Senior Project Controller - Hybrid Role

Radiant Systems Inc; Brooklyn Park (MN); Hybrid; USD 172,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Radiant Systems Inc. is seeking a Senior Project Controller for a hybrid role focusing on end-to-end project controls across schedule, cost, change, and risk management for a major pharmaceutical client.

The position involves owning the integrated master schedule, controlling budget, and managing contingencies, with on-site and remote work options discussed during engagement. The role expects leadership in project governance and monthly performance reporting.

Responsibilities

• Own the development, maintenance, and reporting of the integrated project schedule in Microsoft Project.
• Establish, obtain approval of, and maintain the baseline schedule; administer schedule baseline change control and document all revisions.
• Collect progress and percent-complete data across all project workstreams; progress measurement based on deliverable completion and milestones.
• Update actual dates, remaining durations, progress status, and forecasted completion dates on a defined reporting cycle.
• Perform critical path and total-float analysis; identify schedule threats and opportunities.
• Produce rolling look-ahead schedules (e.g., 3-week and 6-week) and milestone tracking reports.
• Integrate contractor and vendor schedules into the master schedule and verify their logic and progress.
• Perform what-if and recovery-schedule scenario analysis to support decision-making and mitigate delays.
• Maintain the schedule basis document and ensure schedule assumptions are documented and current.
• Report schedule performance (SPI, CPI, CV, SV, VAC) in the agreed cadence and format.

Job description

Senior Project Controller - Hybrid Role.

Client: Major Pharmaceutical Client

Duration: 10+ months on W2

Pay Rate: $82.58 - $120.00/ Hr on W2

Job Description

Project Controller fully responsible for the complete scope of services described below, including all sub-contracted services.

All such services must be properly integrated to meet Client project controls and governance requirements.

Bidders shall confirm resource availability for the full engagement duration and identify any assumptions or exceptions related to on-site presence, remote work, or continuity of support.

The Project Controller shall perform the following services, organized into the core areas of responsibility below.

Schedule Management (Microsoft Project)

Own the development, maintenance, and reporting of the integrated project schedule in Microsoft Project:

• Develop the integrated project schedule (IPS) in Microsoft Project, aligned to the project Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), with appropriate activity durations, logic relationships, constraints, and resource/cost loading, including technical transfer, regulatory, and operational ramp-up activities.
• Establish, obtain approval of, and maintain the baseline schedule; administer schedule baseline change control and document all revisions.
• Collect progress and percent-complete data across all project workstreams, including engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, technical transfer, operational readiness, automation, and CQV activities. Progress measurement shall be based on deliverable completion and achievement of defined milestones, or alternatively, an agreed-upon progress measurement methodology jointly established by the Client, General Contractor, Automation Supplier, and CQV providers.
• Update actual dates, remaining durations, progress status, and forecasted completion dates on a defined reporting cycle (e.g., weekly).
• Perform critical path and total-float analysis; identify critical and near-critical activities and communicate schedule threats and opportunities.
• Produce rolling look-ahead schedules (e.g., 3-week and 6-week) and milestone tracking reports.
• Integrate contractor and vendor schedules into the master schedule and verify their logic and progress.
• Perform what-if and recovery-schedule scenario analysis to support decision-making and mitigate delays.
• Maintain the schedule basis document and ensure schedule assumptions are documented and current.
• Report schedule performance (Schedule Performance Index, planned vs. actual progress, variance to baseline) in the agreed cadence and format.

Cost Controlling

Establish and maintain the project cost controls framework and provide accurate cost status and forecasts:

• Develop, maintain, and manage the project cost baseline and control budget aligned with the approved capital appropriation, structured by Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS) Levels 1, 2, and 3, including Main Equipment costs.
• Track and reconcile commitments, actuals, and accruals against budget; coordinate purchase requisitions, purchase orders, and invoice review with procurement and finance.
• Prepare monthly cost reports including budget, committed cost, incurred cost, forecast, Estimate to Complete (ETC), and Estimate at Completion (EAC).
• Develop and maintain the project cash flow / expenditure forecast (spend curve), and track spend per the Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS) categories.
• Apply Earned Value Management (EVM) where required - Cost Performance Index (CPI), Schedule Performance Index (SPI), Cost Variance (CV), Schedule Variance (SV), and Variance at Completion (VAC) - integrated with schedule status.
• Manage contingency and reserve: track drawdown, maintain the contingency log, and reconcile remaining contingency to residual risk exposure.
• Perform cost variance analysis, explain drivers, and recommend corrective actions to the Project Manager.
• Act as gatekeeper for purchase orders (PO), ensuring timely approval from SOW submission through PO approval.

Change Management

Maintain the change management program:

• Log potential and approved changes, quantify cost impacts, and track change orders through approval.
• Author project change notices, providing details of the change, cost impact, and schedule impact.
• Within Project Change Notices (PCNs), track contingency spend needed for the change, remaining contingency, and project budget.
• Route PCNs for approvals based on established financial thresholds.

Own the project risk management process from identification through mitigation and reporting:

• Establish and maintain the project risk register and issues log in line with Client project governance.
• Facilitate risk identification workshops with the project team and key stakeholders on a recurring basis.
• Perform qualitative risk assessment - scoring probability and impact across cost, schedule, quality, safety, and compliance - and prioritize risks by exposure.
• Develop risk response plans (avoid, mitigate, transfer, accept), assign risk owners, and define mitigation actions with due dates.
• Where required, perform quantitative risk analysis - schedule risk analysis (e.g., Monte Carlo / QSRA) and cost risk analysis - to inform contingency and confidence levels (P50/P80).
• Link risk exposure to cost contingency and schedule reserve; recommend adjustments as the risk profile changes.
• Track and follow up on mitigation actions; report risk status, trends, and top risks in the agreed cadence.
• Escalate emerging issues and threats to the Project Manager and governance forums per the project escalation path.

Monthly Performance Reporting

Provide a monthly reporting package that includes, as a minimum:

• Executive summary for the Steering Committee, including key actions, decisions, issues, and overall project status.
• Change control status.
• Integrated Level 2 Master Schedule management, incorporating Engineering activities, General Contractor activities, Client direct procurement equipment, CQV activities, Technical Transfer, Regulatory, and Operational Ramp-Up activities.
• Key milestone tracking and performance measurement.
• Action tracker.
• Progress measurement across all workstreams based on deliverables, including technical transfer and operational ramp-up activities, or alternatively, an agreed progress measurement methodology established jointly with the General Contractor, Automation Supplier, and external CQV partner during execution, particularly for Engineering activities.
• Risk management status, including updates from the monthly risk register review.

Deliverables and Reporting Cadence

The Project Controller shall produce the following deliverables at the frequencies noted. Formats and cadence may be adjusted by agreement with the Project Manager.

Tools and Systems

• Microsoft Project - primary scheduling tool for the integrated project schedule.
• Microsoft Excel - cost tracking, earned value, cash flow, and register maintenance.
• Client project controls / risk templates and governance procedures.
• Power BI - CAPEX reporting and visualization.