Project Control Analyst

Meruelo Group•Long Beach, CA

About The Position

The Project Control Analyst will support financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and performance tracking for construction projects and corporate operations. This role combines foundational FP&A responsibilities with project‑based financial support, making it ideal for candidates looking to build a career in construction finance, project controls, and operational analytics. The analyst will work closely with project managers, estimators, field teams, and accounting to deliver accurate financial insights that drive project and enterprise performance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Construction Management, Economics, Business, or related field. (preferred)
Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, SUMIFS, basic modeling).
Familiarity with financial modeling and job‑cost analysis concepts.
Understanding of job costing, work-in-progress, and construction cost categories.
Ability to interpret field data and convert it into financial insights.
Strong quantitative and problem‑solving capabilities.
Excellent communication skills, especially with non-finance field personnel.
Detail-oriented with strong accuracy in financial data review.
Strong organizational and time management skills.
Curiosity and willingness to learn project operations.
Job cost analysis
Budgeting & forecasting
Data accuracy & reconciliation
KPI tracking
Construction business acumen
Financial modeling foundations
Stakeholder communication
Continuous improvement mindset
Fast-paced environment supporting multiple active construction projects.
Collaboration with field teams, project engineers, project managers, and accounting.
Exposure to budgeting cycles, project reviews, job walks, and cost meetings.
Career growth toward Project Finance, Project Controls, Senior FP&A, or Project Accountant roles.

Nice To Haves

Experience with construction ERP systems (e.g. Spectrum) is a plus.
Understanding of project cost structures (labor, equipment, materials, subs) preferred.

Responsibilities

Assist in preparing annual operating budgets and project‑level financial forecasts.
Support the development of project cost forecasts and revenue projections.
Assist project managers in reviewing labor, equipment, material, and subcontractor costs.
Track budget revisions due to change orders, field conditions, and scope adjustments.
Prepare monthly project and corporate financial variance analyses (budget vs. actual).
Help analyze job cost performance, productivity trends, cost‑to-complete, and margin impacts.
Support development of project dashboards, KPIs, and financial status reports.
Highlight risks and opportunities affecting project profitability or cash flow.
Work directly with project managers, engineers, and field supervisors to understand project drivers.
Assist with cost reviews, and discussions on production rates.
Provide financial insights to support operational decision-making on active projects.
Help communicate financial results to internal teams in clear, practical terms.
Support month-end close activities, including reviewing job cost reports and validating accruals.
Assist with work-in-progress (WIP) schedules, revenue recognition, and cost allocation.
Coordinate with accounting to ensure accurate posting of labor, equipment charges, and materials.
Review subcontractor billing, purchase orders, and committed costs for accuracy
Maintain project cost tracking spreadsheets, reporting templates, and forecasting tools.
Support continuous improvement initiatives for forecasting accuracy and project cost controls.
Ensure data integrity across project controls, ERP, and finance systems.