Project Controller

Natura Resources is seeking a Project Controller to serve as the financial and schedule steward for the MSR-1 project, a first-of-a-kind energy system being delivered under an EPC agreement. Embedded with the execution team at Abilene Christian University (ACU), the Project Controller will ensure real-time visibility into cost and schedule performance, provide decision support to project leadership, and help maintain alignment between contractual obligations and actual field progress.

Natura Resources is committed to answering the world's increased demand for reliable energy, medical isotopes, and clean water by developing commercially deployable liquid-fueled molten salt reactors.

Summary:

Natura Resources is seeking a Project Controller to serve as the financial and schedule steward for the MSR-1 project, a first-of-a-kind energy system being delivered under an EPC agreement. Embedded with the execution team at Abilene Christian University (ACU), the Project Controller will ensure real-time visibility into cost and schedule performance, provide decision support to project leadership, and help maintain alignment between contractual obligations and actual field progress.

This role is essential for maintaining capital discipline and preventing cost and schedule slippage. The Project Controller will operate at the intersection of commercial, technical, and regulatory functions, supporting execution in a high-visibility, fast-moving FOAK environment.

Description:

The Project Controller is responsible for tracking actual and committed costs, auditing T&M invoices, forecasting cost and schedule trends, and supporting the overall stewardship process. This individual will interface closely with the Project Manager, Contract Engineer, and Contract Administrator to ensure that contractor performance aligns with contract terms and that deviations are identified and addressed proactively.

This role also supports documentation and reporting for incentive eligibility, including prevailing wage and domestic content tracking. The successful candidate will provide leadership with the financial clarity and risk foresight necessary to drive timely, cost-effective decisions throughout project execution.

Location: Abilene, TX (embedded with the MSR-1 project at ACU)

Employment Status: Full-Time

Benefits: Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance, 401(k), Paid Time Off (PTO)

Responsibilities

Cost and Schedule Stewardship

• Track committed and actual project costs across labor, materials, and services
• Audit EPC contractor invoices to ensure T&M billing aligns with agreed labor rates, material terms, and contractual scope
• Monitor burn rates and productivity metrics to ensure early detection of cost or schedule risk
• Manage earned value inputs and variance reporting to support proactive intervention

Forecasting and Financial Reporting

• Maintain and deliver monthly cost and schedule forecasts, including reporting packages for Natura leadership
• Collaborate with the Project Manager and Contract Engineer to assess financial impact of change orders and field conditions
• Produce risk-adjusted cash flow forecasts and support capital reallocation or escalation where necessary

Incentive Compliance Support

• Coordinate with the IRA Compliance Specialist to ensure cost records support prevailing wage and domestic content documentation
• Assist in cost categorization and reporting that supports eligibility for direct pay incentives and regulatory filings
• Support audits and compliance verifications related to tax credit eligibility

Controls Integration and Team Collaboration

• Interface with the Contract Administrator and EPC project controls staff to ensure consistent reporting and reconciliation
• Drive financial transparency through regular stewardship reviews and lessons learned reporting
• Provide coaching or guidance to junior staff or partners on project control standards

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in project controls, cost engineering, or financial management for capital or EPC projects
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Engineering, or Construction Management
• Strong proficiency in cost forecasting, variance analysis, and labor/material auditing under T&M contracts
• Experience developing monthly reporting packages and stewardship reviews
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and communication skills in execution environments

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience on first-of-a-kind, regulated, or infrastructure-scale capital projects
• Familiarity with incentive tracking systems (e.g., IRA prevailing wage, domestic content)
• Background supporting oil and gas, power, or industrial EPC projects with embedded owner-side teams
• Experience coordinating across project management, finance, and procurement functions

Professional Development Requirements

Contribute to internal project benchmarking, reporting templates, and controls documentation. Support knowledge sharing within the project controls function. Represent Natura during audit or…