Project Controller

Lightera • Norcross, GA

8d

About The Position

The Project Controller serves as the financial co-pilot to the Project Director on large-scale capital investments. This role bridges the gap between engineering and finance. Rather than just recording historical costs, the Project Controller looks forward to identifying financial risks, predicting total completion costs, and ensuring strict budget control before overruns happen.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in finance, Accounting, Engineering, or Construction Management.
• 5 to 8 years of cost control or project accounting experience, specifically managing large-scale ($50M+) capital infrastructure or industrial projects.
• Mastery of scheduling and cost systems like Primavera P6, Deltek, or specialized ERP project modules (SAP PS, Oracle Projects).
• Expert-level Excel capabilities (including macros, index/match, and power query) or Power BI dashboard building.
• Deep knowledge of Earned Value Management principles (CPI, SPI, and variance metrics).
• The confidence to challenge project directors and engineering leads when spending deviates from the plan.
• The ability to read engineering milestones and translate technical delays into concrete financial risks.

Nice To Haves

• Certified Cost Professional (CCP), Project Management Professional (PMP), or CMA/CPA is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain the project's original financial baseline and cash flow schedules.
• Calculate the Estimate-at-Completion (EAC) and Estimate-to-Complete (ETC) based on live site progress.
• Map out future monthly cash requirements to ensure corporate treasury can fund heavy equipment payments.
• Monitor actual spending against budgeted lines, highlighting cost variances early.
• Financial evaluates all proposed project modifications, scoping out their dollar impact before approval.
• Blend schedule progress with actual costs to measure the project's real efficiency.
• Review milestones, payment terms, and invoices for major Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractors.
• Manage the project’s emergency fallback funds, ensuring contingency draws are fully justified.
• Lead regular physical and financial audits of material deliveries and vendor billing records.
• Prepare clear monthly financial health reports for the Project Steering Committee.
• Maintain the financial risk register, assigning dollar impacts to potential supply chain or construction delays.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior