HGA is seeking a
Project Controls Manager to support client operations in
Bay Minette, Alabama. The Project Controls Manager is a senior-level position responsible for leading and enforcing project controls across an active portfolio of capital projects in the industrial sector. This role supports greenfield and brownfield projects as well as facility-level initiatives, requiring direct engagement with project teams at multiple sites simultaneously. The Project Controls Manager serves as a critical link between engineering, construction, and executive leadership - ensuring schedules are maintained, costs are controlled, and project milestones are met without exception.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop, implement, and maintain project controls frameworks across multiple concurrent capital projects, including greenfield, brownfield, and facility-level scopes.
- Establish and manage integrated master schedules (IMS) using industry-standard scheduling tools (e.g., Primavera P6, MS Project); identify critical path activities and near-critical paths.
- Monitor project progress against baseline schedules; analyze variances, identify schedule risks, and drive corrective action plans with project and construction teams.
- Oversee cost control processes including budget development, forecasting, earned value management (EVM), cost trending, and change management.
- Produce regular project controls reports - including schedule performance indices (SPI), cost performance indices (CPI), look-ahead schedules, and executive-level dashboards.
- Facilitate project controls reviews with project managers, engineering leads, and site leadership to maintain alignment on project status and deliverables.
- Enforce critical project deadlines by holding project management, engineering leadership, and construction teams accountable for deliverable commitments.
- Support project managers through all phases of project execution - from front-end loading (FEL) and detailed design through procurement, construction, commissioning, and closeout.
- Identify execution risks early and proactively escalate schedule threats to senior leadership, recommending mitigation strategies to protect project outcomes.
- Drive change management discipline; ensure all scope changes are evaluated for schedule and cost impact prior to authorization.
- Coordinate with procurement and materials management to align equipment and material delivery schedules with construction sequencing.
- Support lessons-learned processes and implement continuous improvement practices across the project controls function.
- Provide project controls support across multiple simultaneous projects at various stages of development and execution.
- Travel to project sites regularly to conduct schedule reviews, field progress assessments, and direct engagement with site project teams.
- Establish consistent project controls standards and tools across all projects; ensure uniformity in reporting, scheduling methodologies, and cost tracking practices.
- Coordinate with engineering, construction management, and owner's representatives to ensure alignment between field progress and reported schedule status.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Civil, Mechanical, Chemical, or related discipline), Construction Management, or a related field.
- Minimum 8-12 years of progressive experience in project controls, project management, or project engineering within an industrial, energy, chemical, or heavy manufacturing environment.
- Demonstrated experience managing project controls on capital projects ranging from $5M to $500M+, including both greenfield and brownfield scopes.
- Experience supporting facility-level capital projects, including maintenance-driven and capacity expansion initiatives.
- Advanced proficiency in Primavera P6 and/or Microsoft Project; experience building and maintaining complex, resource-loaded schedules.
- Strong working knowledge of earned value management (EVM) principles and cost control methodologies.
- Technical literacy across multiple engineering disciplines, including Civil/Structural, Electrical & Instrumentation (E&I), Mechanical/Piping, and Process engineering - sufficient to evaluate scope, assess progress, and identify schedule drivers within each discipline.
- Familiarity with front-end project development phases (FEL 1-3 / FEED), detailed design workflows, construction execution, and commissioning/startup activities.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint); experience with project controls software and reporting platforms (e.g., PRISM, Unifier, Power BI) preferred.
- Proven ability to influence and hold accountable project managers, engineering leads, and construction personnel at all levels of an organization.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to present project status clearly and concisely to executive leadership.
- Experience leading project controls teams or mentoring junior controls engineers and schedulers.
- Collaborative mindset with the ability to operate effectively within matrix project organizations across owner and contractor interfaces.
Preferred Qualifications
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or AACE International certification (PSP, CEP, or CCP).
- Experience serving in an Owner's Representative or EPCM project controls role.
- Familiarity with industrial sectors such as refining, petrochemicals, food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, metals & mining, or power generation.
- Experience implementing project controls on projects subject to regulatory or environmental permitting constraints.
Work Conditions & Travel
- This position requires significant travel - up to 50% or more - to support active project sites across multiple geographic locations.
- Site visits may include industrial facilities and active construction sites; adherence to all applicable safety protocols and PPE requirements is mandatory.
- Ability to manage competing project priorities and work effectively under deadline pressure across a dynamic, multi-project environment.
- Remote or hybrid work arrangements may be available when not traveling, depending on project demands.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled
