Lead Project Controls Manager

Rent a Recruiter; Cork; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Rent a Recruiter is seeking a Lead Project Controls Manager to join a global engineering and project management team in Cork. You will lead planning, cost, scheduling and risk across major pharmaceutical capital projects and provide governance across the lifecycle from concept to handover.

You will mentor a project controls team and partner with engineering, procurement, construction, CQV and operations to deliver world-class facilities for a global client.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in project controls or programme controls.
• Experience delivering large-scale capital projects, ideally pharma/life sciences.
• Strong expertise across cost, planning, scheduling, risk and change.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Proven ability to lead teams and influence senior stakeholders.
• Proactive, commercially aware with confidence to challenge and drive performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, scheduling, cost, forecasting, risk and change management.
• Establish and maintain robust project controls governance and processes.
• Develop programme-wide KPI dashboards, reporting and performance insights.
• Provide strategic advice to senior client and project leadership teams.
• Monitor budgets, commitments, forecasts and contingency.
• Assess cost, schedule and risk impacts of project changes.
• Review contractor and consultant performance against baselines.
• Drive consistency, standardisation and continuous improvement.
• Lead and mentor a high-performing project controls team.
• Work closely with engineering, procurement, construction, CQV and operations teams.

Skills

Project controls

Planning

Scheduling

Cost management

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

PM Certification (PMP/PgMP)

Tools

Primavera P6

Microsoft Project

Excel

Job description

A leading global engineering and project management organisation is seeking an experienced Lead Project Controls Manager to join its Project & Programme Management team in Cork.

This is a key leadership opportunity to support the delivery of major pharmaceutical and life sciences capital projects for a leading global client. As part of the Owner’s Representative team, you will provide strategic oversight across the full project lifecycle — from concept and design through construction, CQV and handover.

The Role

You will lead project controls across a portfolio of complex projects, ensuring strong governance, visibility and performance.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead planning, scheduling, cost, forecasting, risk and change management.
• Establish and maintain robust project controls governance and processes.
• Develop programme-wide KPI dashboards, reporting and performance insights.
• Provide strategic advice to senior client and project leadership teams.
• Monitor budgets, commitments, forecasts and contingency.
• Assess cost, schedule and risk impacts of project changes.
• Review contractor and consultant performance against agreed baselines.
• Drive consistency, standardisation and continuous improvement.
• Lead and mentor a high-performing project controls team.
• Work closely with engineering, procurement, construction, CQV and operations teams.

What You’ll Bring

• Significant experience in project controls or programme controls.
• Experience delivering large-scale capital projects, ideally within pharmaceutical, life sciences or advanced manufacturing.
• Strong expertise across cost, planning, scheduling, risk and change.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Proven ability to lead teams and influence senior stakeholders.
• A proactive, commercially aware approach with the confidence to challenge, advise and drive performance.

Make Your Mark

This is an opportunity to play a high-impact leadership role on major pharmaceutical projects, influencing how complex programmes are planned, controlled and delivered.

If you’re ready to take your project controls career to the next level and help deliver world-class facilities for a global pharmaceutical client, we’d like to hear from you.