Project Controls Manager

Project Controls Manager - Data Centre / Mission Critical Projects

Position Summary

The Project Controls Manager is responsible for leading and implementing all project controls functions across large-scale data centre and mission critical projects. The role provides strategic oversight of planning, scheduling, cost management, risk management, change control, progress measurement, forecasting, and project reporting to ensure successful project delivery.

Working closely with Project Directors, Commercial Managers, Construction Managers, Commissioning Teams, and Client Stakeholders, the Project Controls Manager establishes and maintains robust project governance and performance management processes throughout the project lifecycle, from design and procurement through construction, commissioning, integrated systems testing (IST), and handover.

The role serves as the single point of accountability for project performance measurement and controls, ensuring accurate forecasting, early identification of risks and opportunities, and timely decision-making to achieve project objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all project controls functions across the project lifecycle.
• Establish project controls procedures, standards, governance frameworks, and reporting requirements.
• Develop and implement integrated cost and schedule control systems.
• Ensure alignment between planning, commercial, procurement, construction, and commissioning teams.
• Act as the primary advisor to the Project Director on project performance and key delivery risks.
• Drive a culture of proactive project controls and continuous improvement.

Planning & Scheduling Management

• Oversee the development and maintenance of integrated project schedules.
• Manage Planning Leads, Schedulers, and Project Control Engineers.
• Ensure programme integrity and compliance with Critical Path Methodology (CPM).
• Review schedule logic, critical path activities, resource loading, and forecasting.
• Validate contractor schedules and ensure integration into the master programme.
• Monitor progress against baseline milestones and contractual completion dates.
• Lead schedule recovery and acceleration planning where required.

Cost Management & Forecasting

• Establish project budgets, control accounts, and cost reporting systems.
• Manage project cost reporting and forecasting processes.
• Track commitments, expenditures, accruals, and cash flow forecasts.
• Analyse cost performance and identify trends impacting project outcomes.
• Monitor contingency utilisation and forecast final project costs.
• Produce monthly Estimate at Completion (EAC) and Estimate to Complete (ETC) reporting.
• Support commercial teams with financial performance analysis.

Change Management

• Establish and maintain project change control processes.
• Review and assess impacts of design, procurement, construction, and commissioning changes.
• Quantify schedule and cost impacts resulting from scope changes.
• Ensure changes are evaluated, approved, tracked, and reported appropriately.
• Maintain change registers and project control logs.

Risk Management

• Lead project risk identification and mitigation processes.
• Facilitate risk workshops with internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain project risk registers.
• Monitor mitigation actions and ownership responsibilities.
• Support quantitative schedule and cost risk analysis.
• Identify emerging project threats and opportunities and provide mitigation recommendations.

Data Centre & Mission Critical Controls

• Monitor and control project performance across critical systems including:
• Medium Voltage (MV) Infrastructure
• Low Voltage (LV) Systems
• UPS Systems
• Standby Generators
• Fuel Systems
• Chilled Water Systems
• CRAH/CRAC Systems
• Electrical Distribution
• BMS/EPMS Systems
• Fire Suppression Systems
• Structured Cabling
• Security Systems
• Coordinate controls activities associated with:
• Mechanical Completion
• System Completion
• Turnover Packages
• Commissioning Activities
• Integrated Systems Testing (IST)
• Client Acceptance Testing
• Operational Readiness
• Support phased energisation and live environment planning activities.

Performance Reporting

• Develop executive dashboards and performance reporting systems.
• Prepare weekly and monthly client reports.
• Report key performance indicators across schedule, cost, risk, quality, and commissioning readiness.
• Present project controls data to senior leadership and client teams.
• Produce earned value reports and project health assessments.
• Maintain accurate progress measurement and reporting processes.

Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for project controls matters.
• Interface directly with client project controls teams.
• Coordinate with consultants, contractors, commissioning managers, and supply chain partners.
• Support project governance meetings and executive reporting forums.
• Present project status, risks, and recovery strategies to senior stakeholders.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead project controls teams across multiple workstreams and project phases.
• Manage planners, schedulers, cost controllers, and project controls engineers.
• Mentor project controls personnel and support professional development.
• Establish best practice methodologies and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support recruitment and workforce planning activities.

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, Quantity Surveying, Finance, or related discipline.
• 12 years of experience in project controls, planning, cost management, or programme management.
• 5 years of experience leading project controls functions on major capital projects.
• Proven experience delivering complex data centre, mission critical, pharmaceutical, industrial, semiconductor, or infrastructure projects.
• Experience managing projects exceeding £250m / $300m in value.
• Strong understanding of project lifecycle management from design through commissioning and handover.
• Advanced understanding of scheduling, cost control, forecasting, risk management, and change management.

Candidates coming from a data centre, mission-critical, EPC/EPCM, construction consultancy or major contractor environment will be particularly well suited to the position.

ES2

Pay: $90.00 - $130.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40.0 – 60.0 per week

Work Location: In person

Salary : $90 - $130