Project Controls Specialist

Title: Project Controls Specialist Location: Houston, TX; California; – Hybrid (3+ days/week in office) Job Type: Full-Time Travel Requirement: Up to 25% to job site in California and other locations. Join the Future of Reliable Energy! Are you ready to shape the future grid? Hydrostor, a leading energy storage, technology and infrastructure company dedicated to developing utility-scale, long-duration energy storage solutions, is seeking a Project Controls Specialist to join our team in the US. We’re supporting the development of a more resilient electricity grid and invite you to be at the forefront of this work! Why Hydrostor? Our cutting-edge A-CAES technology is uniquely poised to revolutionize the energy landscape. Join us as we lead the way in shaping a reliable and secure energy future. Your Mission The Project Controls Specialist supports cost management, forecasting, and performance reporting throughout delivery of the Willow Rock Energy Storage Center (WRESC). Working under the guidance of senior project controls team members, this early-career role helps maintain project budgets, commitments, actual costs, forecasts, and financial performance data using established governance and reporting processes. The specialist collaborates with the EPCM contractor, Finance, Commercial, and Project Leadership teams to prepare accurate and timely cost information that supports project decision-making. As a developing member of the project controls team, the Project Controls Specialist applies established cost control frameworks, reporting standards, and performance measurement systems with appropriate supervision. The role assists with identifying cost risks and opportunities, validating assumptions, investigating variances, and improving reporting quality, forecast accuracy, and data governance. Analytical aptitude, attention to detail, curiosity, and effective collaboration with multidisciplinary teams are essential to building practical cost engineering experience. Your day-to-day adventures Reports to the Senior Manager – Cost and Reporting, with regular guidance from Sr. Director Project Controls, project controls team members and functional interfaces to Finance and Accounting and Contracting and Procurement. Supports Hydrostor’s Willow Rock Energy Storage Center (WRESC) Project by completing assigned cost engineering and general project controls activities under the direction of experienced team members. Learns and applies established project cost engineering processes with guidance, including relevant practices of the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering (AACE), to support project cost management and stakeholder reporting. Prepares routine meeting inputs and reports and assists with coordinating integrated WRESC reporting with Hatch, the project’s EPCM. Works with EPCM and field cost engineering resources to collect and validate cost data, follow up on reporting issues, and support safe and successful project delivery. Assists with maintaining the project’s Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and related cost coding structures. Supports preparation of the WRESC Project Owner’s cost forecast, including staffing and third-party support costs. Updates the project’s Cost Management System (CMS, Procore), including cost reports and associated trend, change, contingency, commitment, and forecast logs, with guidance from senior team members. Supports the incorporation of approved changes into cost budgets and forecasts and coordinates related schedule inputs with the scheduling team. Maintains traceable supporting records and routes proposed budget changes, commitment changes, and contingency drawdowns for review and approval rather than approving them independently. Supports month-end reconciliation of project cost records with Finance and Accounting, including actual costs, accruals, and commitments. Investigates discrepancies with guidance and maintains supporting records for senior review. Assists Contracting and Procurement with processing project invoices, commercial changes, and claims; identifies discrepancies and helps coordinate timely resolution. Coordinates with Hydrostor’s Finance, Accounting, and Strategic Supply Chain Management teams on assigned cost engineering, invoice processing, commitment management, forecasting, and Investment Tax Credit support activities. Performs initial reviews of contractor cost reports, forecasts, invoices, and supporting documentation against agreed contract terms and scopes of work, escalating questions as needed. Participates in WRESC project cost and schedule risk workshops and assists with cost-risk modelling and maintenance of change and contingency management records. Assists with reviewing project cost information included in tender submissions for each project phase. Compiles cost engineering information for project assurance reviews and contractor audits, as required. Gathers, organizes, and performs initial analysis of execution-phase benchmark data to support cost and schedule assurance processes. Assists with checking contractor cost reporting across subsurface, transmission line, reservoir, surface facilities, and other project development scopes for alignment with integrated WRESC reporting requirements. Builds effective working relationships with contractor project controls and project management teams while seeking guidance and feedback to develop technical capability. Who You Are The successful candidate will be an early-career engineering, construction management, business, or project controls professional with an interest in supporting large-scale capital projects in the renewable energy, power, mining, infrastructure, or oil and gas sectors. They may bring internship, co-op, graduate, or initial professional experience in an EPCM, EPC, contractor, or Owner’s Team environment. Familiarity with project cost control, forecasting, budgeting, change control, or project reporting is beneficial, along with the ability to organize data, identify basic trends and variances, and communicate findings clearly. A collaborative and detail-oriented learner, the successful candidate will communicate effectively across Owner, EPCM, and contractor organizations. They will demonstrate sound judgement, disciplined data management, initiative, and a willingness to learn established cost engineering processes. With strong problem-solving and communication skills, they will be comfortable working in a fast-paced major-project environment and will contribute to financial integrity, reporting quality, and successful delivery of the Owner’s project objectives while developing their project controls expertise. What You Bring Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Industrial Engineering, Business Management, or a related technical field; recent graduates are encouraged to apply. Ability to travel up to 25% to the job site in California and other project locations. Up to 5 years of relevant cost engineering, project controls, construction, finance, or analytical experience; internships, co-op placements, and graduate project experience will be considered. Exposure to cost engineering activities during engineering, procurement, construction, or commissioning phases of a capital project is preferred. Familiarity with ERP systems or project costing modules is an asset, with willingness to learn Hydrostor’s systems and processes. Strong analytical aptitude and the ability to interpret technical and commercial information, investigate variances with guidance, and communicate findings clearly. Experience through employment, internships, coursework, or projects involving cost reports, forecasts, accruals, commitments, change logs, or contingency records is preferred. Clear written and verbal communication skills with consistent attention to detail, organization, and data quality. Ability to collaborate with project teams, contractors, Finance, and Supply Chain and to follow through on assigned actions. Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, is required. Exposure to earned value management, Primavera, Procore, or other project controls software is an asset. Interest in pursuing AACE certification or other relevant project controls professional development is preferred. Compensation Details $130K -$150K base Discretionary Bonus Paid Vacation Time Medical, Dental and Vision Benefits 401K Program – with a match! Employee Share Option Plan For more information on Hydrostor and the exciting journey we’re on visit our website at Equal Opportunity Employer At Hydrostor, we know that fostering an inclusive workplace, which values diversity, inclusion, and belonging is paramount to our success. To fulfill our mission, our goal is to attract people who come from all backgrounds and walks of life, who bring diverse perspectives with wide-ranging experiences, and who share in our common passion to drive innovation and change the global energy landscape. Hydrostor proudly embraces the principles of equal opportunity and inclusion. We are committed to providing opportunities for all employees and candidates. We ensure that all qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, parental, pregnancy, citizenship status, veteran status, disability, or any other protected status protected by applicable law. Hydrostor is committed to making our application and interview process accessible to everyone, and we encourage applications from people with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation at any stage, please contact us at View email address on click.appcast.io. In your application, we welcome you to specify your preferred pronouns (e.g. she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs, etc.). Use of Artificial Intelligence Hydrostor does not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to screen, assess, or select candidates during the recruitment or interview process. #J-18808-Ljbffr Hydrostor