Project Controls Specialist

Talascend is currently seeking a Project Controls Specialist for a contract opportunity with our client to work remotely.

Overview

The Project Controls Specialist provides oversight and guidance to project teams, ensuring accurate and effective planning, cost control, risk management, change management, and execution of engineering and construction activities.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Project Managers to implement standardized project controls processes across scheduling, cost tracking, risk management, and change control.
• Support the stand-up of a new project office, including selection/configuration of tools, reporting standards, and governance practices.
• Establish and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor schedule, cost, and productivity across multiple workstreams.
• Develop and refine reporting templates and dashboards for management and executive visibility (e.g., Power BI, Excel-based reports).
• Provide guidance in developing and maintaining comprehensive project schedules using the critical path method (CPM).
• Review and validate project schedules for logic, sequencing, and integration of all project phases.
• Support the Master Scheduler in resolving conflicts, identifying impacts, and performing schedule recovery analysis.
• Facilitate cross-discipline schedule integration, including dependencies between engineering, procurement, construction, and validation.
• Track and report project cost performance against budgets and forecasts, identifying variances and recommending corrective actions.
• Implement and maintain earned value management (EVM) principles where applicable.
• Assist in the development of project budgets, forecasts, and cash flow projections in collaboration with finance and project teams.
• Support project risk identification, tracking, and mitigation planning in coordination with project managers.
• Monitor and manage project change requests, ensuring proper evaluation of schedule and cost impacts.
• Maintain change logs and provide impact assessments for decision-making.
• Prepare and deliver consolidated project controls reports to stakeholders, integrating schedule, cost, risk, and performance data.
• Conduct 'what-if' scenario analysis to assess potential impacts and recommend strategies.
• Participate in lessons-learned reviews to improve future planning and execution.
• Provide mentorship and training to project team members on project controls best practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, business, or related field.
• 10+ years’ experience in project controls (scheduling, cost, risk, change) within engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) environments.

Requirements

• Strong scheduling expertise, including CPM and Primavera P6, with ability to provide backup support to a Master Scheduler.
• Proven experience in cost control, earned value management, and budget forecasting.
• Familiarity with project risk and change management processes.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Experience helping stand up or mature project controls functions in a complex project environment.
• Knowledge of large industrial, nuclear, or regulated facilities preferred.
• Background in engineering planning or construction management with a focus on engineering and construction planning and scheduling guidance.
• Knowledge of overall operating fundamentals and principles of generating station systems, heavy industrial facilities, or large-scale infrastructure projects.
• Expertise in scheduling software (Primavera P6).
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Travel required: 0-15%.

Shift

Up to 50% on-site support at project locations in Everett, WA or Bellevue, WA.