Project Controls Specialist (Project Planning & Cost Controls)
Owns the full financial and schedule reporting for assigned capital projects (largely data center development) — budgets, multi-year forecasts, ETC/EAC and S-curve analysis, change orders, and Primavera schedules — serving as the data-integrity point of contact across project, finance, and leadership teams. Core tools: Northspyre, Oracle Primavera Cloud/P6, and Excel; hybrid role at HQ in McLean,
- Compensation
- $130K–$140K / yr
- Location
- McLean, VA
- Work setup
- Hybrid
- Seniority
- Not specified
- Employment
- Contract
- Experience
- 5+ years
- Category
- Project management
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Finance, Engineering, or related field (or significant relevant experience in lieu of degree)
- 5+ years progressive experience in project controls, project accounting, or project management focused on major capital projects
- Experience independently managing budgets and complex schedules for major-scale industrial, infrastructure, or data center projects
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially financial modeling in Excel
- Working proficiency with enterprise project controls software
- Demonstrated working proficiency with Oracle Primavera Cloud (OPC) or P6
- Working mastery of Northspyre and Oracle Primavera Cloud (OPC) or P6
- Ability to build collaborative relationships across cross-functional teams as a trusted point of contact
- Ability to synthesize project data into concise narratives and present variance analysis and RAID updates to Project Directors
- Proven ability to manage competing high-priority deadlines and complex financial models
- Clear, professional communication and presentation style prioritizing transparency and accuracy
Nice to have
- Master's degree
Full description
Headquartered in the Greater Washington area, American Real Estate Partners (AREP) is a US-based leading institutional fund manager and real estate partner with over $13 billion deployed across key U.S. markets. Specializing in data center, residential, industrial, and office assets, AREP has acquired more than 34 million square feet of Class A real estate and currently manages over 25 million square feet.
PowerHouse Data Centers, a wholly owned division of AREP, is a developer and owner of next-generation data centers and provides technical real estate solutions for hyperscalers across the country. Backed by strategic joint venture partnerships, PowerHouse leverages its proven leadership and best-in-class technical expertise to deliver innovative real estate solutions.
Position Summary
The Project Controls Specialist (PCS) is responsible for the full financial and schedule reporting package for an assigned project or project set, serving as the primary point of contact for its data integrity. Working independently within that scope, the Specialist keeps operational data accurate, synchronized, and actionable across Project Management, Project Accounting, and project leadership. The Specialist synthesizes cost and schedule data to identify emerging risk before it becomes variance, develops and maintains the primary financial inputs that drive the Project Team dashboards, and informally guides team members on tools and reporting standards.
The Project Controls Specialist reports to the Program Manager, Technical Operations and has a hybrid work schedule of 4 days a week in-office and 1 day remote opportunity at HQ in McLean, VA.
Primary Responsibilities
- Forward-Looking Cost Controls
- Independently lead the generation and maintenance of complex project budgets, multi-year forecasts, and draw schedules in collaboration with Project Directors, optimizing capital deployment and tracking across the assigned project or project set.
- Develop and standardize proactive financial reports, including advanced Estimate-to-Complete (ETC) and Estimate-at-Complete (EAC) analyses and scenario-based S-Curve modeling, to predict and mitigate potential budget variances.
- Conduct and present variance analysis (Actual vs. Budgeted vs. Projected vs. Planned) directly to Project Directors, providing clear, actionable financial health narratives for the assigned project or project set.
- Serve as the primary liaison and system owner for Finance and Accounting, ensuring data integrity across enterprise systems, including Northspyre and Oracle Primavera Cloud, to support strategic decision-making.
- Contracts and Change Management
- Lead the financial validation and processing of complex change orders and high-value invoices, guaranteeing all commitments align with contractual benchmarks and project logic.