Director of Project Controls, Mission Critical

RYAN COS. US • Minneapolis, MN

84d • $130,000 - $194,000

About The Position

Ryan Companies is a seeking a Director of Project Controls to join our rapidly growing Mission Critical Data Center construction team in Minnesota! This individual will be responsible for developing, documenting, and deploying standardized project and field operations systems tailored to hyperscale and mission-critical clients. The ideal candidate combines deep construction operations knowledge with strong systems thinking and change management skills. This is a strategic role focused on establishing operational excellence, advancing digital tools, and enabling scalable, consistent delivery across multi-site programs. Your impact will directly contribute to enabling repeatable, high-performance execution and building a trusted delivery platform for our most sophisticated clients. This role supports and enhances Mission Critical's specialized project performance tools, ensuring accurate, real-time reporting for internal teams and clients. Serving as the primary support contact for preconstruction and construction phases, the role collaborates with internal teams - construction, leadership, shared services, and Operational Excellence (OpEx) - and external tech partners to drive performance and process improvement. The position also acts as a key resource for thought leadership, tool optimization, and reporting best practices.

Requirements

• Advanced proficiency in Procore, SmartSheet, and other project management tools (7+ years).
• Strong working knowledge of data center or mission-critical environments.
• Advanced knowledge of construction means and methods, building types, estimating, scheduling, cost control, material pricing and design management.
• Ability to make effective and convincing formal trainings and presentations.
• Ability to train, manage and hold staff accountable to get results consistent with corporate strategic goals and compliance standards.
• Resolves project-related issues promptly for a 'win-win' solution.
• Strives to be helpful and proactive in all situations.
• Successfully demonstrate Project Controls Manager responsibilities at a high level.
• Ability to evaluate priorities, establish program goals, and execute tasks independently.
• Display natural leadership skills and qualities to guide team personnel.
• Assess and promote professional skill development and training for direct reports.
• Values company culture and mission.
• Always leads by example.
• Strives to 'do the right thing' in all situations.
• Displays honesty and integrity.
• Always maintains the highest professional standards.
• Values and maintains internal and external relationships at all levels.
• Displays good judgment and sound reasoning to reach effective decisions.
• Values and participates in community activities.
• Four-year college degree in construction management or related field.
• Proven ability to manage teams successfully and profitably.
• Experience supporting hyperscale clients (AWS, Google, Meta, Microsoft).
• Lean/IPD knowledge or PMP certification.
• Willingness to travel for site visits and trainings monthly.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for project management, field execution, and reporting workflows.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across preconstruction, client, and field teams to train, adopt, and embed best practices.
• Work with project teams to provide client-facing progress reporting and actionable insights against internal and external benchmarks.
• Proactively identify and reduce risk points in MC construction operations.
• Identify gaps in current systems and drive the selection, customization, and deployment of technology tools.
• Work with Technology and software vendors to build or adapt tools for real-time field reporting, productivity tracking, and change management.
• Champion integrations across Procore, Oracle Primavera, BIM/VDC platforms, Power BI, and other enterprise systems.
• Lead the rollout of new systems and tools through structured change programs.
• Develop and deliver training programs, user guides, and onboarding sessions for internal teams and trade partners.
• Establish an ongoing support model for troubleshooting, feedback loops, and continuous improvement.
• Coordinate with our central Operational Excellence (OpEx) team to assess which SOPs may be applicable to non-MC operations.
• Set up and manage project performance dashboards across cost, schedule, productivity, and safety incident metrics.
• Facilitate periodic audits and retrospectives to track adherence and impact of standards.
• Roll out new processes based on applied lessons learned from prior experience.
• Partner with leadership to inform project health reviews and executive updates.
• Build and lead a centralized Project Controls team that supports multiple client programs simultaneously.
• Recruit, onboard, and mentor cost and schedule analysts and controls engineers.
• Define team workflows, expectations, and resource allocation models based on project scale and client complexity.
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, data accuracy, and client responsiveness.
• Act as the senior escalation point for project controls issues across field teams and client interfaces.

Benefits

• Competitive Salary
• Medical, Dental and Vision Benefits
• Retirement and Savings Benefits
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Life Insurance
• Educational Assistance
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Parenting Benefits
• Long-term Disability
• Ryan Foundation - charitable matching funds
• Paid Time for Volunteer Events

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Industry: Construction of Buildings
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees