Project Controls and Financial Performance Manager

Keen Search & Staffing, LLC; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Keen Search & Staffing, LLC and a well-established construction and services company seek a Project Controls & Financial Performance Manager in Cincinnati. The role focuses on controlling project costs, forecasting, and strengthening overall financial performance across projects.

You will partner with project managers and operations to improve cost visibility, analyze variances, and support strategic business decisions that protect margins and cash flow.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Construction Management, or related field.
• Experience in project controls, cost management, forecasting in construction or project-based environments.
• Proficiency in Excel and ERP/project reporting systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop, monitor, and maintain project budgets, forecasts, and cost-to-complete projections.
• Analyze cost variances and support action plans with project managers.
• Monitor schedules, labor, subcontractor costs, and change orders for profitability.
• Improve cost reporting, forecasting accuracy, and visibility into financial performance.
• Collaborate with finance and operations to improve billing visibility and cash flow forecasting.
• Translate project data into actionable insights for leadership.

Skills

Analytical skills

Cost analysis

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Construction Management, or related field

Tools

Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Keen Search is partnering with a well-established construction and services company is seeking a business-minded Project Controls & Financial Performance Manager to help drive project profitability, cost management, forecasting, and overall financial performance.

This role is ideal for a professional with a background in project controls, cost engineering, project cost management, or construction operations who understands how project costs, schedules, labor, and change orders impact profitability. The successful candidate will partner with project managers and operational leadership to improve cost visibility, strengthen forecasting, identify financial risks, and support informed business decisions.

The ideal candidate has a bachelor's degree in business or a related discipline, strong analytical and project cost management skills, and an interest in expanding their responsibilities into broader financial planning and business performance management.

Key Responsibilities

Project Controls & Cost Management

• Develop, monitor, and maintain project budgets, cost forecasts, and cost-to-complete projections.
• Track actual costs, commitments, labor utilization, subcontractor expenses, and other project cost drivers against budget.
• Analyze cost variances, identify potential overruns, and work with project managers to develop corrective action plans.
• Monitor project schedules, progress, productivity, and change orders to understand their impact on project costs and profitability.
• Improve project cost reporting, forecasting accuracy, and visibility into financial performance throughout the project lifecycle.
• Analyze project profitability, gross margins, work in progress (WIP), revenue projections, and forecasted costs.
• Support monthly financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and business planning.
• Evaluate project performance and identify trends, risks, and opportunities to improve margins and financial outcomes.
• Partner with finance and operations to improve billing visibility, cash flow forecasting, and working capital management.

Operational Partnership & Process Improvement

• Work closely with project managers and operational leadership to understand project performance and strengthen accountability for budgets and forecasts.
• Translate project cost and performance data into actionable insights for leadership.
• Develop and refine reporting tools, project controls processes, and financial analysis procedures.
• Help bridge the gap between field operations, project execution, and financial reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Construction Management, or a related field.
• Experience in project controls, cost engineering, cost management, project forecasting, or project financial analysis within construction, engineering, EPC, or another project-based environment.
• Demonstrated experience monitoring project budgets, tracking costs, analyzing variances, and forecasting cost-to-complete.
• Understanding of how project costs, schedules, labor productivity, and change orders affect project profitability.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret project data and communicate findings to operational and financial stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Excel and experience with ERP, project cost management, or project reporting systems.
• Interest in expanding beyond project controls into broader financial planning, forecasting, and business performance management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with job costing, WIP reporting, percentage-of-completion accounting, project profitability analysis, or cash flow forecasting.
• Experience partnering directly with project managers, construction managers, or operations leadership.
• Exposure to budgeting, financial reporting, or broader FP&A responsibilities.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate may currently be a Project Controls Analyst, Project Controls Manager, Cost Engineer, Project Cost Analyst, or Project Financial Analyst within a construction or engineering organization. They are comfortable working with project managers, understand the financial drivers of project performance, and want to apply that experience to a broader business and finance role.