating multiple work packages, reviewing contractor schedules, identifying potential delays, managing contemporary records, and supporting data-driven decisions. Through strong controls leadership, the position helps protect programme milestones, improve commercial visibility, and strengthen delivery performance across complex rail infrastructure works.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for project controls activities including planning, scheduling, cost management, progress tracking, risk mitigation, change control, performance reporting, and governance across infrastructure programmes.
• Guide planning and risk teams with technical direction, specialist support, and practical solutions for project controls challenges.
• Interface with clients, contractors, consultants, project leadership, and employer representatives to support coordinated project controls delivery.
• Develop, implement, and maintain project controls processes, procedures, systems, plans, dashboards, reporting tools, and compliance tracking methods.
• Arrange project controls workshops and coordination meetings to help contractors and consultants resolve schedule, cost, risk, and reporting issues.
• Develop and maintain a master schedule integrating multiple project packages, dependencies, interdependencies, interfaces, and key milestones.
• Review contractor baseline schedules and provide PMC or Engineer's consent in line with contract conditions, project requirements, and Parsons recommended practices.
• Validate resource compatibility, schedule logic, productivity assumptions, sequencing, and construction readiness for timely project completion.
• Identify potential risks, conflicts, interface issues, and programme threats, then document them accurately in the project risk register.
• Evaluate updated and progress schedules to identify delay trends, slippage areas, critical events, and recovery requirements.
• Recommend mitigation measures, corrective actions, and robust recovery plans to support programme stability and timely project delivery.
• Perform what-if analysis to assess the time impact of changes, variations, potential events, and contractor notices at an early stage.
• Prepare monthly progress reports, programme analysis, milestone updates, performance summaries, and management presentations.
• Evaluate extension of time and disruption claims using recognized delay analysis techniques including Time Impact Analysis and Window Analysis.
• Assess concurrent delay issues through programme data, contemporary records, contractual provisions, and sound construction practice.
• Coordinate with the PMC, contractor, employer, and client teams to resolve planning, scheduling, reporting, claims, and programme approval matters.
• Participate in kick-off meetings, technical sessions, coordination meetings, progress reviews, risk workshops, and stakeholder discussions.
• Prepare concise minutes of meetings, action trackers, issue logs, risk logs, and follow-up records for design and construction stages.
• Establish progress measurement systems and key performance indicators with consultants and contractors for effective monitoring.
• Prepare reasoned responses to contractor notices and detailed particulars using schedule data, contract requirements, and project records.
• Maintain organized contemporary records to support claims analysis, contract administration, schedule review, and project controls reporting.
• Issue formal delay notices and performance alerts when contractor progress is deficient or behind approved schedule obligations.
• Manage one or more planning engineers by providing technical guidance, leadership, review support, and performance direction.
• Lead structured risk workshops with client and contractor teams to identify project risks, opportunities, mitigation actions, and ownership.
• Champion automation and digitalization in project controls to improve reporting accuracy, reduce manual workloads, and enhance management visibility.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or a related discipline from a recognized institution.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in project controls on large-scale construction, railway, metro, or infrastructure projects.
• Prior experience on metro rail projects is strongly preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of project controls experience in the UAE.
• Strong command of planning, scheduling, cost control, risk management, progress measurement, claims support, and performance reporting.
• Advanced proficiency in Primavera P6 for baseline schedules, updates, critical path review, master programme integration, and recovery planning.
• Practical experience with Primavera Risk Analysis, risk software, and Power BI for project controls reporting and management dashboards.
• Strong understanding of contract requirements, schedule obligations, delay notices, extension of time claims, disruption claims, and concurrent delay assessment.
• Ability to review contractor programmes, identify schedule weaknesses, and recommend practical corrective actions.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary project teams, contractors, consultants, clients, and employer-side stakeholders.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to present programme data, risks, claims, and recommendations clearly.
• Thorough knowledge of industry best practices, project controls governance, construction sequencing, and infrastructure delivery regulations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability for fast-moving project environments with complex interfaces and commercial pressure.
• Ability to lead planning engineers, improve reporting quality, and drive consistent project controls performance across major works.

Skills Set

• Project controls management
• Rail project controls
• Metro rail projects
• Planning and scheduling
• Cost control
• Progress tracking
• Risk management
• Change control
• Performance reporting
• Primavera P6
• Primavera Risk Analysis
• Power BI
• Master schedule development
• Baseline schedule review
• Critical path analysis
• Resource validation
• Schedule integration
• Recovery planning
• What-if analysis
• Extension of time assessment
• Disruption claim review
• Time Impact Analysis
• Window Analysis
• Concurrent delay assessment
• Risk workshops
• Project Risk Register
• Progress measurement system
• KPI tracking
• Contractor programme review
• PMC coordination
• Client coordination
• Contract administration
• Delay notices
• Performance alerts
• Contemporary records
• Monthly progress reporting
• Programme presentations
• Meeting minutes
• Action trackers
• Issue logs
• Automation in project controls
• Digital reporting
• Team leadership

Why Join Us

This Project Controls Manager - Rail role offers the opportunity to lead project controls strategy on a major railway project in Dubai's Civil Engineering sector. The position provides senior-level exposure to metro rail delivery, master scheduling, risk analysis, cost and programme governance, claims support, Power BI reporting, and stakeholder coordination. It is a strong fit for a project controls leader who wants to influence delivery performance, strengthen project governance, and contribute to high-value transport infrastructure within a respected international engineering organization.

About the Company

Parsons Corporation is a global engineering, infrastructure, and project delivery company supporting rail, transportation, utilities, urban development, and civil engineering programmes. In Dubai, Parsons contributes to complex infrastructure projects where schedule discipline, cost visibility, risk management, digital reporting, stakeholder coordination, and strong project governance are essential to successful delivery.