Project Controls Consultant

WSP in the U.S.; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 94,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP is seeking a Project Controls Consultant to support our California Region within the Earth & Environment Team. You will manage project setup, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting to enable informed decision-making and smooth project execution.

The role emphasizes liaison with PMs, PFA, and PFO teams, ensuring timely communication, risk identification, and financial performance visibility. Prior experience in consulting or工程/construction environments is preferred, with strong Excel and ERP

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in project management, project controls, business admin, finance, economics, or related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in project controls, project finance, cost management, forecasting, scheduling, or project management support.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook.

Responsibilities

• Provide proactive project controls, coordination, and reporting support to Project Managers throughout the project lifecycle.
• Coordinate with Project Managers, PFA/PFO teams, and upper management to ensure timely communication and financial visibility.
• Prepare budget status updates, variance explanations, and forecast summaries for leadership review.
• Support project closeout activities, including archiving documents and collecting lessons learned.

Skills

Project controls

Budgeting

Forecasting

Financial reporting

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

Horizon

ERP systems

Job description

Job Description

WSP is currently initiating a search for a Project Controls Consultant to support our California Region. Be involved in projects with our Earth & Environment Team and be a part of a growing organization that meets our client’s objectives and solves their challenges.

Job Overview

Provide proactive project controls, coordination, and reporting support to Project Managers throughout the project lifecycle, including project setup, monthly project reviews, Horizon-related activities, budget controls, forecasting support, and project performance reporting. Serve as a liaison between Project Managers, Project Financial Analysts, Project Financial Operations, and upper management to support timely communication, issue resolution, financial visibility, and alignment on project priorities. Anticipate project needs, identify risks and variances, and help drive informed decision-making through accurate project controls and reporting.

Your Impact

• Integration
  • Support the Project Manager with project setup activities, including coordination of project structure, work breakdown structure, budget setup, cost coding, governance requirements, and required financial or operational workflows.
  • Serve as a liaison between the Project Manager, Project Financial Analyst (PFA), Project Financial Operations (PFO) team, and upper management to support timely communication, issue resolution, project performance visibility, and alignment on project financial and operational priorities.
  • Coordinate project-related activities with PFA and PFO teams, including Horizon updates, project financial data validation, budget controls, forecast support, and follow‑up on financial or operational action items.
  • Coordinate project closeout, including archiving project documentation and compiling lessons learned, client feedback, sub‑consultant evaluations, and project experience profiles.
• Cost
  • Support project budget setup, maintenance, cost tracking, expenditure monitoring, and budget control activities in coordination with the Project Manager, PFA, and PFO teams.
  • Support Project Managers with project forecasting related to cost control.
  • Support Horizon‑related project controls activities, including project setup validation, budget maintenance, forecast updates, reporting coordination, and resolution of project financial data issues in partnership with the PFA and PFO teams.
  • Prepare budget status updates, variance explanations, forecast summaries, and escalation items for review by Project Managers and upper management.
  • Interface with the accounting team to ensure compliance with client invoicing requirements, support invoice preparation, and assist with timely payment facilitation.
  • Follow up and meet with the client’s accounting team to support a smooth accounts receivable cycle.
  • Maintain a strong focus on keeping Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) low on each project.
• Project Documentation
  • Maintain project documentation, records, and supporting materials related to budget, forecast, change management, project review outcomes, and key financial or operational decisions.
  • Coordinate and support monthly project reviews by gathering project performance data, validating budget and forecast information, preparing review materials, tracking action items, and following up with the Project Manager, PFA, PFO, and leadership stakeholders.
  • Prepare concise project performance updates, budget summaries, variance explanations, and escalation items to support leadership decision‑making.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

Who You Are

We are looking for someone who meets the following qualifications and attributes.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in project management, Project Controls, Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or a closely related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in project controls, project finance, cost management, forecasting, scheduling, or project management support, preferably in a consulting, engineering, construction, or professional services environment.
• Working knowledge of project controls principles, including cost control, budget tracking, forecasting, scheduling, change management, risk management, and project performance reporting.
• Experience coordinating with Project Managers, finance, accounting, or project financial operations teams to support project setup, monthly project reviews, budget validation, invoicing, forecasting, accounts receivable, and financial reporting.
• Ability to prepare clear project performance summaries, variance explanations, budget updates, and escalation materials for Project Managers and leadership stakeholders.
• High attention to detail with the ability to validate project financial data, identify discrepancies, and follow through on corrections.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Strong verbal and written communication, stakeholder coordination, organization, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities while maintaining accuracy, quality, and client service.
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision‑making regarding company funds, resources, and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Horizon or similar enterprise project financial management, ERP, or project controls systems.
• Demonstrated ability to proactively identify process improvement opportunities and implement solutions that enhance project performance.

WSP Benefits

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on a providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation

Expected Salary: $94,400 - $135,000

WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.

About WSP

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.

www.wsp.com

WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.

At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges.

WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.

The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.

Notice To Third Party Agencies

WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.