Project Controls Manager - Aviation

STV Incorporated; Chicago, Northern (IL, KY); Hybrid; USD 164,000 - 188,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) Plan

Paid Time Off

Job summary

STV Incorporated in Chicago seeks a seasoned Project Controls Manager to lead cost, schedule, risk, and forecasting across major aviation programs. You will drive governance, analytics, and reporting while coordinating with owners, designers, contractors, and program teams.

The role requires extensive aviation program experience, strong leadership skills, and advanced Primavera P6 proficiency to develop integrated master schedules and performance metrics for senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, Architecture, Business, or Finance.
• 10+ years of progressive project controls experience on major infrastructure and capital programs.
• Minimum 5 years in aviation projects including airports and terminal facilities.
• Expertise in cost engineering, CPM scheduling, forecasting, and EVM.
• Advanced proficiency with Primavera P6 and related project controls tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead project controls efforts from planning through closeout on aviation programs.
• Develop governance frameworks, standards, and best practices for project controls.
• Coordinate cost, schedule, risk, forecasting, and reporting with stakeholders.
• Review contractor schedules, budgets, and change orders; support contingency planning.
• Provide executive dashboards and KPI reporting for owners and leadership.

Skills

Cost Engineering

CPM Scheduling

Forecasting

Earned Value

Risk Management

Change Management

Leadership

Client-facing

Primavera P6

Budgeting

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Oracle Primavera P6

Deltek Acumen

Power BI

Kahua

E-Builder

Job description

STV is seeking a Project Controls Manager to join our Project Controls department at our Chicago office. This leadership role will support major aviation capital improvement programs and airport infrastructure projects throughout the Midwest and across STV's national aviation portfolio. The Project Controls Manager will be responsible for leading all aspects of project controls including cost management, scheduling, risk management, forecasting, change management, performance reporting, and project analytics. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with airport authorities, owners, designers, contractors, and program management teams to ensure projects are delivered efficiently and successfully. The ideal candidate will possess significant experience supporting complex aviation programs, airport expansions, terminal developments, airside improvements, baggage handling systems, landside infrastructure, and other large-scale aviation capital projects.

Responsibilities

Project Controls Leadership

• Lead project controls efforts across aviation infrastructure programs from planning through design, construction, commissioning, and closeout.
• Develop and implement project controls procedures, governance frameworks, standards, and best practices.
• Serve as the primary project controls liaison between project teams, clients, contractors, and executive leadership.
• Provide strategic oversight of cost, schedule, risk, forecasting, and reporting functions.
• Support program delivery teams with proactive identification and mitigation of project risks and issues.

Cost Management & Financial Controls

• Develop, monitor, and maintain project budgets, forecasts, and cost reports.
• Perform cost trending, earned value analysis, variance analysis, and estimate-at-completion forecasting.
• Monitor project expenditures and provide recommendations to mitigate potential budget impacts.
• Review contractor payment applications, change orders, and cost proposals.
• Support project teams in contingency management and financial planning activities.

Scheduling & Performance Management

• Oversee development and maintenance of detailed CPM schedules utilizing Primavera P6.
• Review contractor schedules and monitor schedule compliance.
• Analyze critical path activities, schedule risks, float consumption, and recovery opportunities.
• Develop integrated master schedules for complex multi-disciplinary aviation programs.
• Prepare schedule performance metrics and executive-level reporting.

Risk & Change Management

• Facilitate project risk identification, assessment, mitigation planning, and monitoring activities.
• Maintain risk registers and support quantitative and qualitative risk analyses.
• Evaluate project changes and assess schedule and cost impacts.
• Support claims avoidance, change management, and dispute resolution efforts.
• Assist project teams in implementing corrective action plans when performance issues arise.

Reporting & Stakeholder Coordination

• Prepare executive dashboards, monthly progress reports, and performance presentations.
• Deliver concise and actionable project insights to owners, program managers, and senior leadership.
• Support client meetings, governance reviews, and project status briefings.
• Coordinate project controls activities across multiple stakeholders and project teams.

Team Leadership & Business Development

• Mentor and develop project controls specialists, schedulers, and cost engineers.
• Support staffing, workforce development, and professional growth initiatives within the Project Controls group.
• Contribute to proposal efforts, strategic pursuits, and aviation market growth initiatives.
• Support implementation of digital project delivery tools, reporting systems, and analytics platforms.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, Architecture, Business, Finance, or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of progressive project controls experience supporting major infrastructure and capital programs.
• Minimum 5 years of experience supporting aviation projects including airports, terminals, airside facilities, baggage systems, aviation support facilities, or related infrastructure.
• Demonstrated expertise in: Cost Engineering CPM Scheduling Forecasting & Cash Flow Analysis Risk Management Change Management Earned Value Management (EVM) Performance Reporting.
• Advanced proficiency with Primavera P6.
• Strong knowledge of project controls principles, processes, and industry best practices.
• Experience reviewing contractor schedules, budgets, forecasts, and project controls deliverables.
• Excellent leadership, communication, presentation, and client-facing skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced project environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting large aviation capital improvement programs valued at $100M+.
• Experience working with airport authorities, airlines, aviation stakeholders, and alternative delivery methods.
• Professional certifications such as: AACE Certified Cost Professional (CCP) Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP) Project Management Professional (PMP) PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP).
• Experience with Kahua, E-Builder, Oracle Primavera P6, Deltek Acumen, Primavera Risk Analysis, Power BI, and enterprise project controls systems.
• Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, or Business Administration.

Compensation Range

$164,279.49 - $187,747.98

Benefits

• Health insurance, including an option with a Health Savings Account
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare, Dependent Care and Transit and Parking where applicable)
• Disability insurance
• Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment
• 401(k) Plan
• Retirement Counseling
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Time Off (starting at 16 days)
• Paid Holidays (9 days)
• Back-Up Dependent Care (up to 10 days per year)
• Parental Leave (up to 80 hours)
• Continuing Education Program
• Professional Licensure and Society Memberships

STV is committed to paying all of its employees in a fair, equitable, and transparent manner. The listed pay range is STV’s good‑faith salary estimate for this position. Please note that the final salary offered for this position may be outside of this published range based on many factors, including but not limited to geography, education, experience, and/or certifications.

We know great candidates don’t always meet every qualification, and research shows women and people of color are less likely to apply unless they do.

STV is one of the top infrastructure-focused professional services firms in North America. Founded in 1912, STV advises, plans, designs, engineers and delivers the infrastructure that powers local economies, including transportation systems, buildings, water and other facilities. Headquartered in New York City, the company has more than 65 offices and 3,300 employees who reimagine the solutions and structures that connect our communities. The firm is ranked 32nd in Engineering News-Record’s Top 500 Design Firms survey and is 10th in its transportation category. STV is deeply committed to investing in its people and creating a world‑class employee experience. We are passionate about mentoring, coaching and cultivating our talent because we know they are destined to become the next generation of industry leaders. We’re also committed to delivering formative career experiences – and we do that by providing challenging and unique work experiences, by mapping multiple ways to advance (beyond the traditional career ladder!) and by recognizing those who successfully chart new and exciting paths for the firm. We value a wide range of perspectives and experiences, without regard to any factor or characteristic, regardless of whether it is a category protected by federal, state and/or local law, making them an integral part of how we work. Our approach ensures that every individual is respected, heard, and given opportunities to contribute meaningfully. We remove barriers and create pathways for growth, embedding fairness into our daily operations. Learn more atstvinc.com.

STV exists to make communities better through innovative solutions that connect people, places and the present to the future. Our local teams throughout the country deeply understand the needs of their communities and have the expertise to provide solutions.

We also committed to giving back to our communities and our neighbors through volunteering and philanthropic activities; fundraising events; scholarships, internships, and mentoring; and sustainability and community improvement projects. Learn more.

STV provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.