Project Controls Specialist (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 Project Controls Specialist (PCS) is responsible for the full financial and schedule reporting package for an assigned project or project set, serving as the primary point of contact for its data integrity. Working independently within that scope, the Specialist keeps operational data accurate, synchronized, and actionable across Project Management, Project Accounting, and project leadership. The Specialist synthesizes cost and schedule data to identify emerging risk before it becomes variance, develops and maintains the primary financial inputs that drive the Project Team dashboards, and informally guides team members on tools and reporting standards.

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
  • Independently lead the generation and maintenance of complex project budgets, multi-year forecasts, and draw schedules in collaboration with Project Directors, optimizing capital deployment and tracking across the assigned project or project set.
  • Develop and standardize proactive financial reports, including advanced Estimate-to-Complete (ETC) and Estimate-at-Complete (EAC) analyses and scenario-based S-Curve modeling, to predict and mitigate potential budget variances.
  • Conduct and present variance analysis (Actual vs. Budgeted vs. Projected vs. Planned) directly to Project Directors, providing clear, actionable financial health narratives for the assigned project or project set.
  • Serve as the primary liaison and system owner for Finance and Accounting, ensuring data integrity across enterprise systems, including Northspyre and Oracle Primavera Cloud, to support strategic decision-making.
• Contracts and Change Management
  • Lead the financial validation and processing of complex change orders and high-value invoices, guaranteeing all commitments align with contractual benchmarks and project logic.
  • Manage the end-to-end change control process, implementing best practices to mitigate scope creep and ensuring every financial adjustment is meticulously documented and integrated into the broader portfolio forecast and business plan.
  • Directly manage the project contract ledger, ensuring strict compliance in tracking lien waivers and retention to satisfy rigorous joint venture and financing requirements.
  • Lead the preparation and submission of project documentation required for quarterly audit compliance and specialized tax structures.
• Schedule Controls and Executive Reporting
  • Collaborate closely with the Director of Scheduling to oversee the integrity of the Integrated Master Schedules (IMS) within Oracle Primavera Cloud (OPC), analyzing schedule performance index (SPI) data to inform executive-level decision-making.
  • Design, develop, and maintain executive reporting frameworks and dashboards that provide high-fidelity, predictive visibility into project risks, milestones, critical path items, and workforce constraints.
  • Support the standardization of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) across all active and upcoming projects in the portfolio to ensure consistency and comparability.

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.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in project controls, project accounting, or project management, with a focus on major capital projects.
• Demonstrated experience independently managing budgets and complex schedules for major-scale industrial, infrastructure, or data center projects is required.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (especially financial modeling in Excel) and working proficiency with enterprise project controls software.
• Demonstrated working proficiency with Oracle Primavera Cloud (OPC) or P6 is required.
• Reputation, Relationships & Stakeholder Trust: Ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships across cross-functional teams, acting as a trusted point of contact for both technical project leads and financial partners.
• Communication & Influence: Ability to synthesize project data into a concise narrative and present variance analysis and RAID updates directly to Project Directors.
• Technical & Functional Expertise: Working mastery and demonstrated use of industry-standard project management and accounting tools, with a focus on Northspyre and Oracle Primavera Cloud (OPC) or P6.
• Agility & Adaptability: Proven ability to manage competing, high-priority deadlines and complex financial models across the assigned project or project set.
• Communication Style: Clear, professional communication and presentation style that prioritizes transparency, accuracy, and organizational alignment.

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

$130,000—$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 us.fitly.work.

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