Project Controls Associate

Project Controls Associate I

The Project Controls Associate I is an entry-level Project Controls professional responsible for performing defined cost, schedule, progress measurement, risk, change, energy performance, and reporting activities on assigned projects. Working under the direction of the Project Controls Director and with day-to-day guidance from the Senior Project Controls Manager, Senior Project Controls Specialists or Project Controls Specialists, the role applies established procedures to produce accurate, timely, and traceable project information.

This is a hands-on developmental role embedded within the project team. The Project Controls Associate I completes routine assignments, supports execution of Project Controls processes, performs basic analysis, identifies data issues or emerging trends, and escalates items requiring judgment or corrective action. As capability grows, the Associate assumes progressively broader responsibility for defined work products and recurring Project Controls activities.

The Project Controls Associate I is expected to demonstrate initiative, attention to detail, curiosity, collaboration, and a commitment to learning and consistently applying enterprise Project Controls standards, tools, and methodologies.

Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include:

Project Leadership, Team Integration, and Project Setup

• Participates in assigned project teams and provides accurate Project Controls information and work products under established direction.
• Coordinates with Project Management, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Pre-Construction, Finance, and Project Controls personnel to collect, validate, and maintain project information.
• Assists with Project Controls setup and mobilization, including work breakdown structures, coding structures, baseline data, responsibility assignments, reporting calendars, and system setup.
• Identifies data inconsistencies, missing information, and emerging concerns and promptly escalates them to the responsible Project Controls Specialist or Project Controls Director.
• Builds effective working relationships with project stakeholders while representing the Company professionally.

Cost Management, Financial Performance, and Forecasting

• Maintains project cost data, budgets, commitments, accruals, cash flow information, cost trends, and coding structures in accordance with established procedures.
• Supports preparation of project forecasts and reforecasts by collecting data, validating inputs, documenting assumptions, and preparing recurring analyses.
• Performs basic actual-to-budget, commitment, accrual, and forecast variance analysis and communicates exceptions for review.
• Coordinates with the Project Controls team member and Project Management to research source-data discrepancies and support reconciliation.
• Maintains accurate, timely, and traceable cost and forecast documentation.

Schedule Management

• Supports development and maintenance of project schedules by collecting status, entering approved updates, and validating milestone and progress information.
• Prepares schedule views, look-ahead reports, issue logs, and routine schedule analyses under established guidance.
• Monitors open schedule items and key dates and follows up with responsible stakeholders.

• Develops working knowledge of schedule logic, critical path, resource requirements, progress measurement, and forecast completion dates.

Risk Management

• Coordinates risk and opportunity meeting documentation, and follow-up.
• Creates and maintains risk and opportunity register information, including ownership, mitigation actions, due dates, and potential impacts.

• Supports risk identification and basic analysis and escalates material changes or overdue actions for review.

Change Management

• Maintains project change logs and supporting documentation for trends, scope changes, claims, and potential impacts.
• Assists with cost and schedule data collection, change estimates, pricing support, back charges, and status reporting.

• Verifies that approved changes are reflected in applicable cost, schedule, forecast, and reporting records.

Energy Management

• Collects and maintains information related to energy production, savings, performance commitments, and related economics.

• Supports analysis and reporting of performance variances for review by project, technical, and Project Controls leadership.

Planning & Project Setup

• Supports development of the work breakdown structure, baseline schedule, preliminary time-phased spend, controls procedures, and Project Execution Plan content.
• Supports proposal, constructability, feasibility, and project close-out data collection as assigned.

Interface with Operational Finance

• Supports revenue recognition, margin, billing, cash, reforecasting, accruals, and month-end alignment by preparing and validating Project Controls information.
• Researches discrepancies among project source data, project forecasts, and financial reporting and documents findings for resolution.

• Provides timely supporting information regarding financial trends, risks, and opportunities to project controls personnel.

Reporting & Performance Analytics

• Prepares accurate and timely Project Controls reports, dashboards, KPIs, cost curves, progress information, and recurring analyses using established templates and definitions.
• Performs basic trend, variance, productivity, and performance analysis and highlights exceptions requiring review.
• Assists with preparation of weekly, monthly, quarterly, client, and internal project review materials.
• Validates reports against source data and maintains supporting documentation and audit trails.

Team Leadership, Culture and Talent Development

• Works closely with Project Controls Specialists, Senior Project Controls Specialists, schedulers, cost engineers, analysts, and other project team members.
• Seeks feedback, applies coaching, and actively develops technical Project Controls capability and business knowledge.
• Demonstrates ownership of assigned work products, communicates status and constraints, and contributes to a collaborative Project Controls culture.
• Shares lessons learned and helpful practices with peers as experience develops.

Standards, Tools, and Continuous Improvement

• Applies enterprise Project Controls standards, procedures, tools, systems, and methodologies to assigned work.
• Maintains data quality and process compliance and promptly raises identified gaps or uncertainties.
• Supports process improvement, technology, automation, analytics, and lessons-learned initiatives.
• Performs other Project Controls duties and supports special initiatives as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Education, Experience, and Qualifications

• 4-year degree in engineering, construction management, business, finance, or related fields or
• 0 - 2 years of relevant experience in project controls or project management, preferably in building construction, or EPC.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team and independently.
• Proactive and eager to learn with a willingness to take on new responsibilities.
• Problem-solving attitude and high level of coordination skills.
• Accepts change and works well under pressure.
• Knowledge of common business tools such as Microsoft Office applications.
• Attention to detail and accuracy in data entry, documentation, and report preparation.

Travel Requirements

• Up to 25% of time will be spent traveling to project sites, client locations, regional offices, and company facilities to support project execution, embedded project controls leadership, client engagement, and business operations.

Physical/Work Environment Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Climbing stairs.
• Remaining in a stationary position, often kneeling, standing or sitting for prolonged periods.
• Repeating motions that may include the wrists, hands and/or fingers.
• Quiet environment.
• Light work that includes adjusting and/or moving objects up to 20 pounds. Operating motor vehicles.

Pay Range

USD $58,080.00 - USD $77,570.00 /Yr.

ENFRA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities, Women, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities, and participates in the e-Verify program. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color