Project Control Specialist

Black Box; Abilene (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Black Box is seeking a Junior–Mid Project Controls Specialist to support data center delivery programs in Abilene, Texas. You will help develop and maintain schedules, forecast labor, track costs, and provide timely reporting to project teams.

Under the Director of Project Controls, you will collaborate with Project Managers, Superintendents, and Field Leads to translate field conditions into accurate controls data and support decision-making with earned value metrics.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in construction management, engineering or equivalent field.
• Minimum 5+ years as a construction planner/scheduler on multi-million-dollar projects.
• Strong understanding of schedule logic, risk, and Earned Value concepts.
• Experience with data center or structured cabling projects preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support data center projects as the Project Controls Specialist for scheduling and cost.
• Develop, maintain, and update detailed project schedules and milestones.
• Forecast labor hours, headcount, and installation productivity.
• Monitor costs including labor, material, expenses, and change impacts.
• Assist with Earned Value metrics (CPI, SPI) and cost variance.
• Maintain alignment between schedule, cost, and resource plans.
• Provide clear schedule and cost updates to project teams.

Skills

Scheduling

Cost control

Data center knowledge

Primavera P6

MS Project

Excel

Power BI

Education

Bachelor's degree in construction management, engineering or equivalent

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Primavera P6

Microsoft Project

SAP / Oracle ERP

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

Job Description

The Junior–Mid Project Controls Specialist (Schedule & Cost) supports Black Box’s data center delivery programs by assisting with the development, maintenance, and analysis of project schedules, cost forecasts, labor plans, and project controls reporting for structured cabling, network infrastructure, and low-voltage scopes.

The Junior–Mid Project Controls Specialist (Schedule & Cost) supports Black Box’s data center delivery programs by assisting with the development, maintenance, and analysis of project schedules, cost forecasts, labor plans, and project controls reporting for structured cabling, network infrastructure, and low-voltage scopes. This position is designed for an individual who has a foundational understanding of construction planning, scheduling, cost controls, or field execution and is looking to further develop their Project Controls career within complex, fast-paced data center environments. Working under the direction of the Director of Project Controls and/or Senior Project Controls Lead, the Junior–Mid Project Controls Specialist will work closely with Project Managers, Superintendents, Field Leads, Procurement, and other Project Controls team members to ensure schedule, labor, cost, and progress information accurately reflects current project conditions. The position will receive guidance and mentorship from senior Project Controls personnel while progressively assuming greater responsibility for assigned project areas, buildings, work packages, or smaller projects as experience and proficiency develop. Success in this role requires strong attention to detail, analytical capability, willingness to learn, and the ability to translate field execution information into accurate and meaningful Project Controls data.

What You Will Do

Project Controls Execution – Data Center Delivery

• Support assigned data center projects as the Project Controls Specialist (Schedule & Cost), focused on structured cabling, network installation, and technology infrastructure scopes.


• Develop, maintain, and update detailed project schedules aligned with GC milestones (DEC-C Ready, ENS Ready, PR, SC) and Black Box installation sequencing.


• Track and forecast direct labor hours, headcount, and installation productivity against the schedule.


• Monitor project costs including labor, material (OFCI / OFOI), expenses, and change impacts.


• Ensure schedules and cost data accurately reflect real-time field conditions, access constraints, and material readiness.


• Perform weekly schedule updates and progress tracking based on field input and installation status.


• Support cost tracking, forecasting, and variance analysis across active buildings and work packages.


• Assist with Earned Value metrics (CPI, SPI), labor curves, and installation productivity trending.


• Support change order reviews, bid leveling, and cost impact assessments related to scope changes or sequencing adjustments.


• Maintain alignment between schedule, cost, and resource plans across Black Box reporting tools.

Risk Identification & Mitigation Support

• Identify potential risks related to schedule logic, access handovers, material delays, and labor availability.


• Escalate schedule and cost risks to senior Project Controls leadership with supporting data.


• Assist in maintaining project risk registers and tracking mitigation actions.


• Support schedule reviews to ensure critical path and phasing logic reflect data center execution realities.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Support

• Work closely with Project Managers, Superintendents, and Field Leads to ensure alignment between planning and execution.


• Coordinate with procurement teams to align material deliveries with installation sequencing.


• Support communication between jobsite teams and Senior Project Controls Leads.


• Participate in coordination meetings with GCs, trade partners, and internal Black Box leadership as required.


• Provide clear, concise schedule and cost updates to support decision-making.

Needs For Success

• Strong working knowledge of project controls fundamentals within construction or data center environments.


• Experience supporting data center, structured cabling, or low-voltage infrastructure projects preferred.


• Proficiency in Primavera P6 and/or Microsoft Project for detailed schedule updates.


• Experience tracking labor hours, headcount, and productivity against schedule.


• Familiarity with ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, or equivalent for cost tracking.


• Foundational understanding of Earned Value Management (EVM) concepts.


• Strong skills in Microsoft Excel; exposure to Power BI or Tableau is a plus.


• Understanding of GC milestone structures, phased turnovers, and multi-building execution.


• High attention to detail with strong documentation and reporting discipline.


• Ability to manage multiple priorities across fast-moving job sites.


• Clear verbal and written communication skills.


• Ability to work effectively with field teams, PMs, clients, and vendors.


• Self-motivated, execution-focused, and eager to grow within Black Box’s Project Controls organization.

What You Bring To The Table

• High school diploma or equivalent.


• Bachler degree in construction management, engineering or equivalent field experience.


• Minimum 5+ years as a construction planner / scheduler for projects with contract values in excess of $15 million.

Preferred Professional Certifications

• Project Management Institute Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)


• Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP)


• Project Management Institute Project Management Professional (PMP)

Supervisory Responsibility

N/A

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Work Location and Travel:

At Site Location - Abilene, Texas

Black Box is a leading technology solutions provider. Our mission is to accelerate our customers’ business by valuing relationships with our team members, clients and stakeholders. By continuously growing our knowledge, we remain relevant in the market and are in a superior position to help customers design, deploy and manage their IT infrastructure. Through our values, such as innovation, ownership, transparency, respect and open-mindedness, we deliver high-value products and services through our global presence and 2,500+ team members in 24 countries and growing. Black Box is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGC Networks.

Black Box is an equal opportunity employer. Black Box does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status, and endorses those policies and practices which seek to recruit, hire, train and promote the most qualified persons into available jobs.