Project Controls Director

VHB•Mclean, VA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

VHB is seeking an accomplished, strategic Project Controls Director to establish and lead a firmwide project controls and PM/CM capability focused on major transportation programs. This highly visible enterprise role offers the opportunity to shape how VHB delivers complex work across DOT, transit, rail, toll, and authority clients while building a strategic, revenue-generating service line over time. For a leader who thrives on building capabilities, working across regions and markets, and driving disciplined delivery on complex transportation programs, this role offers a distinctive platform for impact. The Project Controls Director will: Establish and lead VHB’s transportation-focused project controls and PM/CM capability as a firmwide resource. Support traditional program and construction management, owner’s representative and advisory services, and Alternative Project Delivery (APD) pursuits and execution. Strengthen delivery discipline through clearer governance, stronger controls, and more integrated staffing across the enterprise. Position the capability for external advisory, program support, and program-level contracts as it matures.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, planning, architecture, business, or related field required; advanced degree preferred.
Minimum 15 years of progressive experience in project controls, program management, construction management, project delivery, or transportation infrastructure consulting.
Demonstrated experience with large, complex transportation projects or programs for DOTs, transit agencies, rail agencies, toll authorities, or other public infrastructure owners.
Experience with Alternative Project Delivery, including Design-Build, CM/GC, or Progressive Design-Build.
Strong understanding of project controls, governance, contract compliance, and project reporting.
Professional registration/certification preferred (e.g., PE, CCM, PMP, DBIA, AICP or similar).

Responsibilities

Establish PM/CM & Project Controls Governance and Standards: Develop firmwide governance standards, procedures, and operating expectations for transportation-focused PM/CM and project controls. Define how project controls and PM/CM resources support program/project management, APD, construction management, and owner’s representative/advisory services. Clarify decision rights and accountabilities across corporate, regional, project/program, APD, and technical leadership. Establish scalable governance models, including escalation paths, reporting expectations, and accountability structures.
Drive Alternative Project Delivery (APD) Excellence: Embed program management and project controls discipline into APD pursuits and execution in collaboration with the Corporate Alternative Delivery Lead and pursuit teams. Support APD pursuits through risk identification and mitigation planning, cost and schedule assurance, project controls integration, staffing strategies, and constructability‑oriented delivery planning. Improve pursuit decision-making by highlighting delivery risks, contract risks, resource gaps, schedule challenges, and execution constraints before commitments are made. Support active APD projects by establishing controls, reporting, risk registers, decision logs, issue tracking, change management procedures, and recovery plans.
Build a Best-in-Class Project Controls Function: Build and standardize VHB’s transportation project controls function, including: Cost control, Schedule management, Document control, Reporting, forecasting, and dashboarding. Advance implementation and adoption of PMIS tools, Primavera P6, and standard dashboards for leadership and client-facing reporting. Standardize cost tracking, schedule analysis, change management, risk reporting, document control, and performance monitoring practices. Partner with finance, operations, and project delivery leaders to improve visibility, margin predictability, and early identification of troubled projects.
Elevate Delivery Discipline Across Regions: Collaborate with regional and market leaders to strengthen project and program delivery practices across VHB’s transportation portfolio. Support project and program teams with project startup, work planning, staffing plans, scope control, schedule development, quality planning, risk management, communication protocols, and closeout. Reduce siloed staffing and execution by enabling “OneVHB” deployment of project controls and PM/CM resources and subject matter experts. Provide hands-on support to project and program managers while preserving their ownership of client relationships and delivery.
Build & Scale the Project Controls / PM/CM Team: Lead the growth of the project controls and PM/CM team in alignment with demand, organizational maturity, and active program opportunities. Stand up the initial leadership structure and core delivery support roles, then add controls-heavy resources (e.g., cost estimating, scheduling, document control, risk management) as demand grows. Expand into broader PM/CM and advisory services as the platform matures. Ensure early hires are embedded in active programs, APD pursuits, and advisory assignments to deliver visible value from the outset.