Principal Project Control Specialist

Worley•Cameron, LA

About The Position

The Principal Project Control Specialist provides advanced project controls expertise across cost analysis and planning and scheduling for major and complex projects. The role supports project leadership in maintaining effective cost, schedule, forecasting, and performance management processes throughout the project lifecycle. Working with project management, engineering, construction, procurement, commercial teams, and clients, the specialist provides insight into project performance and supports informed decision-making. The role uses analytical capability and practical project experience to identify trends, assess risks and opportunities, and recommend actions that improve project execution. The position also contributes to sustainable projects and solutions by helping teams manage resources effectively, improve predictability, and deliver value for customers across the energy, chemicals, and resources sectors. It includes technical guidance to project controls personnel, coordination of team activities where applicable, and collaboration with project stakeholders on complex performance issues.

Requirements

University degree or equivalent qualification in project controls, engineering, construction management, project management, finance, business, quantity surveying, planning and scheduling, or a related discipline; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
Significant professional experience in project controls, with demonstrated expertise in cost control, cost analysis, planning, and scheduling in complex project environments.
Strong understanding of cost control principles, including forecasting, commitments, actual costs, accruals, variance analysis, trends, and performance reporting.
Strong knowledge of planning and scheduling principles, including schedule development and maintenance, critical path analysis, progress measurement, forecasting, and schedule performance.
Ability to integrate cost and schedule information to provide insight into overall project performance.
Experience supporting major engineering, procurement, and construction projects; energy, chemicals, resources, or related industrial sectors are preferred contexts.
Strong analytical and problem-solving capability, including evaluating complex information, identifying trends, and developing practical recommendations.
Understanding of project controls systems, processes, and tools, with the ability to troubleshoot issues and provide technical guidance.
Experience working with project management teams, clients, and multidisciplinary stakeholders in complex project environments.
Ability to work independently, set priorities, and manage responsibilities with broad objectives and limited day-to-day direction.
Ability to lead functional project teams and coordinate others’ activities in support of project objectives.
Ability to provide technical guidance and act as a senior advisor to project controls personnel and project teams.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including explaining complex cost, schedule, and performance matters to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Ability to prepare and deliver high-quality reports, presentations, analyses, and recommendations for project leadership and clients.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to data quality, accuracy, and consistency.
Ability to identify risks, opportunities, constraints, and emerging performance issues and communicate potential impacts.
Ability to collaborate across engineering, procurement, construction, commercial, and project management functions.
Commitment to continuous improvement and to developing project controls practices that improve predictability, efficiency, and value.
Professional approach aligned with delivering a more sustainable world and understanding of how effective project controls support responsible delivery and long-term customer value.

Responsibilities

Coordinate cost analysis across major and complex projects, ensuring cost information is accurate, timely, consistent, and aligned with project controls processes.
Prepare, review, and maintain cost reports, forecasts, performance analyses, and management information.
Build effective working relationships with project management, functional teams, clients, and other stakeholders on cost control, forecasting, performance, and project execution.
Analyze actual and forecast costs, commitments, trends, variances, and performance indicators to identify issues, risks, and opportunities.
Investigate cost variances and recommend corrective actions to improve project performance.
Conduct site visits when required to verify field cost reporting and understand project progress and conditions.
Coordinate planning and scheduling for complex engineering, procurement, and construction projects and proposals.
Develop, review, and maintain integrated project schedules, including sequencing, logic, resource considerations, interfaces, and supporting schedules.
Monitor schedule performance and identify delays, constraints, interfaces, critical activities, and other factors affecting project objectives.
Work with project leadership and functional teams to improve planning, scheduling, and execution performance.
Prepare schedule analyses, forecasts, and management reports on project progress, performance, and potential impacts.
Integrate cost and schedule information to strengthen forecasting, performance measurement, and project controls.
Coordinate and maintain supporting schedules and functional inputs.
Review project controls information for quality, accuracy, consistency, and compliance with processes and project requirements.
Provide guidance and technical support to project controls personnel and troubleshoot systems, processes, and project controls issues.
Assign, coordinate, and review project controls team members’ work where applicable, providing technical guidance and supporting capability development.
Lead or contribute to cross-functional project controls teams and collaborate with stakeholders to resolve complex performance issues.
Communicate project controls information through reports, presentations, recommendations, and discussions with project leadership and clients.
Promote consistent project controls practices that support risk management, transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Support efficient project execution, responsible resource management, and solutions that create long-term customer value.