Engineering Program Manager Jobs in Columbia, SC

Freese and Nichols is looking for a Program Controls Leader to join our team. As our national footprint continues to grow, we are considering qualified candidates in any Freese and Nichols location. This is a company-wide leadership role responsible for leading Program Controls at Freese and Nichols, Inc. Program Controls is the application of Project Controls in a Program Management context.

What You'll Do

• Partner closely with Program Management Leadership to design and implement program controls strategies, strategic initiatives, best practices, and digital solutions that deliver maximum value to internal and external clients
• Lead and manage Program Controls staff, including recruitment, supervision, assignments, and retention.
• Promote collaboration across practices to ensure consistent execution and delivery of program controls services.
• Oversee program controls for large, highly strategic, and complex programs.
• Provide senior-level direction to ensure program controls activities align with organizational strategy.
• Coordinate multiple projects within a program to ensure integration and alignment with overall objectives.
• Drive process improvements and strengthen collaboration among project teams.
• Identify and manage interdependencies across programs and projects, applying advanced risk mitigation strategies.
• Assist Project Manager in conflict resolution efforts to maintain optimal program performance.
• Support advanced resource planning and allocation to enhance efficiency and productivity.
• Introduce innovative approaches that exceed program goals and support broader organizational success.
• Provide expert oversight and guidance to program and project controls teams to ensure effective execution.
• Deliver clear, concise, and actionable communications to program teams, stakeholders, and senior leadership.
• Assist program managers, program teams, stakeholders, and senior leadership in preparing and delivering the program controls message and capabilities to clients.

Ideal candidate will present extensive professional experience in a Program Controls leadership role.
Knowledge

• Provides strategic and visionary leadership for program controls, aligning practices with broader organizational goals.
• Applies deep expertise to strengthen and advance program controls capabilities.
• Possesses comprehensive knowledge of program controls principles and significant experience contributing thought leadership and discipline development.
• Recognized within the industry as a leading authority in program controls, with experience managing major client programs.
• Considered a subject matter expert and key contributor in the field of program controls.
• Clearly understands and articulates the distinctions between program controls and project controls functions.

Technical Excellence

• Provides strategic oversight of program controls processes, tools, methodologies, and decision-making to ensure successful delivery and organizational alignment.
• Demonstrates exceptional expertise in establishing and maintaining robust baselines, monitoring performance, and delivering meaningful analysis to support proactive program management and evidence-based decisions.
• Applies advanced technical proficiency in both project and program controls, demonstrating mastery-level competencies.

Leadership

• Cultivates a collaborative, high-performing, and positive team environment.
• Proven senior leader with a strong record of driving performance and achieving organizational objectives.
• Contributes to the profession through thought leadership, publications, conference participation, and professional association involvement.
• Champions best practices, positioning the organization as a leader in program controls.
• Stays current with emerging trends and industry developments.
• Demonstrates advanced program management leadership capabilities.
• Mentors, develops, and evaluates team members at all levels.
• Actively recruits and supports retention of top talent.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in project management, engineering, architecture, business, building construction, construction management, or equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years of experience working and leading in the program controls environment.
• 5+ years of experience leading program controls for a company or a business line within a company.
• Experience developing, maintaining, and utilizing interactive dashboards and data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, and similar AI-enabled analytics platforms)
• Demonstrated proficiency in program controls and related interdependencies.
• Willingness to travel frequently as needed to meet project and client requirements.

Preferred

• Professional Engineer (PE) or Registered Architect (RA) or Certified Construction Manager (CCM) or Project Management Professional (PMP).
• Experience developing team and professional growth path (program controls and estimators and schedulers
• Software experience with Oracle, Power BI, Excel Modeling or Power Query, SAP, Share Point, Projectmates, Procore, other PMIS Databases, Tableau
• Active participation in professional organizations and continuing education. Preference to participation in professional organization leadership roles and history of presenting at regional and national conferences.

At the heart of our culture is our LEADS values (Learn continuously, Engage as family, Act with integrity, Deliver quality, and Serve always). Each year, our employee engagement survey confirms that our leaders and our employees live our values.

We strive to be the firm of choice for clients and employees through innovative approaches, practical results, and outstanding service. For more than 130 years, we have been planning and designing the infrastructure our communities need: developing water supplies, designing roadways and bridges, preparing for natural disasters, and much more.

Besides our comprehensive benefits package (see more at Benefits That Work for You), we offer paid overtime for salaried employees, an annual bonus, and access to company cabins in Red River, New Mexico and Banner Elk, North Carolina. We are proud of our flexible work environment which includes a hybrid schedule with up to 40% of remote work, and an alternative work schedule program which provides a day off every other Friday.

Join our team of 1,300+ employees as we grow from Virginia to Colorado. Learn more about working here at Working at Freese and Nichols.

Freese and Nichols is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and prohibits employment discrimination for employees and applicants based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws.