Project Controls Manager

Kent Plc; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 480,000 - 560,000; Full time

Job summary

Kent is seeking a Project Controls Manager based in Saudi Arabia (Al Khobar and/or Riyadh) with 15-20 years of experience in large-scale Data Center EPC projects. The role leads project controls across major programs and ensures effective planning, cost control, and risk management to drive successful delivery.

Reporting to the Program Director, you will collaborate with engineering, construction, and client teams, overseeing schedules, cost forecasting, and governance while mentoring junior

Qualifications

• 15–20 years of experience in project controls on large-scale construction or EPC projects.
• Experience with data center, hyperscale, or mission-critical facilities is preferred.
• Middles East experience is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Establish and lead the project controls function across the Data Center portfolio.
• Develop and implement project controls procedures and reporting frameworks across JV requirements.
• Ensure governance alignment with client requirements and industry best practices.
• Mentor Planning Engineers and Cost Engineers within the project controls team.
• Promote proactive project performance management and accurate progress reporting.
• Develop integrated schedules from engineering through commissioning and handover.
• Monitor progress, identify critical path activities, and propose recovery plans.
• Coordinate subcontractor schedules with master programme.

Skills

Project controls leadership

Planning & scheduling

Cost control

Job description

About you:

Join us. Unleash your energy within.

If you have world-class ambitions to reach the stars while keeping your feet on the ground, we’re the team for you. We’ve created a new breed of company – future-focused with reimagined ambition across all disciplines within the energy sector.

We love people who know their own potential and are not afraid to use it. We know that together, we’re far more than the sum of our parts. So, we celebrate people who want to grow and develop as we work together on some of the largest projects on the energy world stage.

We are committed to our diverse and inclusive community – a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop. From day one, we offer a range of family-friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, and employee networks to support staff from different backgrounds.

As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures, and abilities.

We’re a disability-friendly employer and can make adjustments to support you to perform at your best during the recruitment process.

Our purpose and beliefs:

As Kent, we’re tackling the greatest challenge of our time - to bring our world the energy it needs in the most responsible way ever imagined.

It’s the energy of every member of our team driven by our beliefs that is making this happen. Whatever our skill, our language, or our culture. These beliefs define and direct us every day to be the very best - for ourselves, our clients, our key stakeholders, the communities we operate in and the planet:

We PLAY BIG

We thrive on EMOTIONAL AGILITY

We are FANATICAL ABOUT PERFORMANCE

We are built on INFINITE THINKING

Read more about the Purpose, Beliefs and Guiding Principles that drive us :

Our vision for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging:

We recognise that diversity & inclusion are catalysts for success. We’re heightening awareness on the benefits of people diversity, diversity of experiences and diversity of our perspectives. Creating a culture of inclusivity where all employees feel a sense of belonging.

Our combined energy is fueled by different nationalities, across 6 continents and 24 countries. Our commitment is to celebrate character – no matter what ethnic background, gender, age, religion, identity, or disability.

Job Description

About the job:

Kent is looking for a Project Controls Manager with 15-20yrs experience, based in KSA (Al Khobar and/or Riyadh)

The Project Controls Manager is responsible for establishing, leading and maintaining all project controls functions across major Data Center EPC projects throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This role ensures effective planning, scheduling, cost control, progress measurement, forecasting, reporting and risk management to support successful project delivery.

Working closely with the Program Director, Project Manager(s) Commercial Manager, Construction Managers, Engineering and Client representatives, the Project Controls Manager provides accurate performance data, identifies project risks and trends, and delivers timely reporting that enables informed decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.

The successful candidate will possess extensive experience managing project controls on large-scale construction or EPC projects, ideally within mission critical facilities, hyperscale data centers, industrial developments or complex infrastructure projects. Along with Middles East experience

Skills and Responsibilities:
Responsibilities:

Project Controls Leadership

• Establish and lead the project controls function across assigned Data Center portfolio of projects.
• Develop and implement project controls procedures, systems and reporting frameworks involving JV partner requirements
• Ensure alignment with company governance, client requirements and industry best practices.
• Lead and mentor Planning Engineers, Cost Engineers and Project Controls personnel.
• Promote a culture of proactive project performance management.

Planning & Scheduling

• Develop, review and maintain integrated project schedules from engineering through commissioning and project handover.
• Ensure schedules accurately reflect project scope, sequencing and critical milestones.
• Monitor progress against approved baselines.
• Identify critical path activities and recommend recovery strategies where required.
• Assess schedule impacts arising from design changes, procurement delays and construction activities.
• Support development of mitigation and acceleration plans.
• Review subcontractor and supplier schedules for alignment with the master programme, in particular coordinating free-issued Client material schedules

Cost Control

• Implement robust cost control systems throughout the project lifecycle.
• Monitor project expenditure, commitments and forecast final costs.