Project Controls Manager

Position Summary

The Project Controls Manager ensures that project systems, budgets, schedules, and reporting processes are established and maintained in accordance with company standards. This role supports project managers and operations teams by maintaining consistent processes for budgeting, forecasting, cost tracking, equipment allocation, and production reporting across all projects.

Project Controls focuses on system governance, data integrity, and process standardization to ensure project information is reliable and consistent throughout the project lifecycle. By maintaining accurate systems and structured controls, the position enables project managers to effectively manage project performance and provides leadership with clear, dependable operational data.

The Project Controls Manager works across departments including Operations, Estimating, Equipment, Accounting, and HR to ensure project information flows correctly between systems and that company procedures for project controls are consistently followed.

Key Responsibilities

System & Data Governance

- Oversee project setup and budget integration across company systems (HeavyBid, HeavyJob, Foundation, and scheduling platforms).

- Ensure budgets, cost codes, and quantities are correctly transferred from estimating systems into execution and accounting systems.

- Maintain consistency of cost coding, equipment allocation, and reporting structures across all projects.

- Manage system synchronization between project management, accounting, equipment, and payroll systems.

- Develop and maintain standardized project controls procedures and workflows.

Budget & Estimate Conformity

- Coordinate the transition of awarded estimates into execution-ready project budgets.

- Ensure estimates are aligned with contract scope, company cost code standards, and operational execution plans.

- Support project teams in establishing accurate baseline budgets and production tracking structures.

- Protect the integrity of historical cost and production data for future estimating.

Equipment Controls & Cost Integration

- Develop and maintain equipment rate structures for owned and rented equipment.

- Ensure proper allocation and reconciliation of equipment costs across projects.

- Establish processes for equipment utilization tracking and cost recovery.

- Coordinate equipment cost integration between operations, accounting, and estimating systems.

Production & Historical Data Management

- Ensure projects are accurately tracking quantities, production rates, and costs.

- Maintain reliable historical production and cost data to support future estimating and operational planning.

- Identify inconsistencies in production tracking or cost reporting and implement corrective controls.

Forecasting & Cost Oversight

- Support project teams in maintaining accurate cost-to-complete forecasts and financial reporting.

- Identify cost variances and trends that may impact project performance.

- Provide operational insights to project managers and leadership to support proactive decision-making.

Cross-Department Integration

- Coordinate with Estimating to ensure alignment between bid structures and execution budgets.

- Collaborate with Accounting to maintain accurate job cost reporting and financial reconciliation.

- Work with Equipment Management to ensure proper equipment cost tracking and rate application.

- Support HR and Payroll processes related to labor cost tracking, certified payroll compliance, and project labor reporting.

Reporting & Operational Support

- Develop standardized reporting tools that provide clear visibility into project cost, production, and equipment performance.

- Assist leadership in monitoring company-wide operational performance metrics.

- Participate in project and operational review meetings to provide insights on cost and production data.

- Identify gaps or lapses in systems and provide viable solutions.

Process Improvement & Controls Development

- Identify opportunities to improve project controls processes, system integration, and reporting accuracy.

- Implement best practices that strengthen forecasting reliability and financial transparency.

- Support the development of company-wide project controls standards and procedures.

Qualifications

Required

* Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Finance, Business, or a related field.

* 3-7 years of experience in project controls, cost control, or project management within the construction industry.

* Strong understanding of construction project lifecycle, estimating, budgeting, scheduling, and cost management.

* Experience with project controls software such as Primavera P6, Heavy Construction System Specialist (HCSS), Foundation (accounting software), or similar tools.

* Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and project reporting tools.

* Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

* Excellent communication and collaboration abilities.

Preferred

* Familiarity with ERP systems used in construction (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Procore, or similar).

* Professional certifications such as PMP, CCP (Certified Cost Professional), or PSP (Planning & Scheduling Professional).

* Experience working on large-scale commercial, industrial, or infrastructure construction projects.

Benefits

* Medical

* Dental

* Vision

* 401k with employer match

Spencer Construction is a drug and alcohol-free workplace, requiring mandatory pre-employment drug testing as allowed by applicable laws.

Spencer Construction is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Spencer Construction does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.