Program Controls Lead

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• OVERVIEW
• The Program Controls Lead is a senior leadership role within the Center of Excellence (COE), responsible for integrating cost controls, estimating, scheduling, forecasting, and program-level financial visibility across the portfolio. This role leads both the Cost Controls and Scheduling functions and establishes the operational rigor, governance standards, and analytical frameworks required to support predictable program delivery and long-term capital planning alignment.

Reporting directly to the COE Lead, the Program Controls Lead drives consistency across estimating, schedule governance, forecasting, benchmarking, and portfolio analytics. The role partners closely with Project Delivery, Design Enablement, PMO, Innovation, and client stakeholders to improve program predictability, support financial stewardship objectives, and strengthen integration between cost, schedule, and capital planning activities.

The role operates as an enterprise enablement and governance function. It provides leadership oversight, portfolio-level visibility, and strategic controls integration while supporting early-phase planning, program forecasting, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Job Summary/Goals

This role provides program-wide leadership for integrated controls functions within the COE. Key goals include:

Lead and integrate the Cost Controls and Scheduling teams under a unified program controls structure

Establish and enforce program-wide controls governance, estimating standards, scheduling discipline, and forecasting methodologies

Improve cost and schedule predictability through benchmarking, analytics, and risk visibility

Support client financial stewardship objectives through disciplined controls processes and reporting alignment

Strengthen integration between estimating, scheduling, constructability, and delivery planning

Support evolving capital planning and portfolio forecasting capabilities through program-level controls insights and analytics

Provide leadership focus on recovery planning, forecasting accuracy, process efficiency, and continuous improvement

Partner closely with COE functional leaders and client stakeholders to align priorities, staffing, reporting, and operational focus areas

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• •Program Controls Leadership & Governance
• •Own program-wide controls governance frameworks across estimating, scheduling, forecasting, and reporting

Establish integrated controls standards, methodologies, and performance expectations across the portfolio

Ensure alignment between cost, schedule, scope, and delivery assumptions at all major program milestones

Provide leadership oversight for estimating rigor, schedule integrity, forecasting accuracy, and controls consistency

Serve as the senior escalation point for program controls risks, variances, recovery concerns, and confidence gaps

Drive accountability for timely, defensible, and data-driven controls outputs

• •Cost Controls & Estimating Leadership
• •Lead program estimating functions across scoping, engineered drawing, and final pricing phases

Ensure consistent application of estimating assumptions, exclusions, qualifications, and risk documentation

Oversee development and validation of scoping budgets, engineered drawing budgets, and final pricing estimates

• •Support bid review processes focused on pricing reasonableness, scope completeness, and benchmarking consistency
• •Lead portfolio-level benchmarking initiatives, market intelligence tracking, and pricing trend analysis

Identify recurring cost drivers, scope gaps, and estimating accuracy trends to improve predictability

Support future-state change order benchmarking and unit pricing analysis initiatives

• •Scheduling & Planning Leadership
• •Lead program scheduling governance and standards across the portfolio

Establish consistent schedule development, milestone management, reporting, and forecasting practices

Ensure alignment between schedule assumptions, procurement strategy, delivery sequencing, and cost forecasts

Partner with Project Delivery and PMO teams to identify schedule risks, recovery opportunities, and resource impacts

Support integrated schedule analytics and portfolio reporting to improve program visibility and decision-making

Promote proactive planning disciplines to reduce reactive execution and improve throughput capacity

• •Forecasting, Analytics & Capital Planning Support
• •Lead portfolio-level forecasting and controls analytics efforts across cost and schedule performance

Develop standardized reporting and variance narratives for executive leadership and client stakeholders

Maintain program-level controls dashboards, assumption logs, and risk registers

Support long-range planning efforts through integrated controls insights and trend analysis

Contribute controls expertise to evolving capital planning and financial stewardship initiatives

Provide early warning indicators and scenario analysis to support strategic decision-making and recovery planning

• •Team Leadership & Development
• •Lead, mentor, and develop the Cost Controls and Scheduling teams

Establish performance expectations, workload prioritization, and quality standards across both functions

Create development pathways and succession planning for controls team members

Promote collaboration between Estimators, Schedulers, Design, PMO, Delivery teams

Ensure staffing models and resource allocation align with program priorities and workload demands

• •Process Improvement & Innovation
• •Lead controls process improvement initiatives focused on efficiency, consistency, and scalability

Support implementation of program controls innovation initiatives, analytics tools, and reporting enhancements

Identify opportunities to improve integration between systems, reporting structures, and benchmarking data

Partner with leadership to evaluate future-state controls capabilities, automation opportunities, and operational improvements

Support innovation initiatives tied to estimating processes, scheduling methodologies, and portfolio analytics

• •Cross-Pillar COE Integration
• •Partner closely with Project Delivery, PMO, Design Enablement, and Innovation teams

Align controls processes with constructability, delivery strategy, and program execution priorities

• •Support enterprise reporting alignment and operational governance across the COE
• •Serve as a strategic partner to the COE Lead on controls operations, staffing strategy, and program performance

Experience

Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Finance, Business, or related field

10+ years of experience in construction cost controls, estimating, scheduling, or program controls leadership

Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary controls or program management teams

Strong understanding of integrated cost and schedule controls methodologies

Experience supporting portfolio-scale or prototype-driven programs preferred

Experience with capital planning, forecasting, or enterprise program controls environments preferred

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• •Deep expertise in construction estimating, scheduling, forecasting, and program controls governance
• •Strong leadership and organizational management capabilities
• •Ability to integrate cost, schedule, and operati