Senior Program Controls Manager

Jacobs; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 250,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

Jacobs in Los Angeles is seeking an experienced Program Controls Manager to lead a multi-project controls team for large airport capital programs. You will manage cost controls, scheduling, estimating, PMIS, reporting, and document controls, reporting to the Program Manager.

The role requires strong leadership, aviation program experience, and a track record of delivering complex programs on time and within budget. Open for project end date Sept/Oct 2028 with extension.

Qualifications

• Progressive experience in program or project controls with increasing responsibility.
• Extensive years of experience leading program controls for large-scale capital programs valued at $500M or more, preferably in aviation or transportation infrastructure.
• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Project Management, Finance, Business Administration, or an equivalent related field.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly present technical information to senior leadership and public-sector stakeholders.
• Demonstrated people leadership skills managing, mentoring, and developing multi-disciplinary technical teams.
• Advanced knowledge of program controls principles, tools, and applications for large-scale capital programs.
• Aviation or airport program experience supporting terminal, airside, and landside projects.
• Estimated project end date September/October 2028, with possible extension.

Responsibilities

• Lead the scheduling team responsible for developing and maintaining an integrated Program Master Schedule using Primavera P6.
• Ensure schedule alignment between project-level schedules, the overall program schedule, and major milestones.
• Analyze critical paths and phasing to identify risks, constraints, and potential impacts to airport operations.
• Support schedule forecasting and scenarios to inform leadership decision-making.
• Lead program-level change management by evaluating scope, cost, and schedule impacts of proposed changes.
• Support risk management activities including identification, assessment, and coordination of mitigation strategies.
• Integrate cost, schedule, and risk data to support accurate forecasting and informed decision-making.
• Oversee document management functions for the program.
• Manage preparation of reports and dashboards including monthly, quarterly, and executive-level program controls deliverables.
• Present clear and concise updates on cost and schedule performance to senior leadership, governing bodies, and stakeholders.
• Support governance and coordination forums including operations status reviews and executive meetings.
• Ensure consistency and transparency across all program controls reporting.
• Oversee PMIS administration and implementation for the program.
• Ensure data integrity and audit readiness in compliance with client policies, contractual requirements, and funding obligations.

Skills

Program controls leadership

Cost controls

Scheduling

Change management

Document control

Stakeholder communication

Team leadership

PMIS

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Project Management, Finance, Business Administration, or an equivalent related field

Tools

Primavera P6

PMIS

Excel

Job description

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

Across major metropolitan regions on the West Coast, airport owners are delivering large-scale, multi-year capital improvement programs to modernize terminals, airside and landside facilities, and support continued growth in passenger demand. These programs are being delivered within active, operating airport environments and require strong leadership in program controls to ensure predictable cost, schedule, and performance outcomes.

We’re seeking an experienced Program Controls Manager to join our Program Management Teams supporting large, complex airport capital programs in major metropolitan markets. In this role, you’ll be a key member of the leadership team, providing day-to-day leadership, coordination, and execution of all program controls functions across one or more airport programs. Reporting directly to a Program Manager, you will manage a group of program controls professionals and oversee multiple functional areas including cost controls, scheduling, estimating, PMIS, reporting, and document controls.

We're seeking a talented professional to join our team based in Los Angeles CA for this project hire and estimated end date in September/October 2028, with possible extension.

Program Controls Leadership

• Serve as primary point of contact for the Program Director, Operations leadership, and key stakeholders on all matters related to program controls services.
• Provide leadership and direction to a multi-disciplinary program controls team supporting multiple projects and contracts.
• Ensure alignment across teams by coordinating closely with design, construction, finance, and operations to support overall program objectives.
• Plan and resource controls functions by budgeting and allocating program controls staff, tools, and systems required to support program delivery.

Cost Control & Forecasting

• Lead program-wide cost control activities, including budget management, forecasting, and variance analysis.
• Maintain budget integrity through disciplined scope management, change control, and trend tracking.
• Support cost estimating efforts across planning, design, and construction phases, including estimate development and reconciliation.
• Monitor financial performance including commitments, expenditures, cash flow, and cost at completion at both project and program levels.
• Identify and communicate trends early by proactively flagging potential cost overruns or underruns.
• Monitor market conditions and escalation indices and support development of escalation assumptions for future work.

Schedule Management

• Lead the scheduling team responsible for developing and maintaining an integrated Program Master Schedule using Primavera P6.
• Ensure schedule alignment between project-level schedules, the overall program schedule, and major milestones.
• Analyze critical paths and phasing to identify risks, constraints, and potential impacts to airport operations.
• Support schedule forecasting and scenarios to inform leadership decision-making.

Change Management, Risk & Integration

• Lead program-level change management by evaluating scope, cost, and schedule impacts of proposed changes.
• Support risk management activities including identification, assessment, and coordination of mitigation strategies.
• Integrate cost, schedule, and risk data to support accurate forecasting and informed decision-making.

Document Control & Reporting

• Oversee document management functions for the program.
• Manage preparation of reports and dashboards including monthly, quarterly, and executive-level program controls deliverables.
• Present clear and concise updates on cost and schedule performance to senior leadership, governing bodies, and stakeholders.
• Support governance and coordination forums including operations status reviews and executive meetings.
• Ensure consistency and transparency across all program controls reporting.
• Oversee PMIS administration and implementation for the program.
• Ensure data integrity and audit readiness in compliance with client policies, contractual requirements, and funding obligations.

Bring your curiosity, passion for innovation, and talent for multi-tasking in afast-paced environment. We’ll help you grow, pursue and fulfill what inspires you – so we can make big impacts on the world, together.

Here’s what you’ll need

• Progressive experience in program or project controls with increasing responsibility.
• Extensive years of experience leading program controls for large-scale capital programs valued at $500M or more, preferably in aviation or transportation infrastructure.
• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Project Management, Finance, Business Administration, or an equivalent related field.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly present technical information to senior leadership and public-sector stakeholders.
• Demonstrated people leadership skills managing, mentoring, and developing multi-disciplinary technical teams. Driving teams to success.
• Advanced knowledge of program controls principles, tools, and applications for large-scale capital programs.
• Aviation or airport program experience supporting terminal, airside, and landside projects.
• Estimated project end date September/October 2028, with possible extension.

Our health and welfare benefits are designed to invest in you, and in the things you care about. Your health. Your well-being. Your security. Your future.

• Employees have access to medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance, a 401(k) plan, and the ability to purchase company stock at a discount.
• Eligible employees may also enroll in a deferred compensation plan or the Executive Deferral Plan.
• Jacobs has an unlimited U.S. Personalized Paid Time Off (PPTO) policy for full-time salaried/exempt employees, seven paid holidays, and caregiver leave.
• And certain roles may be eligible for additional rewards, including merit increases, performance discretionary bonus, and stock.

The base salary range for this position is $250,000.00 to $275,000.00. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. Job posted on September 15, 2026. This position will be open for at least 3 days.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.