Senior Project Controls Specialist

Senior Project Controls Specialist

2MNEXT provides engineering, construction management, and infrastructure consulting services throughout the Southeastern United States. We serve a wide range of public, private, and governmental clients and work collaboratively with owners, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, utilities, and other project stakeholders. We take great pride in providing responsive, high-quality professional services and building long-term relationships with our clients and partners.

2MNEXT is a great place to work! We are committed to maintaining a positive, collaborative, and engaging work environment for our team. We invest in our employees through performance-based bonuses, professional development opportunities, paid training and certifications, employee events, and opportunities for career growth.

Position Title: Senior Project Controls Specialist

Reports To: Program Manager / Project Controls Manager

Location: Nashville, TN

Work Setting (Remote/Hybrid/On-site): On-site

POSITION SUMMARY

2MNEXT is seeking an experienced Senior Project Controls Specialist to support a major transportation infrastructure program in Nashville, Tennessee. This position will provide project controls expertise across multiple disciplines, including cost estimating, scheduling, budgeting, forecasting, risk management, change management, reporting, document controls, and project management systems. The Senior Project Controls Specialist will work closely with program leadership, project managers, clients, contractors, and other project stakeholders to monitor project performance, identify risks and trends, support informed decision-making, and help ensure successful delivery of complex capital projects. This position requires a strong understanding of project controls throughout the full project lifecycle and the ability to independently analyze project information, develop recommendations, and communicate findings to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Project Controls & Program Support

• Support project controls activities across planning, design, procurement, construction, and project closeout.
• Develop, maintain, and monitor project budgets, schedules, forecasts, and other project controls documentation.
• Assist in the development and implementation of project and program management plans, procedures, processes, and controls.
• Monitor project performance against established budgets, schedules, and milestones and identify potential variances, risks, or emerging trends.
• Coordinate with project managers, contractors, consultants, and client representatives to obtain and validate project controls information.
• Provide project controls analysis and recommendations to program and project leadership.

Cost Estimating & Forecasting

• Prepare and review material, labor, equipment, and other project cost estimates for conceptual designs, design development, bid documents, and change orders.
• Develop conceptual and preliminary estimates to support project planning and budgeting.
• Assist in developing Independent Cost Estimates (ICE) to support change management and active project negotiations.
• Develop cost forecasts, analyze actual and accrued costs, and identify cost trends and potential budget impacts.
• Evaluate and maintain historical cost data to support estimating standards, benchmarking, and future project planning.
• Support pricing reviews, vendor quotations, change order evaluations, and negotiations as needed.

Scheduling & Performance Monitoring

• Develop, maintain, review, and analyze project schedules in coordination with project teams.
• Use cost estimates, labor-hour assumptions, resource requirements, and project sequencing to support development of realistic project schedules.
• Review contractor and project team schedule updates and assess progress against established baselines.
• Identify schedule variances, delays, and potential impacts and provide recommendations to project or program leadership.
• Support development of recovery plans and corrective actions when schedule or performance issues arise.

Risk & Change Management

• Develop and maintain project and program risk registers.
• Identify, evaluate, document, and escalate project risks and emerging issues.
• Partner with project teams to develop mitigation strategies and monitor implementation.
• Support change management processes, including evaluation of cost, schedule, and scope impacts.
• Assist project teams and clients with claims avoidance, potential claims analysis, and claims support.

Reporting & Project Controls Systems

• Prepare project controls reports, executive summaries, performance dashboards, forecasts, and other program reporting.
• Analyze project data and communicate key findings, trends, risks, and recommendations to project and program leadership.
• Develop and participate in presentations for clients, project teams, and other stakeholders.
• Support the implementation and ongoing use of project controls technology and Project Management Control Systems (PMCS).
• Evaluate project and program requirements and recommend appropriate technology, tools, and process improvements.
• Support data quality, reporting consistency, and effective integration of project controls information across the program.

Technical Leadership

• Serve as a technical resource for project controls practices, procedures, and systems.
• Provide guidance and technical support to project teams and earlier-career project controls staff.
• Mentor Project Controls Specialists and other team members, as applicable.
• Promote consistency, accuracy, and continuous improvement across project controls processes.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, or a related field and a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience performing project controls functions on complex engineering, construction, transportation, or infrastructure projects.
• Experience with cost estimating, budgeting, forecasting, scheduling, risk management, change management, and project performance reporting.
• Ability to review and analyze project cost and schedule information and identify trends, variances, risks, and potential impacts.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a high level of attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced program environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with clients, contractors, project managers, technical staff, and executive leadership.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and project controls, scheduling, reporting, or project management software.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Experience performing project controls throughout the full project lifecycle, including pre-design, design, procurement, construction, and post-construction phases.
• Experience supporting large-scale transportation, transit, infrastructure, or other capital improvement programs.
• Experience providing project controls services as part of a Program Management/Construction Management (PM/CM), General Engineering Consultant (GEC), or similar owner-representative team.
• Experience working within a design-build or other alternative project delivery environment.
• Demonstrated experience supporting or leading multiple project controls disciplines on a major program or complex portfolio of projects.
• Experience with Project Management Control Systems (PMCS), scheduling software, cost management systems, dashboarding, and project reporting tools.
• Experience working directly with client leadership to identify project needs, develop solutions, and communicate recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary project teams.
• Professional certifications related to project controls, scheduling, cost estimating, project management, or construction management are a plus.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

This position is primarily performed in a professional office and project environment and may require periodic visits to active construction sites or other project locations. Site visits may involve exposure to varying weather conditions, uneven terrain, construction equipment, noise, and other conditions typical of active construction environments. The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Employee Benefits

• Affordable medical plans starting at $100/month for individuals
• 401(k) with 4% company match and immediate vesting
• PTO starting at 12 days/year, increasing annually up to 20 days
• 8 paid holidays each year
• Company-paid life and disability insurance
• Training and certification opportunities
• Employee recognition and bonus programs