Manager, Project Controls

KBR Careers; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K match

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance

AD&D

FSA

Disability

PTO

Flexible schedule

Job summary

KBR ISA seeks a Project Controls Manager to own the integrated cost, schedule, change, and risk framework for major capital projects, from FEL/FEED through closeout, reporting to leadership with a single source of truth on performance.

The role requires extensive experience in cost engineering, planning, and earned value management, with leadership of multi-discipline teams and interface with EPC contractors. Relocation and global mobility may apply.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Finance, or a related discipline.
• 12+ years in project controls on EPC or EPCM capital projects.
• 5+ years leading an integrated controls function on projects exceeding $500M.
• Expert command of earned value management, forecasting methodology, and progress measurement in a contractual EPC setting.
• Experience managing multi-discipline teams and the controls interface with EPC contractors.

Responsibilities

• Own the project controls framework for cost, schedule, change, and risk across major capital projects.
• Set planning standards and ensure schedule integrity and baseline control.
• Maintain the cost control baseline, budget transfers, and EAC/Cost to Complete.
• Lead end-to-end change control and chair the Change Control Board.
• Interface with procurement, risk, and finance to align data and governance.
• Develop project controls procedures, templates, and standards across the portfolio.

Skills

Cost control

Budgeting

Forecasting

Change control

Risk management

Earned value management

Leadership

Contract management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Construction/Finance

Tools

Primavera P6

SAP

Power BI

Microsoft Dynamics

Job description

Manager, Project Controls At KBR

KBR ISA (Integrated Solutions Americas) delivers integrated, end-to-end engineering, procurement, and construction management services to the refining, LNG, midstream, chemicals, petrochemicals, oil and gas, power, and industrial infrastructure sectors. Our focus spans proprietary technology, consulting, and energy transition to complete delivery of major capital projects and programs. KBR is seeking a Project Controls Manager to own the integrated cost, schedule, change, and risk framework for major capital projects, from FEL/FEED through engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and closeout. The role establishes a single, reconciled source of truth on project performance and gives leadership an early, quantified view of where the project is heading — not just where it has been. This is a functional leadership position accountable for the discipline as a whole. The Planning Manager, Lead Cost Engineer, and change and risk analysts report into this role. Success is measured by the credibility of the forecast, the speed at which deviations surface, and the defensibility of the project’s position in commercial disputes.

Functional job responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Cost Control, Budgeting & Forecasting Own the project budget architecture: Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS), control accounts, contingency and management reserve structures, and the mapping between CBS, WBS, and the general ledger.
• Establish and maintain the cost control baseline; manage budget transfers, contingency drawdown, and reserve release through formal governance.
• Produce monthly cost reports covering commitments, accruals, actuals, value of work done, and variance against budget by control account.
• Deliver the Estimate at Completion (EAC) and Cost to Complete with a documented, challengeable basis — trend-based, not arithmetic.
• Oversee cash flow forecasting, funding drawdown profiles, and currency and escalation exposure reporting to [Finance / Treasury].
• Schedule Oversight Set the planning standards and hold the Planning Manager accountable for schedule integrity, critical path credibility, and baseline control.
• Ensure cost and schedule are genuinely integrated — resource-loaded, time-phased, and reconciled to the same scope and progress data.
• Review and challenge forecast completion dates; ensure schedule slippage is translated into cost impact and reflected in the EAC.
• Change Management Own the project change control process end to end: identification, quantification of cost and time impact, review, approval routing, and incorporation into the baseline.
• Chair or provide secretariat to the Change Control Board; ensure no scope change moves without documented cost, schedule, and risk impact.
• Maintain the trend register; drive early identification of potential changes before they crystallise as variations.
• Risk Management Maintain the project risk register in partnership with the [Risk Manager / Project Director]; ensure risks are costed and time-impacted, not just described.
• Run quantitative cost and schedule risk analysis (Monte Carlo) to set P50/P80 positions; use the output to size and defend contingency.
• Track risk drawdown against contingency consumption and report divergence.
• Performance Reporting & Analytics Define the project reporting calendar, KPI set, and dashboard suite for [project leadership / steering committee / JV partners / lenders].
• Implement earned value management: rules of credit, progress measurement, SPI and CPI trending, and performance-based forecasting.
• Produce the monthly project report — integrated, reconciled, and consistent across cost, schedule, and risk narratives.
• Provide ad hoc analysis to support investment decisions, recovery planning, and scope trade-offs.
• Contract & Commercial Support Provide controls input to tender evaluation, contract schedules and exhibits, milestone payment structures, and incentive and liquidated damages mechanisms.
• Review contractor cost and schedule submissions for contractual compliance; drive resolution of non-compliance.
• Support the assessment and defence of variations, claims, extension of time submissions, and disruption arguments alongside [Commercial / Legal].
• Interface with [Procurement / Supply Chain] on commitment tracking, purchase order status, and vendor payment milestones.
• Systems, Data & Governance Own the project controls toolset and data architecture — [Primavera P6, SAP, Power BI] — including data integrity, coding discipline, and the interfaces between systems.
• Develop and enforce project controls procedures, templates, and standards; drive consistency across the capital portfolio.
• Prepare and defend submissions to stage gates, independent project reviews, internal audit, and [partner / lender] assurance processes.
• Team Leadership Build, resource, and develop the project controls team across planning, cost, estimating, and reporting; match team shape to project phase.
• Mentor leads into credible advisors to package managers and the Project Director.
• Manage the controls scope performed by [contractors / consultants / PMC], including deliverable quality and staffing adequacy.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Finance, or a related discipline. Equivalent experience with strong technical grounding will be considered. [12]+ years in project controls on EPC or EPCM capital projects, including [5]+ years leading an integrated controls function on projects exceeding [$500M]. Demonstrated depth in cost engineering and planning. Proven ownership of change control and contingency management on a project through to closeout. Expert command of earned value management, forecasting methodology, and progress measurement in a contractual EPC setting. Experience managing multi-discipline teams and the controls interface with EPC contractors.

Preferred Education & Skills: Sector experience in [oil & gas / LNG / chemical / Nuclear / power & renewables / pharmaceutical / semiconductor / data center]. Professional credentials: AACE, PMI, or equivalent. Hands-on capability across [Primavera P6, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, Power BI]. Experience with [FIDIC / LSTK / reimbursable / alliance] contract forms and associated delay and quantum analysis. Familiarity with advanced work packaging (AWP), systems completion methodologies, and stage-gate (FEL) governance frameworks. Prior experience in a joint venture environment.

• 401K plan with company match
• medical
• dental
• vision
• life insurance
• AD&D
• flexible spending account
• disability
• paid time off
• flexible work schedule

We support career advancement through professional training and development.

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and foster an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together.

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

KBR Values

We Value Our People – We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential.

We Deliver – We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high-quality, technology-led solutions for our customers and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders.

We Are People of Integrity – We value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what’s right for the planet, the communities where we work, and our people is good for business.

We Empower – We empower our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive decision-makers, to be adaptive to change, and to succeed.

We Are a Team of Teams – We have a will to succeed, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over individual accomplishments. Our collective focus makes us a better, stronger, and more effective company.

We have also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in every business operation and corporate function. Not only are we committed to operating safely, sustainably and equitably, but we are also committed to using our capabilities and expertise to help our customers accomplish their sustainability goals.

Worldwide, KBR employs a diverse workforce approximately 29,000 people strong, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. At KBR, We Deliver.