Senior Project Controls Specialist (Planner/Scheduler)

Senior Project Controls Specialist

We are seeking an experienced Senior Project Controls Specialist to join a growing team supporting large-scale engineering and construction projects in Kansas City, Missouri. This is an outstanding contract-to-hire opportunity for a project controls professional with strong expertise in scheduling, cost management, reporting, and project execution. The ideal candidate will serve as a trusted advisor to project management teams, ensuring projects are delivered efficiently, on schedule, and within budget while maintaining the highest quality standards.

Position Summary

The Senior Project Controls Specialist provides leadership for project controls activities throughout the project lifecycle. This role is responsible for developing and maintaining integrated project schedules, validating project controls processes, analyzing project performance, and delivering actionable reporting to project teams and clients. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with engineering, procurement, construction, and project management teams while mentoring junior project controls professionals.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead project controls processes for multiple engineering and construction projects.
• Consult with project management teams to ensure project success and client satisfaction.
• Develop, maintain, and validate Primavera P6 project schedules.
• Ensure proper Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) development and schedule organization.
• Analyze project controls data, logs, reports, and performance metrics.
• Develop and maintain project scheduling reports and executive dashboards.
• Create, implement, and manage project controls reporting databases and data warehouses for multiple large projects.
• Develop and implement project controls execution plans.
• Validate schedule management, forecasting, and project progress reporting.
• Analyze schedule performance using Critical Path Method (CPM) scheduling techniques.
• Perform schedule "what-if" scenario analysis and risk evaluations.
• Review and validate earned value management (EVM) reporting and project performance metrics.
• Analyze progress measurement, progress curves, and schedule trends.
• Review material takeoffs and support construction planning activities.
• Lead Interactive Project Planning Meetings (IPPM).
• Present project controls reports and schedule updates to project teams and clients.
• Review upstream contract changes and downstream purchase orders and subcontract change orders.
• Interface with project managers, engineering, procurement, construction, and client stakeholders.
• Serve as the technical resource for project controls questions.
• Perform quality reviews of project controls deliverables.
• Conduct field audits when assigned to validate reporting accuracy and project controls processes.
• Perform project forensic schedule analysis as needed.
• Mentor and train project controls team members while helping resolve complex project control challenges.
• Support engineering, procurement, construction planning, scheduling, logistics, and project execution.
• Perform additional duties as assigned while maintaining compliance with company policies and safety standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or a related discipline. Relevant project controls experience may be substituted for the degree requirement.
• Minimum of 7 years of direct project controls experience supporting engineering or construction projects.
• Strong background in: Critical Path Method (CPM) scheduling, project cost management, estimating, document control.
• Experience with Oracle Primavera P6 is highly preferred.
• Experience integrating engineering, procurement, and construction schedules is preferred.
• Strong understanding of earned value management (EVM) principles.
• Experience developing executive reporting and project dashboards.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Outstanding presentation and communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and client relationship management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• OSHA 10-Hour Safety Certification or the ability to obtain certification.

Preferred Experience

• Large capital engineering and construction projects
• Multi-discipline EPC project environments
• Project forecasting and schedule risk analysis
• Project forensic analysis
• Executive-level project reporting
• Leading project planning workshops and schedule review meetings