Director, Project Controls

Meow Wolf, Inc.; Santa Fe (NM); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental & Vision

HSA/HRA/FSA

401(k)

Life & Disability

Parental leave

Employee discounts

Job summary

Meow Wolf, Inc. seeks a Director of Project Controls to lead the Project Controls Team, overseeing estimating, budgeting, and scheduling across the full project lifecycle.

This role interfaces with Finance, Show, and Operations to align creative vision with financial feasibility. The ideal candidate has 10+ years in construction or themed entertainment, strong leadership, and proficiency with P6 and Autodesk Construction Cloud, enabling effective risk management and data-driven decision making.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in construction or themed entertainment overseeing estimating, scheduling, or cost control.
• Experience managing domestic and international multi-faceted projects.
• Proficiency with P6, Autodesk Construction Cloud, and Google Suite.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication with leadership.
• Proven track record of leading project management professionals.
• Ability to balance multiple priorities in complex environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Project Controls Team across estimating, budgeting, and scheduling throughout the full project lifecycle.
• Mentor and develop a scalable team of managers and professionals.
• Standardize project controls procedures, tools, and cost databases for consistency.
• Collaborate with leadership to align project strategies with company priorities and financial feasibility.
• Develop risk registers and incorporate schedule/cost risk analyses into baselines.
• Report project health to leadership with high-level reports and scenario analyses.

Skills

Project controls leadership

Stakeholder management

Risk analysis

Scheduling/Planning

Cost control

Team mentoring

Tools

P6

Autodesk Construction Cloud

Google Suite

Job description

Director of Project Controls

Job Summary

The Director of Project Controls oversees and manages the Project Controls Team in each of their subject matter areas: Planning and Estimating. This leader is responsible for the successful planning and delivery of large, complex, multi-disciplined projects, providing leadership to strategically manage risks against scope, schedule, and budget. The role oversees the estimating and scheduling functions across the full project lifecycle, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and alignment with creative vision and financial feasibility.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Project Controls Team, providing oversight for project-specific estimating, budgeting, and scheduling across the full project lifecycle, from early ideation through delivery.
• Supervise, mentor, and actively develop a high-performing and scalable team of managers and professionals, including the Scheduling/Planning Manager and Estimating Manager.
• Establish and maintain standardized project controls procedures, tools, and cost databases to ensure accuracy and consistency across all projects, including the development and validation of Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), scope documents, and cost forecasts.
• Collaborate closely with Project Leadership, Creative, Finance, Show, and Operations to align project strategies with company priorities and ensure the creative vision aligns with financial feasibility.
• Translate high-level business goals into actionable project plans and actively partner with leadership to develop comprehensive risk registers and incorporate schedule/cost risk analyses into project baselines.
• Report on the health of the project to Project Leadership, providing high-level reports, presentations, and scenario analyses, and serving as the main point of contact for escalating critical risks and concerns within the Project.
• Implement best practices, continuously evaluate project delivery methodologies, and leverage emerging tools and technologies to enhance productivity in delivery.
• Build and maintain a historical cost database and benchmarking library to continuously improve accuracy and inform strategic decision-making.

Required Qualifications

• Deep understanding of project management methodologies and managing diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience in overseeing estimating, scheduling/planning, or cost control, preferably 10+ years in construction or themed entertainment.
• Strong experience in overseeing domestic and international multi-faceted projects.
• Proven leadership experience in managing project management professionals and building high-performing teams.
• Proficiency with core industry tools such as P6, Autodesk Construction Cloud, and Google Suite.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills with the ability to partner with creative and executive leadership.
• Experience in domestic and international multi-faceted projects.
• Solid understanding of business drivers and market conditions.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Proven track record in meeting aggressive schedules; clearly defining deliverables and timetables with demonstrated ability to balance multiple priorities in complex environments to successful project completion.
• Strong work ethic and high level of confidentiality using good judgement and an exceptional sense of accountability.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

This role operates in a combination of office, remote, and occasional on-site project environments. The position requires close collaboration with cross-functional teams, including finance, operations, project management, and external vendors or contractors. The work environment is fast-paced and deadline-driven, with responsibilities that include cost estimating, forecasting, scheduling, and project performance tracking. The role may require periodic site visits to support project planning and execution, which may involve exposure to active construction or installation environments, minimal lifting (up to 20 pounds), and navigation of uneven surfaces, construction areas, or exhibition spaces. This is a primarily sedentary role requiring extended periods of sitting, working at a computer, and analyzing data.

Work Schedule

This is a full-time position averaging 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm MT or 10 am to 6 pm MST – occasionally requiring flexibility to work during evenings or weekends based on business needs, as well as travel to off-site locations depending on the role and need.

Supervisor Responsibilities

This position does require supervisory responsibility.

Travel

This position will require some travel (10%-25%).

Additional Duties

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

INCLUSION

Meow Wolf is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We are committed to ensuring all employees enjoy and thrive in a work environment where differences make us the vibrant, wonderful community we are! All employment decisions at Meow Wolf are based on business need, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, results of genetic testing, veteran status, service in the military or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

BENEFITS

• Medical Insurance options: PPO & HDHP*
• Dental and Vision Insurance
• HSA, HRA, and FSA options
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Company-paid Life Insurance Policy and Disability Coverage(s)
• Voluntary Critical Illness and Life Insurance Policies
• Company-Paid Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Parental Leave for 12 weeks
• Discount off Meow Wolf Gift Shop Merch and Café admission to Meow Wolf attractions for employees and guests