Head of Project Controls

PLS Logistics Service; Perth; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Share scheme

Parental leave

Flexible work

Wellbeing allowance

Novated leasing

Community leave

EAP & Chaplains

Employee awards

KidsCo program

Job summary

PLS seeks a Head of Project Controls to lead a team across Australia and Brazil, delivering the full project controls suite from estimating to forecasting. Based in West Perth, you will partner with Project Directors and Finance to ensure accurate cost control and robust reporting across a multi-project portfolio.

You will shape standards, coach staff, and drive performance while maintaining compliance with governance. A senior, hands-on leader with mining and heavy industry exposure is required.

Qualifications

• Extensive project controls experience across mining, construction or heavy industry.
• Experience leading a team delivering cost, schedule and forecasting outputs.
• Advanced capability with cost control systems and planning tools.
• Strong analytical, commercial and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and implement project controls standards, systems and guidelines across portfolios in Australia and Brazil.
• Oversee estimating, scheduling, cost management, budget setup, updates and forecasting.
• Collaborate with Project Director, Area Managers and Finance to support studies and execution.
• Lead and mentor project controls staff, setting clear expectations and developing capability.
• Provide technical leadership in cost, schedule, risk, reporting and contingency analysis.
• Ensure timely cost reporting and compliance with governance and processes.
• Develop budgets aligned with estimates and work breakdown structures.

Skills

Project controls

Cost control

Scheduling

Forecasting

Reporting

Risk management

Stakeholder engagement

Team leadership

Education

Relevant tertiary qualification in Business, Engineering or related

Tools

Primavera P6

Microsoft Project

Pronto

@RISK

Job description

About PLS

The world is going electric, and PLS is at the forefront of the charge.

As a leading global lithium producer and owner and operator of the Pilgangoora Operation, the world's largest independent hard-rock lithium mine, we're helping power the clean energy transition. Following our acquisition of the Colina Project in Brazil, we're building a global business with exciting opportunities for our people.

We're not a big corporate, and we don't want to be. At PLS you own your work, you're backed by people who care about doing a good job, and there's room to innovate and make things happen. Whether it's taking on new projects, developing new skills or stepping into bigger roles, PLS is a place where careers move and where your potential has room to grow.

The future is lithium. Make it yours.

What PLS offers

• Annual short-term incentive and long-term incentive bonus recognising individual and business performance
• PLS employee share scheme
• 18 weeks parental leave for primary carers and 4 weeks for secondary carers
• Flexible working arrangements, including work from home options
• Health and wellbeing allowance
• Novated leasing through salary sacrifice
• Paid community leave
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program and Company Chaplains
• Monthly employee recognition awards
• Access to PLS’ KidsCo School Holiday Program

The opportunity

Reporting to the Project Director, the Head of Project Controls will lead a team of control across a portfolio of projects. A key focus of this role will be to develop and own the project controls standards, systems and guidelines for the project group both in Australia and Brazil.

The role ensures the provision of all elements of the project controls suite, including estimating, scheduling, cost management and control, budget set up, updates and monitoring, change management, variation estimating, risk cost and schedule contingency calculations as well as all forecasting activities within the capital expenditure framework

This is a permanent full-time role based at our West Perth office, conveniently located near the City West train station.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the design, development and implementation of project controls standards, systems and guidelines across the major projects portfolio in Australia and Brazil.
• Oversee the full project controls suite, including estimating, scheduling, cost management and control, budget set-up, updates, monitoring, change management, variation estimating, forecasting, risk and contingency analysis.
• Work closely with the Project Director, Area Managers, project teams and Finance to support studies and execution projects across the portfolio.
• Build strong working relationships across internal owner’s teams and Finance to support accurate project cost control, reporting and confidence in budget delivery.
• Lead, guide and support project controls personnel in the delivery of their responsibilities, including setting clear expectations, coaching and developing team capability.
• Provide technical leadership across cost, schedule, risk, reporting and forecasting to ensure consistent, high-quality project controls outcomes.
• Support the implementation of project cost management processes that provide an accurate view of performance at both project and programme level.
• Ensure cost reports are delivered on time and in line with project controls processes, procedures and governance requirements.
• Develop project budgets in accordance with project estimates, cost breakdown structures and approved work breakdown structures.
• Understand engineering and construction scope requirements to ensure project controls align with approved coding structures and project delivery requirements.
• Challenge proposed solutions and provide commercially sound recommendations to support optimum project outcomes.
• Demonstrate strong financial and commercial awareness, with the ability to prioritise competing demands across a complex project portfolio.
• Champion PLS’ values and purpose by role-modelling safe, collaborative and high-performance behaviours.
• Maintain a proactive approach to safety by following Life Saving Rules, supporting others to do the same and intervening where required.
• Contribute to cost-effective, efficient and environmentally responsible operations through sound expenditure control and compliance with PLS QSE policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Undertake other project controls and portfolio-related activities as required by the Project Director and Area Managers.

About you

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Business, Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent demonstrated industry experience.
• Significant experience in the mining, project or construction industry, including 10+ years’ project controls experience across multi-million-dollar or mega projects and studies.
• Strong technical capability across cost control, scheduling, estimating, forecasting, reporting, risk management and contingency analysis.
• Advanced capability with cost control systems and industry-standard planning tools such as Primavera P6 or Microsoft Project.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and commercial skills, with the ability to interpret complex project information and provide practical recommendations.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to work effectively across commercial, finance, engineering, construction and project teams.
• Highly organised with strong time management skills, attention to detail and the ability to prioritise competing demands while seeing tasks through to completion.
• A positive, confident and collaborative leader who can coach teams, build capability and role-model company values.
• Experience with Pronto, risk management and contingency analysis tools such as @RISK or Primavera Risk Analysis will be highly regarded.
• Professional certification in project management or project controls, such as AACEI CCP, PSP, EVP or PMI PMP, and experience in project control governance or stage-gate assurance will be advantageous.

Supporting an inclusive and diverse workforce

PLS is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating a workplace that values, respects and supports diversity and inclusion. We believe diverse perspectives strengthen our business and help us deliver better outcomes for our people, our communities and the future we’re building. We foster an environment where everyone feels safe, included and able to contribute their best. Our recruitment processes are designed to be fair, equitable and accessible for all.

We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, all ages, and people of all genders and sexual orientations (LGBTQIA+).

We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and in the workplace to support all applicants and employees. If you require any adjustments, please let us know via the application process or inform our Careers team if you are contacted for an interview.

Our recruitment process

As part of our recruitment process, a number of checks will be conducted, including police / criminal background checks, medical assessments, drug and alcohol testing, due diligence, right to work checks and reference checks.

We respectfully request agencies not to submit unsolicited resumes.