Project Controls And Design Manager

Purpose

The Project Controls & Design Manager drives the design and delivery of projects across GEMS School Management (GSM). The role will be responsible for generating data and providing guidance to lead, control, and manage projects internally across all departments, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to budget, as well as facilitating smooth handover and operations. Accountabilities include project planning & scheduling, progress measurement and monitoring, risk management, and reporting.

Key Accountabilities

Project Controls Systems & Tools

• Set project controls guidelines and responsibilities within a business unit or project plan, as well as implement tools and systems necessary to effectively and proactively manage, control, and report on earned value management, cashflow, cost, revenue, forecasting and schedule (progress and projection) for projects.

• Provide guidance to project controls and operations/project management teams to recognize emerging issues, leverage lessons learned and drive toolset/process adoption, ensure accuracy of key project metrics in a timely manner, and adherence to corporate guidelines and best practices.

• Collaborate with other internal personnel i.e. Finance, to develop methodologies that will enhance accuracy of project level financial forecasting.

Design Management

• Direct and manage work by project teams and service providers to deliver the projects to meet specific departmental and corporate KPIs for safety, quality, scope, cost, time, and maintain strong relationships with all parties.

• Manage service provider organizations, consultants, contractors and vendors for each project.

• Responsible for up to 10 projects concurrently.

• Prepare, draft and present project technical documents including monthly reports, technical reports and presentations.

Project Setup

• Attend and contribute to handover and kick-off meetings.

• Provide project controls input on the commercial, administrative and reporting requirements during project setup.

• Collaborate with key stakeholders on project setup to ensure best practices are followed and project team requirements are set.

Scheduling

• Oversee scheduling functions to ensure projects meet standards and target completion dates.

• Oversee the management of the progression of the schedule throughout the project life-cycle.

• Oversee contributions to the baseline schedule.

• Manage the administrative procedures relating to schedule updates.

• Oversee all schedule analysis and forecasting reporting.

• Contribute to all change management scheduling activities.

Progress & Cost Tracking

• Conduct detailed review and analysis of project performance control and reporting to understand and articulate key metrics and trending.

• Ensure management is provided with timeline review and progress of all projects and activity including completion of monthly project status report and forecasting reporting and endorse suggested corrective actions to maintain the project within planned cost and schedule.

• Ensure that tracking and forecasting, progress monitoring, cost reporting meet specific project requirements.

• Review and approve all project controls reporting.

Scope & Change Management

• Oversee and support project change management for all the internal departments.

Risk Management

• Identify commercial risks and develop mitigation measures to ensure project control deliverables.

• Identify opportunities of project controls improvement for management review and consideration.

• Contribute to risk mitigation plan.

• Collaborate on commercial risk identification and assessment activities.

Communication

• Key partner estimators, project managers, operations teams and senior leadership.

• Communicate with external clients, client groups and partners, vendors and subcontractors as required.

Skills Description

Qualifications and Expected Experience

• BA in Architecture or related discipline in appropriate architectural, engineering or building discipline.

• 10+ years’ experience as a design manager for developers or design consultants, managing multiple building design projects concurrently, with individual contract values more than AED 100 million.

• Proven experience and ability in planning, scheduling, financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, estimating and cost control.

Job-Specific Knowledge & Skills

• Ability to produce, read and modify schedules and scheduling curves/reports.

• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills with the ability to build relationships quickly.

• Proven ability to effectively lead project controls staff.

• Proven strong analytical skills.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to clearly identify and articulate issues.

• Proven problem solver with sound judgment who accepts ownership and accountability.

• Ability to work effectively with all levels of management and employees.

• Detail oriented and customer focused.

• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite.

• Knowledge of required project controls software which may include Primavera and Microsoft Projects.