Project Controls Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Project Controls Specialist Position Summary We are seeking an experienced Project Controls Specialist to support complex capital projects across utility projects. This individual will play a critical role in cost analysis, forecasting, reporting, earned value management, contractor oversight, and project controls execution from planning through closeout. The ideal candidate brings 8+ years of project-based experience supporting both owner-side and EPC projects, with a strong background in shutdowns, turnarounds, capital expansion, outage support, and large-scale construction programs. This person will be responsible for maintaining cost visibility, improving reporting accuracy, supporting project teams with timely financial data, and ensuring alignment between budget, schedule, and field execution. Key Responsibilities:

• Develop, maintain, and analyze project budgets, forecasts, commitments, accruals, and cost reports.
• Provide project controls leadership across multiple phases including planning, execution, turnaround/outage support, and closeout.
• Track and report actuals vs. forecast, percent complete, productivity, commitments, and earned value metrics.
• Prepare and distribute daily, weekly, and monthly reports for project teams and executive leadership.
• Support shutdowns, turnarounds, outages, and capital projects with cost tracking, staffing visibility, and contractor reporting.
• Manage force reporting, labor tracking, contractor participation, and resource utilization
• Partner with schedulers and project managers to ensure alignment between cost, schedule, and field progress.
• Monitor project changes, maintain change logs, and support change management processes.
• Assist in development of project estimates, including support through AFE or approval stages.
• Review procurement status, purchase orders, invoice workflows, and material commitments.
• Support contractor performance oversight and validate progress, deliverables, and reporting accuracy.
• Build and maintain S-curves, productivity reports, headcount reports, dashboards, and executive summaries.
• Interface with operations, engineering, maintenance, turnaround, construction, procurement, and finance teams.
• Support software setup, reporting improvements, onboarding, and process streamlining for project controls tools.
• Provide project control systems and reporting structures from inception through execution.

Required Qualifications:

• No degree required—commensurate experience is acceptable.
• 10+ years of experience in cost engineering, project controls, cost control, or project management support
• Strong experience in EPC, owner-side capital projects, refinery, petrochemical, oil & gas, utilities, or power environments
• Demonstrated experience supporting shutdowns, turnarounds, outages, and major capital projects

• Proven background in:
  • Cost forecasting
  • Budget tracking
  • Accruals
  • Earned value management
  • Contractor reporting
  • Progress measurement
  • Change management
  • Executive reporting
• Strong knowledge of project controls processes across the full project lifecycle.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including pivot tables, formulas, reporting tools, and automation.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work across multidisciplinary teams and present project data clearly to stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting projects in excess of multi-million to billion-dollar capital value.
• Background with annual outages, reactor outage support, refinery turnarounds, or large plant shutdowns.
• Experience leading coordination meetings and supporting cross-functional project teams.
• Familiarity with contractor timesheet systems, force reporting tools, and procurement tracking.
• PMI membership or project controls-related training/certification preferred.

Technical Skills: Proficient in enterprise and project management systems, including SAP, Oracle Primavera P6, Procore, InEight, Power BI, Microsoft Access and Excel, IBM Maximo, SAP Ariba and BusinessObjects, Oracle SQL, JD Edwards, EcoSys, Toad for Oracle, Aconex, EPMS, and GCAS. Core Competencies: Expertise in cost engineering, project controls, forecasting, risk and change management, trend identification, planning and scheduling leadership, team alignment, portfolio and executive reporting, S-curve development, estimate enhancement, SOX accrual support, process improvement, and contractor coordination. Ref: #192-Precision San Antonio