Program Controls Lead

Program Controls Lead

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OVERVIEW

The Program Controls Lead is a senior leadership role within the Center of Excellence (COE), responsible for integrating cost controls, estimating, scheduling, forecasting, and program-level financial visibility across the portfolio. This role leads both the Cost Controls and Scheduling functions and establishes the operational rigor, governance standards, and analytical frameworks required to support predictable program delivery and long-term capital planning alignment. Reporting directly to the COE Lead, the Program Controls Lead drives consistency across estimating, schedule governance, forecasting, benchmarking, and portfolio analytics. The role partners closely with Project Delivery, Design Enablement, PMO, Innovation, and client stakeholders to improve program predictability, support financial stewardship objectives, and strengthen integration between cost, schedule, and capital planning activities. The role operates as an enterprise enablement and governance function. It provides leadership oversight, portfolio-level visibility, and strategic controls integration while supporting early-phase planning, program forecasting, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Job Summary/Goals

This role provides program-wide leadership for integrated controls functions within the COE. Key goals include:

• Lead and integrate the Cost Controls and Scheduling teams under a unified program controls structure
• Establish and enforce program-wide controls governance, estimating standards, scheduling discipline, and forecasting methodologies
• Improve cost and schedule predictability through benchmarking, analytics, and risk visibility
• Support client financial stewardship objectives through disciplined controls processes and reporting alignment
• Strengthen integration between estimating, scheduling, constructability, and delivery planning
• Support evolving capital planning and portfolio forecasting capabilities through program-level controls insights and analytics
• Provide leadership focus on recovery planning, forecasting accuracy, process efficiency, and continuous improvement
• Partner closely with COE functional leaders and client stakeholders to align priorities, staffing, reporting, and operational focus areas

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Program Controls Leadership & Governance

• Own program-wide controls governance frameworks across estimating, scheduling, forecasting, and reporting
• Establish integrated controls standards, methodologies, and performance expectations across the portfolio
• Ensure alignment between cost, schedule, scope, and delivery assumptions at all major program milestones
• Provide leadership oversight for estimating rigor, schedule integrity, forecasting accuracy, and controls consistency
• Serve as the senior escalation point for program controls risks, variances, recovery concerns, and confidence gaps
• Drive accountability for timely, defensible, and data-driven controls outputs

Cost Controls & Estimating Leadership

• Lead program estimating functions across scoping, engineered drawing, and final pricing phases
• Ensure consistent application of estimating assumptions, exclusions, qualifications, and risk documentation
• Oversee development and validation of scoping budgets, engineered drawing budgets, and final pricing estimates
• Support bid review processes focused on pricing reasonableness, scope completeness, and benchmarking consistency
• Lead portfolio-level benchmarking initiatives, market intelligence tracking, and pricing trend analysis
• Identify recurring cost drivers, scope gaps, and estimating accuracy trends to improve predictability
• Support future-state change order benchmarking and unit pricing analysis initiatives

Scheduling & Planning Leadership

• Lead program scheduling governance and standards across the portfolio
• Establish consistent schedule development, milestone management, reporting, and forecasting practices
• Ensure alignment between schedule assumptions, procurement strategy, delivery sequencing, and cost forecasts
• Partner with Project Delivery and PMO teams to identify schedule risks, recovery opportunities, and resource impacts
• Support integrated schedule analytics and portfolio reporting to improve program visibility and decision-making
• Promote proactive planning disciplines to reduce reactive execution and improve throughput capacity

Forecasting, Analytics & Capital Planning

• Support Lead portfolio-level forecasting and controls analytics efforts across cost and schedule performance
• Develop standardized reporting and variance narratives for executive leadership and client stakeholders
• Maintain program-level controls dashboards, assumption logs, and risk registers
• Support long-range planning efforts through integrated controls insights and trend analysis
• Contribute controls expertise to evolving capital planning and financial stewardship initiatives
• Provide early warning indicators and scenario analysis to support strategic decision-making and recovery planning

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop the Cost Controls and Scheduling teams
• Establish performance expectations, workload prioritization, and quality standards across both functions
• Create development pathways and succession planning for controls team members
• Promote collaboration between Estimators, Schedulers, Design, PMO, Delivery teams
• Ensure staffing models and resource allocation align with program priorities and workload demands

Process Improvement & Innovation

• Lead controls process improvement initiatives focused on efficiency, consistency, and scalability
• Support implementation of program controls innovation initiatives, analytics tools, and reporting enhancements

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