Vaco by Highspring

Compensation

Full Description

• **Senior Project Controls Manager - Permanent Power Construction*** • **Onsite in Houston, TX - 77095*** Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual's skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, office location and other geographic considerations, as well as other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law in geographies that require salary range disclosure, Vaco/Highspring notes the salary range for the role is noted in this job posting. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's 401(k) retirement plan. About the role: The Senior Project Controls Manager provides strategic leadership for all project controls activities supporting permanent power generation construction projects, including new builds, expansions, and retrofits. This role is responsible for ensuring disciplined cost, schedule, risk, and performance management across complex, high-value capital projects, enabling safe, compliant, and predictable project delivery in schedule-critical environments. Responsibilities: Strategic Project Controls Leadership • Develop, lead, and standardize project controls practices across permanent power construction projects, ensuring alignment with engineering partners, contractors, customers, and regulatory requirements. • Serve as the senior authority on cost, schedule, risk, and execution performance management for power generation assets. • Lead, mentor, and manage project controls personnel, including schedulers, estimators, and cost engineers across multiple projects and sites. • Partner with executive leadership, engineering, construction, commissioning, operations, and finance to support capital investment decisions and execution strategies. Cost Management and Capital Governance • Oversee development and control of project budgets, including engineering contracts, balance-of-plant (BOP), contingency, and allowances. • Ensure accurate tracking of commitments, actual costs, forecasts, and cash flow across large capital programs. • Review and challenge cost trends, productivity assumptions, and forecast accuracy to drive accountability. • Support capital planning, authorization for expenditure (AFE), and long-range investment forecasting. Schedule Management • Oversee development and integration of detailed construction schedules, including critical path, constraints, and interface milestones. • Ensure schedules incorporate complex dependencies such as equipment delivery, tie-ins, commissioning, and regulatory milestones. • Direct schedule risk analyses and recovery planning to support critical in-service dates. • Provide independent schedule assessments and executive-level insights into schedule risk and performance. Risk, Change, and Claims Oversight • Lead project-level risk identification and quantitative risk analysis across safety, cost, schedule, and regulatory exposure. • Oversee change management processes for engineering, construction, and supplier-driven changes. • Support evaluation of change orders, delay claims, and disputes, including time impact analysis (TIA) and forensic schedule reviews. Performance Reporting and Executive Communication • Establish portfolio-level KPIs and dashboards aligned with power generation construction performance. • Deliver concise, executive-level reporting on cost, schedule, risk, contingency utilization, and forecast confidence. • Translate complex project data into clear, actionable insights for senior leadership and governance stakeholders. Systems, Compliance, and Continuous Improvement • Lead implementation and optimization of project controls systems, including scheduling, cost management, and reporting tools. • Ensure compliance with internal controls, regulatory requirements, audit standards, and contractual obligations. • Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance predictability, productivity measurement, and execution maturity across projects. Other Requirements: • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Finance, or related field required. • 12-15+ years of progressive project controls experience, including major infrastructure or power generation projects. • Proven experience leading and developing project controls teams across multiple projects or programs. • Advanced knowledge of cost control, forecasting, Value of Work Done (VOWD), and schedule risk analysis. • Expert proficiency in Primavera P6 or equivalent enterprise scheduling systems. • Strong understanding of engineering and construction contracts, change management, and claims support. • Experience with ERP systems and project management information systems. • Strong executive presence with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and challenge assumptions. • High attention to detail with strong analytical and decision-making capabilities. • Excellent written and verbal communication skills. • Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, safety-critical, and large-scale project environments. • Ability to work in both office and field environments, including construction and operational sites. • Ability to travel to generation facilities and project sites as required. Equal Opportunity Notice Highspring LLC (d/b/a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact HR@vaco.com . Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal. Representation Notice By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. Additionally, you agree to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. Lastly, you agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal. For residents of Ontario, Canada only: to the extent the position for employment is not with Highspring or not otherwise noted as vacant above, candidate should be informed that this role is to replace a presently employed person at Vaco by Highspring's client. Privacy Notice Vaco by Highspring respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies. • California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here. • Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here. • Residents of all other states may access our policies here. • Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here. • Residents of countries governed by GDPR and UK GDPR may access our policies here. Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here (https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring. Pay Transparency Notice Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to: · the individual's skill sets, experience and training; · licensure and certification requirements; · office location and other geographic considerations; and · other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or participation in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's retirement plan (or similar retirement benefits).