Project Controls Manager

County of Orange•Orange County, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

John Wayne Airport (JWA) is establishing a new Project Controls Manager role within the Planning and Development Division. This position will play a key role in shaping and advancing the Airport’s project controls program for the multi-year, $700 million Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The Project Controls Manager serves as a technical expert responsible for overseeing cost and schedule management, project controls systems, and performance reporting across a portfolio of complex and interrelated capital projects. The role works collaboratively with internal departments and external partners, including County agencies and state and federal entities, to support effective program delivery. This position leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of project controls policies, procedures, and tools. Responsibilities include evaluating cost and schedule performance, identifying risks and variances, and recommending corrective actions to maintain project objectives. The Project Controls Manager ensures CIP compliance with applicable regulatory and funding requirements, including FAA grant obligations.

Requirements

Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in Capital Improvement Program controls in areas such as schedule management, cost accounting/management, construction management, grant management, project management, and/or related engineering field
At least three (3) years of experience in an airport or aviation environment or a comparable complex, secure, and highly regulated capital program environment
A minimum of one (1) year of supervisory experience
Ability to lead project controls for complex horizontal and vertical capital programs
Ability to develop and implement project controls procedures, standards, and tools
Knowledge of funding requirements and program delivery for airport or similarly complex, security-controlled capital projects, including applicable federal, state, regional, and local guidelines
Knowledge of public agency project and program management principles, including budgeting, cost estimating, scheduling, programming, contract management, and consultant oversight
Knowledge of relevant federal, state, and local laws, regulations, codes, ordinances, and grant requirements
Experience with a range of capital project delivery methods (Design-Bid-Build, CMAR, Design-Build, JOC, Progressive Design-Build, etc.)
Ability to supervise, mentor, and evaluate staff and consultants
Ability to establish and maintain procedures for reviewing and analyzing change orders and related documentation
Ability to implement frameworks for cost control, progress measurement, and project performance tracking
Ability to work with project teams to identify risks and develop effective mitigation strategies
Knowledge of core management practices, including goal setting, program development, implementation, evaluation, and staff supervision
Ability to analyze baseline, look-ahead, and updated schedules, as well as recovery and time-extension requests
Ability to assess schedule performance, identify risks and critical interdependencies, and recommend corrective actions
Ability to prepare clear, concise reports, memoranda, and briefings with supporting analysis
Ability to conduct complex project controls analyses, evaluate alternatives, and develop sound recommendations
Ability to use project controls systems and software (Unifier PMIS, Primavera P6, MS Project, Power BI, RSMeans, etc.) to support accurate and efficient reporting and analysis
Ability to develop and maintain dashboards and reports that support monitoring of multiple concurrent projects
Ability to build and maintain financial models to allocate, track, and forecast project costs
Ability to analyze cost variances and manage cost-related risks
Ability to verify cost and schedule data through quality assurance and quality control measures and communicate findings
Strong organizational, analytical, and strategic planning skills
Ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to resolve complex issues, including change orders and claims
Ability to analyze issues and recommend appropriate solutions
Ability to engage diverse stakeholders to proactively identify risks and develop solutions
Ability to communicate complex technical and programmatic information clearly to executives, elected officials, staff, and the public
Strong written, verbal, presentation, and cross-disciplinary collaboration skills
Must possess and maintain a valid California Driver's License, Class C or higher, by date of appointment
Must clear a background check which includes a Criminal History Records Check (CHRC), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Security Threat Assessment (STA)
Airport Access Badge must be maintained and renewed every two (2) years

Responsibilities

Overseeing cost and schedule management
Overseeing project controls systems
Overseeing performance reporting across a portfolio of complex and interrelated capital projects
Leading the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of project controls policies, procedures, and tools
Evaluating cost and schedule performance
Identifying risks and variances
Recommending corrective actions to maintain project objectives
Ensuring CIP compliance with applicable regulatory and funding requirements, including FAA grant obligations
Supervising, mentoring, and evaluating staff and consultants
Establishing and maintaining procedures for reviewing and analyzing change orders and related documentation
Implementing frameworks for cost control, progress measurement, and project performance tracking
Working with project teams to identify risks and develop effective mitigation strategies
Analyzing baseline, look-ahead, and updated schedules, as well as recovery and time-extension requests
Assessing schedule performance, identifying risks and critical interdependencies, and recommending corrective actions
Preparing clear, concise reports, memoranda, and briefings with supporting analysis
Conducting complex project controls analyses, evaluating alternatives, and developing sound recommendations
Using project controls systems and software (Unifier PMIS, Primavera P6, MS Project, Power BI, RSMeans, etc.) to support accurate and efficient reporting and analysis
Developing and maintaining dashboards and reports that support monitoring of multiple concurrent projects
Building and maintaining financial models to allocate, track, and forecast project costs
Analyzing cost variances and managing cost-related risks
Verifying cost and schedule data through quality assurance and quality control measures and communicating findings
Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to resolve complex issues, including change orders and claims
Analyzing issues and recommending appropriate solutions
Engaging diverse stakeholders to proactively identify risks and develop solutions
Communicating complex technical and programmatic information clearly to executives, elected officials, staff, and the public