Project Controls Lead

Pacific Fusion•Albuquerque, NM

37d•$135,000 - $155,000•Onsite

About The Position

Pacific Fusion (PF) is seeking a Project Controls Lead to serve as the lead for all project controls activities on a large, complex, first-of-a-kind R&D and light industrial facility. The successful candidate will be responsible for creating, implementing, and operating the project controls framework from the ground up—including project plans, procedures, tools, and governance—while supporting design and construction milestones. The role is embedded on site and works day-to-day with the Construction Manager and General Contractor (GC). The Project Controls Lead is the primary ownerside interface for preconstruction and construction cost, schedule, change, risk, and performance management.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, or related field.
10+ years of progressive experience in project controls leadership, cost engineering, and/or scheduling on large capital projects.
Demonstrated experience supporting a variety of Project Delivery Method and contract types
Strong experience interfacing directly with GC.
Advanced proficiency in Excel and Primavera P6 or MS Project.
Ability to operate independently in a startup or low process environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience serving as an owner or owner’s representative.
Background in R&D, high-tech, industrial, or first-of-a-kind facilities.
Experience with early work packages and longlead procurement.
Familiarity with probabilistic risk analysis or advanced forecasting techniques.
Startup or scaleup company experience.

Responsibilities

Project Controls Leadership: Establish and lead the Owner’s project controls function from the ground up, authoring core documents like the Cost Control Plan, Schedule Management Plan, and Risk Management Plan.
Process Governance: Define workflows, templates, and approval authorities tailored for a startup environment to ensure disciplined project delivery and clear accountability.
External Interface: Serve as the primary ownerside point of contact for the General Contractor, designers, and consultants to align on expectations, interfaces, and commercial governance.
Preconstruction Support: Lead early-stage efforts including cost modeling, schedule development, and the validation of early works packages and long-lead procurement strategies.
Cost & Forecast Management: Maintain a PF-controlled Estimate at Completion (EAC) and cashflow forecast, while managing budgets, contingencies, and management reserves for the GMP project.
Schedule Integration: Validate and challenge the General Contractor's baseline logic while integrating construction milestones into the Owner’s Integrated Master Schedule (IMS).
Risk Mitigation: Own the project risk management process by maintaining a quantified cost and schedule risk register and tracking mitigation actions across all project phases.
Change Control & Claims: Design and implement the owner’s change control process to validate scope and cost impacts, ensuring all changes are reflected in contracts and executive reporting.
Reporting & Data Integrity: Develop executive-level dashboards and narratives that provide transparency into delivery confidence, utilizing tools like Excel, Primavera P6, or MS Project.
Construction & Turnover Oversight: Monitor onsite productivity and progress-based performance tracking to ensure a smooth transition from construction to operations and commissioning.