The Senior Project Controls Specialist supports project management in budgeting, scheduling, performance monitoring, financial reporting, and risk management for design-engineering projects.
The Senior Project Controls Specialist is responsible for providing advanced project controls support to complex design-engineering projects, with a primary focus on cost, schedule, forecasting, and performance reporting. This role partners closely with Project Managers, Technical Leads, and Finance to ensure projects are planned, monitored, and delivered in accordance with contractual, financial, and operational requirements. The position requires a strong understanding of professional services project delivery, earned value principles, and multi-discipline design workflows. Can work effectively individually as well as participate and collaborate in team environments.
Key Responsibilities
Project Planning & Control
- Develop and maintain detailed project budgets, forecasts (EAC/ETC), and cash flow projections.
- Establish and manage cost and schedule control structures (WBS) aligned with project scope and execution plans.
- Monitor project performance using earned value and other key performance indicators; identify trends, risks, and variances.
- Support baseline development, change management, and reforecasting activities.
Financial Management & Reporting
- Track project costs, labor utilization, and profitability across internal teams and subconsultants.
- Prepare and deliver regular project controls reports for project teams and leadership, including variance analysis and corrective action recommendations.
- Coordinate with Finance on revenue recognition, invoicing support, and financial close activities as required.
- Ensure compliance with internal project controls standards and external contractual requirements.
Schedule Management
- Support development and maintenance of project schedules in coordination with Project Managers and discipline leads.
- Analyze schedule impacts, critical path, and resource loading where applicable.
- Integrate schedule data with cost and forecast reporting to provide a holistic view of project performance.
Risk, Change, and Governance
- Support identification and quantification of project risks and opportunities.
- Assist with change order evaluations, pricing support, and documentation.
- Provide guidance on project controls best practices and mentor junior project controls staff as needed.
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Finance, Business, or a related field.
- Minimum 7 years of progressive project controls experience within a design-engineering or professional services firm.
- Strong knowledge of project cost control, forecasting, and earned value management in a labor-based environment.
- Proficiency with project controls tools and systems (e.g., Excel, project financial systems, scheduling software, Power BI or similar reporting tools).
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with Project Managers, technical teams, and finance stakeholders.
- Strong analytical, communication, and organizational skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting multi-discipline design projects and large, complex programs.
- Advanced Excel, P6/Project, and Power BI skills for financial modeling and dashboard reporting.
- Familiarity with internal governance models, stage-gate processes, or PMO environments.
- Professional certifications (PMP, PSP, EVP, CCP, or similar) a plus.
Work Environment / Expectations
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
- May support geographically distributed project teams, including global delivery centers.
- Hybrid or office-based role depending on location and business needs.
About the Team
Pay Transparency: In compliance with pay transparency laws, pay ranges are provided for positions in locations where required. Please note, the final agreed upon compensation is based on individual education, qualifications, experience, and work location. At Stantec certain roles are bonus eligible. Actual compensation for part-time roles will be pro-rated based on the agreed number of working hours per week.
Benefits Summary: Regular full-time and part-time employees (working at least 20 hours per week) have access to medical, dental, and vision plans, a wellness program, health saving accounts, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan, employee stock purchase program, life and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, short-term/long-term disability plans, emergency travel benefits, tuition reimbursement, professional membership fee coverage and paid family leave. Regular full-time and part-time employees will receive ten paid holidays in each calendar year. In addition, employees will be eligible to accrue vacation between 10 and 20 days per year and eligible for paid sick leave (and if more generous, in accordance with state and local law).
Temporary/casual employees have access to 401(k) plans, employee stock purchase program, and paid leave, in accordance with state and local law.
The benefits information listed above may not apply to union positions because benefits for such positions are governed by applicable collective bargaining agreements
Top Skills
Excel
P6
Power BI
Project
Project Financial Systems
Scheduling Software
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