Water Business Group Project Controls Business Class Lead

HDR; Virginia (MN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

HDR is seeking a Project Controls Business Class Lead to develop and implement practices on water projects in the Minnesota area. This role will oversee project controls for wastewater, dams, and drinking water, ensuring performance against defined scope, schedule, and budget.

The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience and a strong proficiency in project management tools. They will provide leadership and enhance project controls practices across sectors.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years experience in project controls work on engineering and construction projects.
• Considerable experience for all aspects of Water Projects and Programs.
• Ability to manage proposal preparation and contract negotiation.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement project controls practices to meet scope, schedule, and budget.
• Coordinate with project teams regarding project controls services.
• Support career development for project controls personnel.

Skills

Leadership skills

Project management

Decision-making

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Projects

Primavera P6

Deltek Acumen Fuse

PMIS software

Job description

HDR is seeking a Project Controls Business Class Lead to join our Water Business Group team. The primary objective of this role is to develop and implement project controls practices on projects and programs to meet scope, schedule, and budget performance. This role will engage in projects ranging from wastewater, dams and levees, drinking water, and other water-based projects and will serve as a central asset to HDR’s Program Manager(s) in assessing program performance.

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.
• Monitor performance of staff and projects, and assist in implementing measures to drive successful project performance and support 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 workshare and knowledge sharing.
• Support the recruitment and onboarding process for new project controls personnel.
• Network with corporate Project Delivery Services to leverage best practices, skillsets, and 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 WBG and consult with corporate project controls director to disseminate relevant lessons learned and best practices.
• Serve as a knowledge central for project controls trends 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.

For Project Work

• Serve as a Senior Project Controls Business Class Lead for program management projects to set up a framework to manage scope, budget, and schedule, including 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 a 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.
• Counsel 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 process 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 (preferably multiple) of discontinuous disciplines: scheduling, document control, cost management, cost estimating, claims and forensic analysis, PMIS implementation/dashboarding.
• Familiar with estimating using various delivery methods including DBB, DB, EPCm, PDB, IPD, and CMAR.
• Strong leadership skills with experience building a cohesive team culture and managing team members in various locations.
• Comfortable presenting in front of clients and other project stakeholders.
• Proficient with scheduling software such as Microsoft Projects, Primavera P6, Deltek Acumen Fuse, and linear scheduling software such as TiLos and 4D/5D including Synchro.
• Experience and familiarity with SharePoint, 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 being an active participant of our employee‑owned culture.
• Visa sponsorship for US employment is not available for this position.

Other Details

Primary Location: United States‑Nebraska‑Omaha

Other Locations: United States‑Texas‑Round Rock, United States‑North Carolina‑Charlotte, United States‑Florida‑Doral, United States‑Minnesota, United States‑Wyoming‑Cheyenne, United States‑Minnesota‑Saint Louis Park, United States‑Florida‑Fort Lauderdale, United States‑Pennsylvania‑Bethlehem, United States‑Oregon‑Salem, United States‑Texas‑Fort Worth, United States‑Montana‑Missoula, United States‑District of Columbia‑Washington DC, United States‑Maryland‑Lusby, United States‑Texas‑Houston, United States‑Michigan, United States‑California‑Irvine, United States‑Wisconsin‑Madison, United States‑Mississippi‑Jackson area, United States‑Washington‑Tacoma, United States‑Nevada‑Reno, United States‑Colorado‑Fort Collins, United States‑Iowa‑Des Moines, United States‑New York‑Albany, United States‑California‑Folsom, United States‑Oregon‑Portland, United States‑Washington, United States‑Montana‑Bozeman, United States‑Maryland‑Bethesda, United States‑Texas‑El Paso, United States‑Colorado‑Durango, United States‑Texas‑Corpus Christi, United States‑Washington‑Seattle, United States‑Mississippi‑Vicksburg, United States‑Nevada‑Las Vegas, United States‑Virginia, United States‑Montana‑Billings, United States‑Texas‑Dallas, United States‑Washington‑Spokane, United States‑Virginia‑Arlington, United States‑Texas‑Austin, United States‑Virginia‑Virginia Beach, United States‑Massachusetts‑Boston, United States‑Kentucky, United States‑Colorado‑Denver, United States‑Oregon‑Bend, United States‑Missouri‑St Louis, United States‑Georgia‑Savannah, United States‑Arizona‑Tucson, United States‑Arkansas‑Little Rock, United States‑Pennsylvania‑Mechanicsburg, United States‑Washington‑Olympia, United States‑Wisconsin‑Milwaukee, United States‑Tennessee, United States‑Hawaii‑Honolulu, United States‑Oklahoma‑Tulsa, United States‑Maryland‑Fulton, United States‑Arizona‑Phoenix, United States‑Kentucky‑Louisville, United States‑North Carolina‑Greensboro, United States‑Georgia‑Atlanta, United States‑South Carolina‑Greenville, United States‑Illinois‑Rosemont, United States‑Pennsylvania‑Plymouth Meeting, United States‑South Carolina, United States‑California‑Walnut Creek, United States‑Oklahoma‑Oklahoma City, United States‑Tennessee‑Memphis, United States‑Louisiana‑Baton Rouge, United States‑Virginia‑Richmond, United States‑Pennsylvania, United States‑Ohio‑Cleveland, United States‑Iowa, United States‑Florida‑Tampa, United States‑Florida‑West Palm Beach, United States‑Ohio‑Columbus, United States‑California‑Ventura, United States‑Kentucky‑Lexington, United States‑Ohio‑Cincinnati, United States‑South Dakota‑Rapid City, United States‑Washington‑Bellevue, United States‑Missouri‑Kansas City, United States‑South Dakota‑Sioux Falls, United States‑Oregon, United States‑Alabama‑Mobile, United States‑North Carolina‑Wilmington, United States‑Tennessee‑Nashville, United States‑New Jersey‑Newark, United States‑Louisiana‑New Orleans, United States‑Kentucky‑Paducah, United States‑Ohio, United States‑Florida, United States‑Florida‑Pensacola, United States‑New Mexico‑Albuquerque, United States‑New York‑White Plains, United States‑Missouri‑Columbia, United States‑South Carolina‑Charleston, United States‑Virginia‑Roanoke, United States‑Colorado, United States‑South Carolina‑Columbia, United States‑Virginia‑Vienna, United States‑New York, United States‑Florida‑Orlando, United States‑Alaska‑Anchorage, United States‑Minnesota‑Minneapolis, United States‑Indiana‑Indianapolis, United States‑Pennsylvania‑Pittsburgh, United States‑New York‑Syracuse, United States‑California, United States‑California‑San Diego, United States‑Michigan‑Lansing, United States‑Pennsylvania‑Philadelphia, United States‑Virginia‑Glen Allen, United States‑California‑Riverside, United States‑Florida‑Miami, United States‑New Jersey‑Pennington, United States‑Illinois‑Springfield, United States‑New Jersey, United States‑California‑Sacramento, United States‑Connecticut‑Rocky Hill, United States‑Texas‑Brownsville, United States‑New York‑New York, United States‑California‑Pasadena, United States‑Michigan‑Ann Arbor, United States‑Utah‑Salt Lake City, United States‑North Dakota, United States‑North Carolina‑Winston‑Salem, United States‑Michigan‑Detroit, United States‑North Dakota‑Bismarck, United States‑Washington‑Everett, United States‑Maine‑Portland, United States‑Montana, United States‑Idaho‑Coeur d’Alene, United States‑New Jersey‑Woodcliff Lake, United States‑North Carolina, United States‑Florida‑Jacksonville, United States‑Illinois‑Chicago, United States‑California‑Los Angeles, United States‑Missouri, United States‑Idaho‑Boise, United States‑North Carolina‑Raleigh, United States‑Texas‑San Antonio, United States‑West Virginia‑Charleston

Industry: Construction, Project Controls & Design/Build

Schedule: Full-time

Employee Status: Regular

Business Class: Project Controls

Job Posting: Mar 5, 2026

At HDR, we are committed to the principles of employment equity. We are an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants, regardless of criminal histories, arrest, and conviction records.