Water Business Group Project Controls Business Class Lead

HDR; Greensboro (NC); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR is seeking a Senior Project Controls Leader in its Water Business Group to guide scope, schedule, and budget performance across wastewater, dams, levees, and drinking water projects. You will lead a team of specialists, implement PMIS tools, and drive continuous improvement in project controls across multiple sites and clients.

The role requires 15+ years in project controls, a Bachelor’s degree, and hands-on experience with scheduling and cost management in water projects. U.S.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in project controls for water-related projects.
• Bachelor’s degree required; PMP or equivalent preferred.
• Experience leading multi-location project controls teams.
• US work authorization; visa sponsorship not available.
• Strong scheduling, cost control, risk management, and PMIS skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead project controls across water projects to ensure scope, schedule and budget adherence.
• Develop and mentor project controls staff and implement PMIS tools.
• Collaborate with program management, construction, and engineering teams.
• Provide performance analyses and client-ready project controls summaries.

Skills

Leadership

Water projects

PMIS implementation

Scheduling

Cost management

Risk management

Document control

Client relations

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Primavera P6

Microsoft Project

Deltek

SharePoint

Job description

HDR is hiring a Project Controls Business Class Lead for its Water Business Group. The role focuses on developing and implementing project controls practices to ensure scope, schedule, and budget performance across water‑related projects such as wastewater, dams, levees, and drinking water.

Primary Responsibilities

• Implementation of continuous improvement and quality into the project controls practice in alignment with the Quality Management System.
• Assume leadership responsibilities to introduce effective and efficient project controls approach and technologies in projects across market sectors in the Water Business Group.
• Work closely with other Business Group Directors of Project Controls and Program Management to align best practices, provide directions to program teams related to project controls and prioritize project controls initiatives.
• Coordinate and assist in identification and assignment of appropriate project controls staffing for projects, during both pursuit and execution phases of projects.
• Monitor performance of staff and projects, assist in implementing measures to drive successful project performance and support in maintaining positive client relations.
• Support career development for project controls personnel through mentoring and identification of training opportunities.
• Strengthen the project controls practice across all business groups through knowledge sharing and fostering a community of practice across teams.
• Coordinate with other Regional Project Controls Leads and the broader project controls practice for purposes of workshare, knowledge sharing and fostering a community of practice.
• Support the recruitment and onboarding process for new project controls personnel.
• Network with corporate Project Delivery Services to leverage best practices, skillsets, or resources from other business groups.
• Work with other project team members including technical staff, cross sector staff, field services and commissioning services to identify where project controls services are required.
• Develop and maintain a project controls practice group within the WBG; consult with corporate project controls director to disseminate relevant lessons learned and best practices.
• Serve as a knowledge central for project controls trend and tools that are being used to make project controls more versatile and efficient.
• Grow Water Business Group project controls practice bench strength by recruiting or identifying strategic partners.
• Identify and mentor young professionals with an interest in project controls.
• Provide webinar and outreach to internal staff to elevate WBG’s project controls acumen.
• Support Pursuit teams for Program Management and Construction Management.
• Perform other duties as needed.

Project Work Responsibilities

• Serve as a Senior Project Controls Business Class Lead for program management projects to set up a framework to manage scope, budget, and schedule. The workstreams under project controls include schedule management, cost management, change management, risk management, and document management.
• Manage and direct a team of project controls specialists and document controls specialists to implement the project controls plan for the program.
• Collaborate with program manager and client to provide a project control plan that is right‑sized for the execution and size of the program.
• Work closely with the PMIS team to recommend technology solutions to manage data and information that the program will receive, generate, analyze, consume, and communicate to stakeholders.
• Advise program manager and the rest of the team on trends of the program, deficiencies, and recommendations on how to mitigate.
• Provide a comprehensive summary of project performance and present to both HDR’s internal team and clients.
• Establish processes and procedures such as project controls template, WBS structure and library, progress management KPIs, etc. to improve both quality and efficiency of our programs.
• Facilitate multi‑company interactive planning sessions such as schedule workshops.
• Coordinate with teams regarding the interface with construction and engineering schedules.
• Interact with engineering discipline leads and construction managers to understand issues and conflicts impacting schedule.

Preferred Qualifications

• 15+ years supporting large and small project controls teams.
• Considerable experience for all aspects of water projects and programs.
• Certifications (PE, PMP, PSP, CM, EVP, PMI‑SP, CST).
• Experience implementing and supporting PMIS solutions for small and large projects.
• Experience in at least one (and preferably multiple) of the following disciplines: scheduling, document control, cost management, cost estimating, claims and forensic analysis, and PMIS implementation/dashboarding.
• Familiarity with estimating using various delivery methods including traditional design‑bid‑build (DBB), design‑build (DB), EPCm, progressive design‑build (PDB), Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), and/or construction management at‑risk (CMAR).
• Strong leadership skills with experience building a cohesive team culture and managing team members located in various locations.
• Comfortable presenting in front of clients and other project stakeholders.
• Proficient with scheduling software such as Microsoft Project, Primavera P6, Deltek Acumen Fuse, and familiarity with Linear Scheduling software such as TiLos and 4D/5D including Synchro.
• Experience and familiarity with SharePoint and PMIS software such as eBuilder, ProCore, Prism, Unifier, QuickBase, InEight, PMWeb, etc.
• Experience in understanding AACEi, PMI, and PMBOK industry best practices.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in project controls work on engineering and construction projects, including planning, estimating, forecasting, scheduling, cost control, schedule control, and project reports.
• Ability to manage proposal preparation, contract review and negotiation, client relationship and win strategy for medium to large EPC projects.
• Strong decision‑making skills.
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills.
• Ability to coordinate and prioritize multiple long‑ and short‑term tasks simultaneously.
• Strong organizational, analytical and problem‑solving abilities.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Commitment to actively participate in HDR’s employee‑owned culture.
• U.S. employment authorization sponsorship (visa) is not available for this position.

HDR is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to principles of employment equity. We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest, and conviction records.