Project Controls Manager

Reference: PCMWATKU
Type: Permanent
Position: Project Controls Manager
Location: Watford, England
Industry: Transport and Rail
Salary: £65000 - £80000 per annum + Package

The Opportunity

An excellent opportunity has arisen for an experienced Project Controls Manager supporting major civil engineering and highways projects from a project controls perspective.

The successful candidate will have a strong foundation in project controls, planning, project baselines and Earned Value Management, ideally gained within major infrastructure, civil engineering or highways environments.

However, this role is about more than traditional project controls. Our client is looking for someone who has the core controls qualifications, experience and technical skills, but who has also developed their career into other areas of project delivery, Lean continuous improvement, digital process automation and transformation.

This is an opportunity for a Project Controls professional who can combine strong technical controls expertise with a consultancy mindset, helping clients and project teams improve the way they plan, control, report and ultimately deliver major programmes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage project controls activities across major civil engineering and highways projects.
• Develop, maintain and manage robust project baselines, ensuring scope, programme and cost are appropriately aligned.
• Manage project planning and scheduling using Primavera P6.
• Establish and maintain effective project controls processes, systems and reporting frameworks.
• Implement and monitor Earned Value Management (EVM) principles to assess project performance.
• Analyse programme, cost and performance data to identify trends, risks, variances and potential areas of concern.
• Produce accurate and timely project controls reports and dashboards for senior management and project stakeholders.
• Work closely with planners, commercial managers, project managers and delivery teams to ensure consistent project controls.
• Monitor progress against approved baselines and support the development of recovery and mitigation plans where required.
• Provide project controls assurance and challenge across programme, cost and performance.
• Support change management, risk management and forecasting activities.
• Identify opportunities to improve project controls processes through Lean methodologies, continuous improvement and digital transformation.
• Help automate and streamline project controls processes, reducing manual activity and improving the quality, accessibility and consistency of project data.
• Support the development and implementation of new digital tools, systems and processes across project and programme environments.
• Provide consultancy and advisory support to clients, helping them improve their project controls maturity and delivery capability.
• Present project performance information, improvement opportunities and recommendations clearly to senior stakeholders and clients.

About You

The ideal candidate will have:

• Proven experience as a Project Controls Manager / Senior Project Controls professional within civil engineering, infrastructure or highways.
• Strong Primavera P6 experience, including programme development, maintenance and analysis.
• Extensive experience in Earned Value Management (EVM) and performance measurement.
• Strong understanding and practical experience of project baselining.
• Experience working on major infrastructure, highways or civil engineering projects.
• Strong understanding of programme, cost and schedule control.
• Experience producing management-level project controls reporting.
• A recognised project controls, planning or related qualification would be advantageous.
• A track record of developing beyond traditional controls into continuous improvement, Lean, digital transformation, process automation or data-led project delivery would be particularly valuable.
• Experience of working in a consultancy environment, advising clients and influencing project teams.
• The ability to understand both the technical requirements of project controls and the wider business/process improvements that can make project delivery more effective.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and communication skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage confidently with clients, senior management and delivery teams.

What We're Looking For

This role would suit someone who has built their career around project controls but hasn't remained limited to traditional planning and reporting.

You will need the controls background, experience and technical capability — including P6, EVM and baseline management — but it would be particularly encouraging to see candidates who have subsequently moved into different fields or areas of focus.

For example, you may have developed expertise in:

• Lean and continuous improvement
• Digital process automation
• Project controls transformation
• Data and digital project delivery
• Process optimisation
• Controls systems implementation
• Project controls maturity and assurance
• Consultancy and client advisory
• Developing more efficient and standardised ways of working

The key is someone who can bring together strong Project Controls Manager capability with a broader transformation and consultancy mindset.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.