Project Controls Manager

About the Company

Our client is a leading international technical engineering and construction partner operating across the UK, Ireland, North America and Mainland Europe. They specialise in delivering complex design-and-build projects across the Data Centre, Pharmaceutical, Food, Logistics and Advanced Manufacturing sectors. The company is committed to delivering high-quality projects safely, efficiently and to the highest standards.

About the Role

Project Controls Manager Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA Project: Large-Scale Data Centre Construction Team: Operations Reports To: Project Director / Senior Project Manager Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent Position Overview We are seeking an experienced Project Controls Manager to oversee project planning, scheduling, cost control, forecasting and performance reporting on a large-scale, missioncritical data centre construction project in Indianapolis, Indiana. The successful candidate will be responsible for establishing and managing project controls processes, monitoring progress against programme milestones, identifying potential risks and ensuring that project delivery remains aligned with budget, schedule and contractual requirements. This position requires strong experience in complex construction environments, ideally within data centres, mission-critical facilities or large-scale industrial projects.

Responsibilities

• Key Responsibilities

Project Planning & Scheduling

• Oversee the development, implementation and maintenance of detailed project schedules using Primavera P6.
• Establish and maintain baseline schedules, critical path analysis and project milestones.
• Monitor construction progress against planned activities, identifying delays and potential programme risks.
• Coordinate with construction managers, superintendents, subcontractors and engineering teams to ensure accurate schedule updates.
• Develop short-term and long-term look-ahead schedules.
• Support schedule recovery planning and mitigation strategies where necessary.

Cost Control & Financial Management

• Manage project budgets, cost tracking, expenditure monitoring and financial forecasting.
• Monitor actual project costs against approved budgets and identify potential cost overruns.
• Develop and maintain cost reports, cash flow forecasts and Estimate at Completion (EAC) projections.
• Support the assessment of variations, change orders and their associated cost and schedule impacts.
• Work closely with commercial and project management teams to maintain accurate financial reporting.
• Monitor subcontractor cost performance and commitments.

Project Performance & Reporting

• Establish and monitor project Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Produce weekly and monthly project controls reports covering schedule, cost, progress and risk.
• Monitor productivity, resource utilisation and construction progress.
• Develop project dashboards to provide management with clear visibility of project performance.
• Analyse project data and provide recommendations to improve delivery efficiency.
• Present progress reports and forecasts to senior management and project stakeholders.

Risk Management & Change Control

• Identify and assess risks that could impact project cost, schedule or delivery.
• Maintain project risk registers and support mitigation planning.
• Manage project change control procedures and assess the impact of variations on the overall programme.
• Support delay analysis and schedule impact assessments.
• Work with project leadership to develop recovery strategies where project performance falls behind expectations.

Stakeholder & Subcontractor Coordination

• Collaborate closely with Project Managers, Construction Managers, Superintendents and engineering teams.
• Coordinate with electrical, mechanical and civil subcontractors to obtain accurate progress updatesAttend project coordination meetings and communicate schedule and cost performance.
• Support client reporting requirements and project review meetings.
• Ensure subcontractors provide accurate scheduling, forecasting and progress information.

Data Centre Project Delivery

• Monitor key construction milestones associated with civil, structural, architectural, mechanical and electrical packages.
• Track delivery and installation of critical infrastructure, including switchgear, UPS systems, generators, cooling systems and power distribution equipment.
• Coordinate scheduling interfaces between construction, testing and commissioning teams.
• Support integrated commissioning schedules, system energisation and handover milestones.
• Identify potential schedule conflicts between trades and critical equipment deliveries.

Qualifications

Qualifications & Experience Required

• Minimum 7–10 years of experience in project controls, planning or cost management within construction or engineering.
• Previous experience as a Project Controls Manager, Senior Project Controls Engineer, Planning Manager or similar position.
• Strong background working on large-scale commercial, industrial or mission-critical construction projects.
• Proven experience managing integrated project schedules, cost controls and financial forecasts.
• Advanced proficiency in Primavera P6 and Microsoft Excel.
• Strong understanding of critical path methodology (CPM), earned value management and project reporting.
• Experience managing project risks, change control and schedule recovery.
• Ability to interpret project schedules, construction documentation, cost reports and contractual requirements.
• Strong communication, analytical and leadership skills.
• Ability to work full-time on site in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Required Skills

• Core Competencies
• Project Planning & Scheduling
• Cost Control & Financial Forecasting
• Primavera P6 & Critical Path Analysis
• Risk Management & Mitigation
• Earned Value Management
• Change Management
• Construction Progress Monitoring
• Mission-Critical Construction
• Stakeholder Management
• Leadership & Communication

Preferred Skills

Preferred

• Previous experience delivering hyperscale data centres or other mission-critical facilities is ideal but not required.
• Experience working for a general contractor or major construction contractor.
• Familiarity with complex MEP installations, electrical infrastructure and commissioning sequences.
• Experience using Power BI, Procore, CMiC, MS Project or other project management systems.
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management