Project Controls Lead / Senior Scheduler

Nouvall Engineering Services BV; Terneuzen; On-site; EUR 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Nouvall Engineering Services BV in the Netherlands seeks a Project Controls Lead / Senior Scheduler to develop, integrate and maintain project schedules across engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning. You will lead cost control and reporting to management, shaping a solid controls foundation for current and upcoming large projects.

The role is hands-on, combining detailed planning with portfolio-wide coordination, risk monitoring and proactive stakeholder communication, in Dutch

Qualifications

• Proven experience as Senior Scheduler or Project Controls lead in industrial, CAPEX projects.
• Strong ability in critical path analysis and forecast risks.
• Experience with Microsoft Project and Excel reporting.

Responsibilities

• Plan and maintain integrated Level 1–3 schedules with milestones and dependencies.
• Integrate planning input from multiple stakeholders across disciplines.
• Set baselines and perform schedule risk and variance analyses.
• Provide early warning on critical path movements and bottlenecks.
• Consolidate portfolio schedules and support phase-gate planning.

Skills

Senior Scheduler

Project Controls

Cost Control

Critical Path Analysis

Tools

Microsoft Project

Excel

Job description

For industrial projects we are looking for a Project Controls Lead / Senior Scheduler. The primary focus is the development, integration, maintenance and analysis of project schedules. Candidates who can also establish and support robust cost control are strongly preferred. The assignment initially supports a current portfolio of approximately EUR 25 million. The role must also prepare the project controls foundation for the upcoming large projects. The position is hands-on and combines detailed planning work with portfolio-level coordination and management reporting.

Purpose of the role

• Make schedule and cost performance transparent, predictable and suitable for management decision-making
• Develop and maintain integrated portfolio and project schedules across engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning
• Provide early warning on critical path movement, interfaces, resource constraints, cost deviations and forecast risks
• Establish a scalable project controls approach that can grow with other large projects
• Translate project data into clear, concise and actionable reporting for Project Managers and management

Responsibilities

Planning and scheduling

• Develop and maintain integrated Level 1, 2 and Level 3 schedules, including milestones, logic, dependencies, interfaces and critical path
• Integrate planning input from Project Managers, Engineering Managers, discipline leads, Construction Management, procurement, vendors and contractors
• Set and maintain schedule baselines in line with approved scope and project phase
• Perform critical path, float, delay, trend and scenario analyses
• Prepare look-ahead schedules and identify emerging constraints, resource conflicts and knock-on effects between projects
• Challenge planning input for completeness, realism, sequencing and interface consistency
• Support phase-gate planning from early project development through detailed design, construction and commissioning
• Maintain a portfolio-level overview and consolidate the schedules of individual projects

Cost control and integrated project controls

• Establish and maintain a practical cost control structure aligned with the project WBS and approved budgets
• Monitor commitments, actuals, forecasts, estimate to complete and estimate at completion
• Analyse variances against baseline and identify cost trends, scope-related impacts and forecast risks
• Support monthly cost control and forecasting reviews with Project Managers and relevant Finance stakeholders
• Connect schedule progress, cost status, risks and changes into one coherent project controls view
• Support cash-flow forecasting, change control and management of contingency where required
• Ensure consistent definitions, cut-off dates, data quality and reporting logic across the portfolio

Reporting, governance and coordination

• Prepare concise progress and project controls reports for Project Managers, portfolio reviews and steering meetings
• Define and maintain a proportionate reporting rhythm, including schedule updates, cost forecasts and key early warnings
• Develop fit-for-purpose dashboards and reporting templates without creating unnecessary administrative burden
• Facilitate planning and project controls reviews and follow up agreed actionsAct as the focal point for schedule integration and, depending on experience, cost control coordination
• Coach project contributors and contractors in supplying reliable, timely and traceable planning and cost data

• Proven experience as a Senior Scheduler, Project Controls Engineer or Project Controls Lead in industrial, process, energy or other CAPEX projects
• Strong hands-on experience in building and maintaining integrated project schedules across multiple project phases
• Demonstrable competence in critical path analysis, schedule risk awareness, progress measurement and forecasting
• Experience with Microsoft Project; the ability to work with Excel-based reporting and data analysis is required
• Working knowledge of cost control is strongly preferred, including commitments, actuals, forecasting, variance analysis and cash flow
• Experience setting up or improving project controls processes for a growing portfolio is an advantage
• Able to work at both detailed activity level and portfolio or management level
• Structured, analytical and precise, while remaining pragmatic and delivery-oriented
• Confident in challenging incomplete or unrealistic input and able to explain conclusions clearly
• Strong communication skills in Dutch; English is an advantage

• A central role in establishing professional project controls for a growing industrial project portfolio
• A hands-on assignment with direct impact on project predictability and management decision-making
• Exposure to current projects, the upcoming large projects