Building Engineering Services - North America Project Controls Lead

About Us

At HDR, we specialize in engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services. While we are most well-known for adding beauty and structure to communities through high-performance buildings and smart infrastructure, we provide much more than that. We create an unshakable foundation for progress because our multidisciplinary teams also include scientists, economists, builders, analysts and artists. That's why we believe diversity is our greatest strength. HDR is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and an affirmative action employer.

Watch Our Story:' https://www.hdrinc.com/our-story'

We believe that the way we work can add meaning and value to the world. That ideas inspire positive change. That coloring outside the lines can illuminate fresh perspectives. And that small details yield important realizations. Above all, we believe that collaboration is the best way forward.
 
We believe building engineering is more than systems and structures, it’s about powering progress and enabling innovation. As part of HDR’s Building Engineering Services Group, you’ll help design the critical infrastructure that supports the digital age and shapes the spaces where people work, connect, and thrive. From high-performance data centers driving the future of AI to dynamic commercial environments, your work will directly support technological advancement, sustainability, and human experience. We bring together mechanical, electrical, structural, and civil engineering experts to solve complex design challenges with precision, creativity, and collaboration. Whether you're optimizing energy efficiency, integrating resilient systems, or engineering the backbone of next-generation facilities, your contributions will help define the future of the built environment. This isn’t just a job, it’s a chance to lead innovation, engineer impact, and build a legacy of excellence.

HDR is seeking a North America Project Controls Lead to join our Building Engineering Services (BES) Business Group team. The objective of this role will be to develop and implement project controls practices on projects and programs to meet scope, schedule, and budget performance. As part of the BES Business Group, this role will engage in projects ranging from Data Centers, Hotel and Leisure, Finance and other BES based Projects.  This role is expected to play a central role in project and program delivery and a valuable asset to HDRs Program Manager(s) in assessing program performance. This role will also assist in the management of BES’s project controls specialists when executing program work.

 In addition, this role will also establish and improve upon project controls process within the BES using best practices and rigor consistent with industry standards. These responsibilities include working with other leaders within BES to create template project control plans, cost management plans, schedule management plans, progress management plans, etc. as well as outreach and training to staff.

Primary Responsibilities

As the BES North America Project Controls Lead, we will count on you to provide regular coordination across the business group with project controls personnel, project managers, project staff, Geographic Operations Leadership, Regional Directors of Operations and Business Group Professional Services Directors to drive the following:

• Implementation of continuous improvement and quality into the project controls practice in alignment with the Quality Management System
• Assume leadership responsibilities to introduce effective and efficient project controls approach and technologies in projects across market sectors in the BES Business Group.
• Work closely with other Business Group Directors of Project Controls and Program Management to align best practices, provide directions to program teams related to project controls and prioritize project controls initiatives.
• Coordination and assistance in identification and assignment of appropriate project controls staffing for projects, during both pursuit and execution phases of projects.
• Monitoring performance of staff and projects, assistance in implementing measures to drive successful project performance, and support in maintaining positive client relations.
• Supporting career development for project controls personnel through mentoring and identification of training opportunities.
• Strengthening the project controls practice across all business groups through knowledge sharing and fostering a community of practice across teams.
• Coordinating with other Regional Project Controls Leads and the broader project controls practice for purposes of workshare, knowledge sharing and fostering a community of practice.
• Supporting the recruitment and onboarding process for new project controls personnel.
• Network with corporate Project Delivery Services to leverage best practices, skillsets, or resources from other business groups.
• Work with other project team members including technical staff, cross sector staff, field services and commissioning services to take into accounts to identify where project controls services are required. 
• Develop and maintain a project controls practice group within BES. Consult with corporate project controls director to disseminate relevant lessons learned and best practices.
• Serve as a knowledge central for project controls trends and tools that are being used to make project controls more versatile and efficient.
• Grow BES Business Group project controls practice bench strength by recruiting or identifying strategic partners.
• Identify and mentor young professionals with an interest in project controls.
• Provide webinar and outreach to internal staff to elevate BES’s project controls acumen.
• Support Pursuit teams for Program Management and Construction Management
• Perform other duties as needed. 

For Project Work:

• Serve as a Senior Project Controls Lead for program management projects to set up a framework to manage scope, budget, and schedule. The workstreams under project controls include schedule management, cost management, change management, risk management, and document management. 
• Manage and direct a team of project controls specialists and document controls specialists to implement project controls plan for the program.
• Collaborate with program manager and client to provide a project control plan that is right sized for the execution and size of the program.
• Work closely with the PMIS team to recommend technology solutions to manage data and information that the program will receive, generate, analyze, consume, and communicate to stakeholders.
• Counsel Program Manager and the rest of the team on trends of the program, deficiencies, and recommendations on how to mitigate.
• Provide a comprehensive summary of project performance and present to both HDR’s internal team and clients.
• Establish process and procedures, such as project controls template, WBS structure and library, progress management KPIs, etc. to improve both quality and efficiency of our programs.
• Facilitates multi-company interactive planning sessions such as schedule workshops.
• Coordinate with teams regarding the interface with construction and engineering schedules
• Interact with engineering discipline leads & construction managers to understand issues and conflicts impacting schedules.

 Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Engineering Management, Accounting, Business Administration, or closely related field.
• Minimum of 10 years serving as project controls manager for BES infrastructure projects each with contract values of more than $100 million, or a program with interrelated projects with combined values of $300 million or more, including experience in project controls work on engineering and construction projects, including planning, design, estimating, forecasting, scheduling, cost control, schedule control, and project reports.
• Ability to manage proposal preparation, contract review and negotiation, client relationship and win strategy for medium to large EPC Projects, including multiple delivery approaches.
• Strong decision-making skills
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills
• Ability to coordinate and prioritize multiple long- and short-term tasks simultaneously.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving abilities
• Will establish coordinated touchpoint meetings with the Regions Project Controls staff.
• Experience in at least one (and preferably multiple) of the following disciplines; Scheduling, Document Control, Cost Management, Cost Estimating, Claims and Forensic Analysis, and PMIS Implementation/Dashboarding
• Familiar with estimating using various delivery methods including traditional design bid build (DBB), design-build (DB), EPCm, progressive design build (PDB), Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), and/or construction management at-risk (CMAR).
• Strong leadership skills with experience building a cohesive team culture and managing team members located in various locations.
• Comfortable presenting in front of clients and other project stakeholders.
• Proficient with scheduling software such as Microsoft Projects, Primavera P6, etc.; and familiar with Linear Scheduling software such as TiLos and 4D/5D including Synchro
• Experience and familiarity with SharePoint, PMIS software such as eBuilder, ProCore, Prism, Unifier, QuickBase, InEight, PMWeb, etc.
• Experience in the understanding of AACEi, PMI, and PMBOK Industry Best Practices
• An attitude and commitment to being an active participant of our employee-owned culture is a must.

• Preferred years of experience to be 15+ years supporting large and small Project Controls Teams.    

   

• Certifications (One or more) PE, PMP, PSP, CM, EVP, PMI-SP, CST

• Experience implementing and supporting PMIS Solutions for small and large projects.
   

   

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