Lead, Project Controls Analyst (Project Planning & Cost Controls)

Job Description

Job Description

Headquartered in the Greater Washington area, American Real Estate Partners (AREP) is a US-based leading institutional fund manager and real estate partner with over $13 billion deployed across key U.S. markets. Specializing in data center, residential, industrial, and office assets, AREP has acquired more than 34 million square feet of Class A real estate and currently manages over 25 million square feet.

PowerHouse Data Centers, a wholly owned division of AREP, is a developer and owner of next-generation data centers and provides technical real estate solutions for hyperscalers across the country. Backed by strategic joint venture partnerships, PowerHouse leverages its proven leadership and best-in-class technical expertise to deliver innovative real estate solutions. 

Position Summary

The Lead Project Controls Analyst (Lead PCA) is the authoritative subject-matter expert within Project Controls. The Lead PCA directs the standardization and implementation of project and portfolio-level financial analysis across the organization.  This role operates with complete independence, requires no oversight, and is responsible for establishing best practices, providing technical guidance, and serving as the senior analytical bridge among Project Management, Project Accounting, and Executive Leadership.  The Lead PCA oversees the most critical and complex capital projects and drives advanced, forward-looking financial strategy, governance, and corporate reporting. The Lead PCA manages the integrity and strategic use of all financial inputs that proactively manage portfolio risks, inform corporate-level decision-making, and mentor junior controls staff.

The Project Controls Specialist reports to the Program Manager, Technical Operations and has a hybrid work schedule of 4 days a week in-office and 1 day remote opportunity at HQ in McLean, VA.

Primary Responsibilities

• Forward-Looking Cost Controls
  • Direct and govern the process of supporting Project Directors and Project Teams with the generation and maintenance of budgets, multi-year forecasts, and draw schedules, optimizing capital deployment and tracking across the entire portfolio.
  • Own the development and standardization of proactive financial reports, including advanced Estimate-to-Complete (ETC) analysis, Estimate-at-Complete (EAC) analysis, and scenario-based S-Curve modeling, establishing portfolio-wide metrics and mitigation standards.
  • Review, approve, and present executive-level variance analysis (Actual vs. Budgeted vs. Projected vs. Planned), providing clear, strategic financial health narratives for Leadership.
  • Serve as the technical owner and strategist for Project Controls, driving system optimization and data governance within enterprise systems, including Northspyre and Oracle Primavera Cloud, for corporate strategic decision-making.
• Contracts and Change Management
  • Act as the final technical reviewer and approver for complex change orders and high-value invoices, guaranteeing all commitments align with contractual benchmarks and corporate policy.
  • Establish, govern, and audit the end-to-end change control process across the portfolio, implementing best practices to mitigate scope creep and ensure meticulous integration into the broader portfolio forecast and business plan.
  • Direct the management of the project contract ledger, ensuring strict compliance in tracking lien waivers and retention to satisfy rigorous joint venture and financing requirements.
  • Own the preparation and submission of project documentation required for all audit compliance and specialized tax structures.
• Schedule Controls and Executive Reporting
  • Provide technical direction to the Director of Scheduling to ensure the integrity of the Integrated Master Schedules (IMS) within Oracle Primavera Cloud (OPC), overseeing schedule performance index (SPI) data and its strategic use in executive-level decision-making.
  • Design, govern, and maintain reporting frameworks and dashboards to ensure high-fidelity, predictive visibility into portfolio risks, milestones, critical-path items, and resource constraints.
  • Own the maintenance and standardization of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) across all active and upcoming projects in the portfolio to ensure consistency and comparability.
  • Provide technical mentorship and guidance to other Project Controls Analysts and Specialists.

Key Qualifications & Competencies

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Finance, Engineering, related field or additional significant relevant working experience in lieu of degree. Candidates with Master's degree are strongly encouraged to apply.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in project controls, project accounting, or project management, with a focus on major capital projects.
• Demonstrated expert experience independently managing budgets and complex schedules for major-scale industrial, infrastructure, or data center projects is required.
• Complete mastery of advanced financial modeling in Microsoft Excel and administrative mastery of enterprise project controls software.
• Demonstrated expert proficiency with Oracle Primavera Cloud (OPC) or P6 is required.
• Ability to act as the definitive technical subject matter expert, providing leadership and mentorship to other analysts and cross-functional teams.
• Expert ability to synthesize complex, high-volume data sets into a concise "Strategic Intent" narrative suitable for Executive and Senior Leadership presentations.
• Exceptional, executive-ready communication and presentation style that prioritizes transparency, organizational alignment, and strategy.
• Proven ability to manage competing, high-priority deadlines and complex financial models across the assigned project or project set.

Benefits & Compensation

We believe our success begins with yours.

We offer a competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your eligible family members, Paid Time Off (PTO), a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), life and supplemental life insurance, and short- and long-term disability insurance. Our package also includes a 401(k) plan with an employer match, Employee Assistance Program, an Employee Discount Program, and Financial Wellness Service.

Offered base salary will be determined based on qualifications, relevant experience, geography, and scope of the role at the time of hire. This position may be eligible for an annual bonus. We welcome the opportunity to discuss a salary range higher or lower than the range posted, depending on a candidate's specific skills, experience, and qualifications.

Anticipated Base Salary Range

$140,000—$150,000 USD

AREP is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, as well as any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

If you require special accommodation, please email View email address on ziprecruiter.com.

AREP does not accept unsolicited resumes or identifiable candidate information from third-party recruiters. Any unsolicited information will not be considered for engagement purposes.