Job Title: Project Control Manager
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Company: Confidential
Role Overview:
We are seeking a highly experienced and analytical Project Control Manager to lead and oversee all project controls functions including cost control, planning and scheduling, risk management, change management, and performance reporting across the organization's portfolio of construction and infrastructure projects. The role is responsible for establishing project control frameworks, monitoring project performance against baselines, providing data-driven insights to senior management, and ensuring projects are delivered within approved scope, budget, and schedule. This position plays a critical role in safeguarding project financial health, enabling informed decision-making, driving performance improvement, and supporting the successful delivery of large-scale projects.
Key Responsibilities:
Project Controls Framework & Governance
- Establish, implement, and continuously improve project controls policies, procedures, systems, and standards across all projects.
- Define and maintain project controls governance frameworks including cost management, scheduling, earned value management (EVM), change management, and risk management protocols.
- Develop and enforce project controls work breakdown structures (WBS), cost breakdown structures (CBS), and coding structures aligned with organizational and contractual requirements.
- Ensure consistent application of project controls methodologies across all active projects.
- Lead the development and implementation of project controls tools, templates, and reporting frameworks.
Cost Management & Control
- Oversee project cost management including budgeting, cost estimation, cost tracking, forecasting, and variance analysis across the project portfolio.
- Develop and maintain project budgets, cost baselines, and cash flow projections.
- Monitor actual costs against approved budgets, identify deviations, and recommend corrective actions.
- Manage cost reporting including monthly cost reports, cost-to-complete (CTC), estimate-at-completion (EAC), and earned value analysis.
- Review and validate contractor payment applications, progress claims, and variation orders from a cost control perspective.
- Coordinate with procurement, finance, and project teams to track commitments, expenditures, and accruals.
- Identify cost-saving opportunities, value engineering initiatives, and efficiency improvements.
- Manage contingency drawdown tracking and escalation reporting.
Planning, Scheduling & Progress Monitoring
- Oversee the development, review, and maintenance of project master schedules, baseline programs, and look-ahead schedules using Primavera P6 or equivalent scheduling tools.
- Monitor project progress against approved schedules, identify critical path activities, and highlight schedule risks and delays.
- Conduct schedule analysis including critical path analysis, float analysis, delay analysis, and time impact assessments.
- Review and approve contractor schedules, recovery plans, and acceleration proposals.
- Prepare schedule performance reports including Schedule Performance Index (SPI), schedule variance, and milestone tracking.
- Ensure alignment between project schedules and procurement plans, resource plans, and construction sequences.
- Support Extension of Time (EOT) assessments and claims analysis from a scheduling perspective.
Earned Value Management (EVM)
- Implement and manage earned value management systems to integrate cost and schedule performance measurement.
- Calculate and report key EVM metrics including Cost Performance Index (CPI), Schedule Performance Index (SPI), Earned Value (EV), Planned Value (PV), Actual Cost (AC), and Estimate at Completion (EAC).
- Analyze EVM data to identify performance trends, forecast project outcomes, and recommend corrective actions.
- Prepare S-curve analysis, performance dashboards, and trend reports for management review.
- Ensure EVM methodologies are consistently applied and understood by project teams.
Change Management
- Manage the project change management process including identification, evaluation, approval, and implementation of scope, cost, and schedule changes.
- Maintain change order registers, variation logs, and impact assessments.
- Evaluate the cost and schedule impact of proposed changes and provide recommendations to project management.
- Ensure all changes are properly documented, approved through established workflows, and reflected in project baselines.
- Coordinate with contracts, commercial, and project teams on change management activities.
Risk Management
- Lead project risk identification, assessment, quantification, and mitigation activities.
- Develop and maintain project risk registers, risk matrices, and risk response plans.
- Conduct quantitative risk analysis including Monte Carlo simulations and sensitivity analysis where applicable.
- Monitor risk triggers, track mitigation actions, and report on risk status to project management.
- Facilitate risk workshops and reviews with project teams, contractors, and stakeholders.
- Integrate risk management outcomes into cost contingency and schedule reserve planning.
Reporting & Performance Analysis
- Prepare comprehensive monthly project controls reports including cost reports, schedule updates, EVM analysis, risk reports, and executive dashboards.
- Develop and maintain project controls dashboards and KPI trackers for senior management and stakeholders.
- Provide data-driven insights, trend analysis, and forecasting to support project decision-making.
- Prepare executive summaries, board reports, and investor updates on project performance.
- Ensure timely and accurate reporting aligned with organizational and contractual requirements.
- Present project performance findings and recommendations to project directors, senior management, and clients.
Contract & Commercial Support
- Support contract administration from a project controls perspective including payment certification, claims analysis, and dispute resolution.
- Provide cost and schedule analysis for contractual claims, EOT assessments, and commercial negotiations.
- Review and validate contractor progress measurements, milestone achievements, and deliverable completions.
- Support procurement activities with cost estimates, budget allocations, and financial analysis.
Team Leadership & Development
- Lead, manage, and develop the project controls team including cost controllers, planners/schedulers, and project controls engineers.
- Set clear performance objectives, conduct regular performance reviews, and provide coaching and professional development.
- Foster a culture of analytical rigor, continuous improvement, and excellence within the project controls function.
- Provide training and guidance to project teams on project controls processes, tools, and best practices.
- Ensure adequate resources and capacity within the project controls team to support the project portfolio.
Systems & Technology
- Oversee the implementation and management of project controls software and systems including Primavera P6, MS Project, Oracle ERP, cost management platforms, and reporting tools.
- Drive digital transformation and automation initiatives within the project controls function.
- Ensure data integrity, system integration, and accurate data management across all project controls platforms.
- Evaluate and recommend new project controls technologies, tools, and solutions.
Stakeholder Coordination
- Collaborate with project management, engineering, procurement, construction, finance, and commercial teams to align project controls activities with project delivery objectives.
- Coordinate with clients, consultants, and contractors on project controls matters including reporting requirements, baseline approvals, and performance reviews.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Participate in project review meetings, steering committees, and management reporting sessions.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical), Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, or a related field (mandatory).
- Fluency in English (written and spoken) is mandatory.
- Proficiency in Arabic is preferred.
- Minimum 12-15 years of progressive experience in project controls with at least 5 years in a managerial or leadership role.
- Proven experience managing project controls functions on large-scale construction, infrastructure, data center, or industrial projects.
- Expert proficiency in Primavera P6 (mandatory) and strong knowledge of MS Project.
- Strong hands-on experience with earned value management (EVM), cost control, and schedule analysis.
- Experience with Oracle ERP, SAP, or similar enterprise systems.
- Strong knowledge of FIDIC contracts, claims management, and commercial processes.
- Professional certifications such as PMP, PSP (Planning & Scheduling Professional), CCP (Certified Cost Professional), or EVP (Earned Value Professional) are preferred.
- MBA or Master's degree in Construction Management, Project Management, or related field is an advantage.
- Active membership with the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) is preferred.
