Job Description

Job Description: Project Controls Manager

Department: Operations / Project Management

Reports To: Chief Financial & Administrative Officer (CFAO)

Location: Rosharon, TX (25% travel to project sites)

Core Values

All employees are expected to carry and exhibit the values shared by Frontline Power Construction: Safety, Honesty, Teamwork, Accountability, and Quality.

Position Summary

Frontline Power Construction is actively seeking a highly skilled and strategic Project Controls Manager to lead the development and execution of our newly formed Project Controls department. This leadership role is central to the successful delivery of high-voltage electrical substation and distribution construction projects, ensuring that all phases of execution remain on time, within budget, and aligned with the broader goals of operational excellence and client satisfaction.

The successful candidate will bring extensive expertise in cost engineering, scheduling, performance analytics, risk mitigation, and cross-departmental leadership. They will play a key role in integrating field execution with financial strategy, supporting both project delivery and executive decision-making through meaningful reporting, forecasting, and operational control.

Roles & Responsibilities

Project Controls Strategy & Leadership

• Establish the company-wide project controls framework, integrating cost, schedule, and performance tracking across all active and upcoming projects.
• Lead, mentor, and scale a team of project control professionals to support field operations and the finance team with data-driven decision-making tools.
• Develop policies, procedures, templates, and training programs to support consistent execution of project controls across business units.
• Serve as a key strategic partner to the CFAO, COO and contribute insights that support operational forecasts and enterprise-level reporting.

Cost Management & Forecasting

• Build and maintain comprehensive cost control systems to track project budgets, committed costs, actuals, and variances in real time.
• Coordinate with procurement, field, and accounting teams to maintain visibility and accuracy across purchase orders, subcontracts, labor, and materials.
• Lead cost-to-complete exercises, financial projections, and estimate-at-completion (EAC) reviews, ensuring accuracy and accountability.
• Monitor and report labor productivity, unit-based costs, and deviations from bid assumptions, with an emphasis on mitigating financial risk.

Scheduling & Resource Planning

• Develop and manage baseline schedules for all projects, integrating input from estimating, engineering, procurement, and field operations.
• Analyze schedule updates, track progress against critical paths, and proactively flag potential delays or resource conflicts.
• Integrate schedule data with field resource planning tools and billing cycles to drive financial accuracy and operational readiness.
• Provide executive-level insights on schedule risk, project phasing, and field resource allocation.

Performance Analytics & Reporting

• Deliver standardized reporting packages at the project, portfolio, and executive levels, including dashboards, cash flow projections, earned value metrics, and KPI summaries.
• Ensure visibility into key project health indicators including margin erosion, change order impacts, risk exposure, and productivity trends.
• Create automated tools for weekly and monthly reporting.
• Collaborate with field teams and PMs to review project data regularly, ensuring alignment and clarity on priorities and risks.

Change & Claims Management

• Develop and enforce consistent procedures for identifying, documenting, pricing, and processing scope changes, changing orders, and claims.
• Ensure field and PM teams are properly trained on documentation protocols, client notification timelines, and escalation procedures.
• Integrate change data into forecasts and performance reporting for full visibility into impact and recovery strategies.

Risk Identification & Mitigation

• Facilitate project-specific and portfolio-level risk assessments, helping teams document exposures, plan mitigation strategies, and monitor effectiveness.
• Track emerging risks such as weather delays, labor shortages, subcontractor issues, and material cost increases and ensure accurate modeling into project forecasts.
• Establish early warning systems through KPI tracking and exception reporting to prevent surprises and maintain control of outcomes.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Construction Management, Finance, or related field.
• Certification in project controls (e.g., CCP, PMP, AACE) is strongly preferred.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in project controls, with at least 3 years in a leadership or senior role, preferably in utility, power, or infrastructure construction.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and scale a high-performing team.
• Experience working on union labor projects, especially in substation or electrical distribution environments, is a strong plus.

Technical Expertise

• Advanced skills in construction cost control systems, including ERP integrations (e.g., Acumatica, ADP or similar).
• Mastery of scheduling tools such as MS Project, or equivalent.
• Strong data visualization and dashboarding abilities or similar (Power BI, Tableau, Excel Pivot Tables).
• Deep knowledge of job cost coding structures, unit-rate contracts, and field labor productivity benchmarking.

Leadership & Interpersonal Skills

• High emotional intelligence with the ability to lead through influence and collaboration.
• Clear and confident communicator who can translate data into actionable insights for both field and executive teams.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for continuous improvement, operational excellence, and team development.
• Able to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth, and sometimes ambiguous environment.

Working Conditions

• Hybrid role based at Frontline Power Construction’s headquarters in Rosharon, TX.
• Up to 25% travel to project sites across Texas and neighboring states.
• Must be comfortable with construction site conditions and able to engage effectively with field leadership.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary Range: $135,000 – $165,000
• Bonus: Annual discretionary performance-based bonus

 Benefits:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Paid holidays and PTO

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