Project Controls Manager

Jobtailor; Colorado; On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking a senior leader to act as the VP of Construction’s on-site strategist, overseeing financial health, cost control, and project performance across heavy industrial and data-center projects.

The role requires deep expertise in CPM, PMIS, and cost engineering, with field verification and collaboration with cross-functional teams to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in one of the following fields: Construction Management, Finance, Civil/Mechanical Engineering, or Accounting.
• 5–8 years in project controls, cost engineering, or construction accounting on heavy industrial or utility-scale commercial projects.
• 2–3 years on mission-critical or data center construction projects with heavy MEP cost profiles.
• Advanced proficiency with enterprise PMIS tools, relational spreadsheets, and scheduling software.
• Strong understanding of open-book cost reviews, shared savings clauses, and multi-tier contracts.
• Willingness to split time between office and active construction field for verification of work-in-place.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the VP of Construction's direct tactical eyes on the ground.
• Govern daily project financial defense, variance tracking, change validation, schedule integration, and project controls reporting.
• Establish and maintain project controls reporting frameworks, financial tracking standards, and performance metrics.
• Maintain site sub-ledgers and cost-code accounting using MasterFormat/Uniformat standards.
• Review, verify, and process monthly progress billings and pay applications against physical work-in-place.
• Collect, audit, and log lien waivers.
• Monitor Owner-Furnished Equipment delivery timelines and milestone payments.
• Track budgets for operational repair or retrofit builds.
• Review subcontractor change orders for entitlement and verify quantities and labor rates.
• Execute quantity takeoffs for field variations and negotiate fair value with contractors.
• Monitor labor productivity and material waste for cost overruns warnings.
• Integrate budgets with master schedules using CPM, SPI/CPI, and EVM.
• Build and update site-level and portfolio-level WIP forecasts and cash drawdowns.
• Develop and improve reporting standards and dashboards.
• Provide weekly financial health updates, risk logs, and contingency reports.
• Coordinate project teams, contractors, consultants, and internal stakeholders.
• Advise the VP on contingency liquidity and cash velocity.
• Support long-range portfolio planning and capital deployment analysis.
• Audit final contract closures and sub-tier ledger settlements.
• Enforce budget boundaries, contractual frameworks, and GMP structures.
• Support audits with complete project records.

Skills

Project controls

Cost engineering

Financial tracking

Critical path methodology

PMIS tools

Spreadsheet proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management/Finance/Civil/Mechanical Engineering/Accounting

Tools

PMIS software

Relational spreadsheets

Critical-path scheduling software

Job description

• Serve as the VP of Construction's direct tactical eyes and ears on the ground.
• Govern daily project financial defense, variance tracking, change validation, schedule integration, and project controls reporting.
• Establish and maintain project controls reporting frameworks, financial tracking standards, and performance metrics.
• Maintain site sub-ledgers and execute daily cost-code accounting using MasterFormat/Uniformat standards.
• Review, verify, and process monthly progress billings and pay applications against physical work-in-place.
• Collect, audit, and log conditional and unconditional lien waivers.
• Monitor Owner-Furnished Equipment delivery timelines, tax exemptions, and milestone payments.
• Track distinct budgets for operational repair or retrofit builds.
• Review subcontractor change orders for contractual entitlement and verify material quantities and labor rates.
• Execute quantity takeoffs for field variations and negotiate fair value with contractors.
• Monitor labor productivity, material waste, and design gaps for early cost-overrun warnings.
• Integrate project budgets with master schedules using critical path methodology, SPI/CPI, and EVM.
• Build and update site-level and portfolio-level WIP forecasts and cash drawdown curves.
• Develop and improve reporting standards, dashboards, and portfolio performance metrics.
• Provide weekly financial health updates, risk logs, and contingency drawdown reports.
• Coordinate project teams, contractors, consultants, and internal stakeholders.
• Advise the VP of Construction on contingency liquidity and cash velocity.
• Support long-range portfolio planning, capital deployment analysis, and projected financial performance reporting.
• Audit final contract closures, retention reconciliations, and sub-tier ledger settlements.
• Enforce budget boundaries, contractual frameworks, and GMP structures.
• Support financial and compliance audits with complete project records.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Finance, Civil/Mechanical Engineering, or Accounting.
• 5-8 years of experience in project controls, cost engineering, or construction accounting on heavy industrial or utility-scale commercial projects.
• At least 2-3 years working directly on mission-critical or data center construction projects with a clear understanding of heavy MEP cost profiles.
• Advanced proficiency utilizing enterprise construction PMIS tools, relational spreadsheet applications, and critical-path scheduling software.
• Strong understanding of open-book cost reviews, shared savings clauses, and multi-tier contract mechanics.
• Comfortable splitting time between the office and the active construction field to verify work-in-place alongside superintendents.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Applicants must reside in a state where the company maintains employment eligibility at the time of hire and throughout employment.

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in project controls, cost engineering, and construction accounting, with a strong focus on financial tracking, variance analysis, and performance metrics. Proficient in utilizing PMIS tools and critical-path scheduling to ensure project success in heavy industrial and utility-scale commercial environments.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Project Controls Management
• Cost Engineering
• Financial Tracking Standards
• Critical Path Methodology
• Enterprise Construction PMIS Tools

Hard Skills

• Variance Tracking
• Change Validation
• Cost-Code Accounting
• Quantity Takeoffs
• Budget Management
• Performance Metrics
• Financial Reporting
• Contractual Frameworks
• Open-Book Cost Reviews
• MEP Cost Profiles

Soft Skills

• Communication
• Collaboration
• Problem-Solving
• Negotiation
• Leadership

Industry Keywords

• Construction Management
• Heavy Industrial Projects
• Utility-Scale Commercial Projects
• Mission-Critical Construction
• Data Center Construction

Tools & Technologies

• PMIS Tools
• Relational Spreadsheet Applications
• Critical-Path Scheduling Software