Project Controls Specialist – Cost Controls (Electric Utilities)

CARIAN; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

CARIAN is seeking a seasoned Project Controls Specialist focusing on cost management for electric utility capital programs in the Washington, DC and Maryland region. The role emphasizes cost baselines, forecasts, accruals, and reporting, collaborating with PMs, engineering, construction teams, and client stakeholders to ensure financial accuracy.

Hybrid work with occasional in-person meetings; prior Exelon utility experience highly valued.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or related field; certifications considered.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in project cost controls, project controls engineering, or capital project financial management.
• Prior experience supporting Exelon or an Exelon operating utility (Pepco, Delmarva Power, Atlantic City Electric, BGE, PECO, ComEd) in a project controls or related capacity.
• Demonstrated experience developing project cost forecasts, managing accruals, tracking commitments, and performing budget variance analysis.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience with utility project management, financial, or cost reporting systems; Asset Suite 8 familiarity preferred.
• Ability to work independently across multiple projects and meet reporting deadlines.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills with PMs and client stakeholders.
• Familiarity with Primavera P6 or integrated cost/schedule reporting is a plus but not required.
• Ability to attend periodic client meetings in the Washington, DC and Maryland region.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain project cost baselines, budgets, forecasts, and estimates at completion across assigned capital projects.
• Prepare monthly, annual, and multi-year cash flow forecasts covering labor, materials, equipment, and contractor expenditures.
• Monitor actual costs, commitments, accruals, and projected expenditures against approved budgets.
• Review contractor invoices, purchase orders, and change orders to validate costs and support accurate monthly accrual reporting.
• Perform cost variance analysis, identify budget risks, and recommend corrective actions to Project Managers and program leadership.
• Prepare and maintain project cost reports detailing actual expenditures, outstanding commitments, forecasted costs, remaining budgets, and cost variances.
• Coordinate and lead cost forecasting discussions with Project Managers and project stakeholders to obtain timely financial updates and validate projections.
• Support annual capital planning, budget updates, and long-range capital expenditure and workload forecasting.
• Reconcile financial information across project management, accounting, and client reporting systems to maintain data accuracy and consistency.
• Coordinate with scheduling and project delivery teams to incorporate project progress, milestones, and anticipated changes into cost forecasts.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Independent work ability

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Construction Management/Accounting/Finance/Economics/Business Administration

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Office

Asset Suite 8

Primavera P6

Job description

Project Controls Specialist – Cost Controls (Electric Utilities)

Location: Washington, DC / Maryland (Hybrid)
Job Type: Full-Time
Experience Level: 5+ years

About Us

CARIAN is a purpose-driven, woman-owned consulting and advisory firm dedicated exclusively to the power sector. We partner with leading electric and gas utilities to provide strategic advisory and disciplined execution across program management, business intelligence, and field execution oversight. Guided by integrity, trust, excellence, and accountability, our team helps deliver complex capital programs and build the resilient energy infrastructure that communities depend on.

Position Overview

CARIAN is seeking an experienced Project Controls Specialist with a strong background in cost management, forecasting, and financial reporting to support electric utility capital programs in the Washington, DC and Maryland region.

This position focuses on cost controls across utility capital projects, including budget management, cost forecasting, accruals, invoice reviews, variance analysis, and capital expenditure reporting. The successful candidate will work closely with Project Managers, engineering and construction teams, and client stakeholders to maintain financial accuracy and provide reliable cost projections throughout the project lifecycle.

Prior experience supporting Exelon or one of its operating utilities is required.

This is a hybrid position with flexibility for remote work and periodic in-person client or team meetings as needed.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain project cost baselines, budgets, forecasts, and estimates at completion across assigned capital projects.

• Prepare monthly, annual, and multi-year cash flow forecasts covering labor, materials, equipment, and contractor expenditures.

• Monitor actual costs, commitments, accruals, and projected expenditures against approved budgets.

• Review contractor invoices, purchase orders, and change orders to validate costs and support accurate monthly accrual reporting.

• Perform cost variance analysis, identify budget risks, and recommend corrective actions to Project Managers and program leadership.

• Prepare and maintain project cost reports detailing actual expenditures, outstanding commitments, forecasted costs, remaining budgets, and cost variances.

• Coordinate and lead cost forecasting discussions with Project Managers and project stakeholders to obtain timely financial updates and validate projections.

• Support annual capital planning, budget updates, and long-range capital expenditure and workload forecasting.

• Reconcile financial information across project management, accounting, and client reporting systems to maintain data accuracy and consistency.

• Coordinate with scheduling and project delivery teams to incorporate project progress, milestones, and anticipated changes into cost forecasts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field. Relevant professional certifications and equivalent experience may be considered.

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in project cost controls, project controls engineering, or capital project financial management.

• Prior experience supporting Exelon or an Exelon operating utility, such as Pepco, Delmarva Power, Atlantic City Electric, BGE, PECO, or ComEd, in a project controls or related capacity is required.

• Demonstrated experience developing project cost forecasts, managing accruals, tracking commitments, and performing budget variance analysis.

• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and standard Microsoft Office applications.

• Experience working with utility project management, financial, or cost reporting systems. Familiarity with Asset Suite 8 is preferred.

• Ability to work independently across multiple projects while maintaining accuracy and meeting reporting deadlines.

• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills, including the ability to work directly with utility Project Managers and client stakeholders.

• Familiarity with Primavera P6, project scheduling, or integrated cost and schedule reporting is a plus but is not required.

• Ability to attend periodic client meetings in the Washington, DC and Maryland region as needed.

Why CARIAN

• Purpose-driven work: Help deliver infrastructure that powers communities.

• Industry reputation: Trusted by leading utilities for our reliability and results.

• Career growth: Opportunities to support major capital programs and advance within project controls.

• Collaborative culture: Join a team that values delivery excellence and long-term relationships.

• Competitive total rewards: Strong compensation, full benefits, 401(k) match, and meaningful work.

Equal Employment Opportunity

CARIAN is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We hire and develop talent based on qualifications, performance, and business needs. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. As a woman-owned firm dedicated to the power sector, we are committed to building a team that reflects professionalism, expertise, and integrity at every level.

Compensation

The base salary range for this role is $95,000 – $130,000 annually. This range represents a good-faith estimate at the time of posting; actual compensation will depend on experience, qualifications, location, and other factors permitted by law.

In addition to base salary, the role includes eligibility for discretionary bonus incentives, a comprehensive benefits package, paid time off, paid holidays, health benefits, retirement benefits, and a company 401(k) match.