Project Controls Lead

West Kitikmeot Resources Corp. (WKR) is an Inuit-led organization dedicated to the development of the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut for the benefit of Kitikmeot Inuit. WKR is the sole proponent and developer of the Grays Bay Road and Port (Grays Bay) Project. Grays Bay is a proposed deep-water port on the Northwest Passage of the Arctic Ocean connected by a 230 km, multi-user all-season road to the northern terminus of the Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road (TCWR).

Once constructed, the Grays Bay Road and Port will provide the first land link between the Northwest Passage and the North American highway system. The Project will be the northern half of the Arctic Economic & Security Corridor, which will ultimately connect southern Canada and Arctic deep-water with all-season road access.

Job Description
We are seeking a Project Controls Lead to join the Owner's team on a large, complex infrastructure project. This is a unique opportunity for an project controls professional to play a central role in overseeing project performance across a Progressive Design-Build (PDB) delivery model, working alongside a PDB Contractor.
Reporting to the Engineering Manager, the Project Controls Lead will act as the Owner's key point of accountability for schedule integrity, cost performance, change management, and project execution oversight throughout the project lifecycle. This role is ideal for a rising professional — potentially an engineer or project controls specialist working toward their PMP designation — who wants to build a strong foundation in owner-side project controls leadership on a high-profile capital program.
You won't be responsible for drafting cost or schedule estimates, that's the job of the PDB contractor and owner’s engineering advisor teams. Instead, you'll need to critically interpret their outputs, challenge assumptions, identify risk, and ensure the Owner has clear, reliable visibility into project planning and performance at all times.
The current project schedule anticipates award of a PDB contract in early 2027, final investment decision in 2028, early works construction in 2029, and major works construction in . As such, this role will focus on planning through 2028, with a transition to managing execution from 2029 onwards.
This role will initially be an individual contributor but will become responsible for hiring and managing a project controls team for the execution phase.
This role will initially be based out of WKR’s Calgary project office, but may transition to a nearby office shared with the PDB Contractor. Occasional travel for site visits and to meet with vendors will be required.
Key

Duties Include:

Project Controls Ownership   Lead the Owner's oversight of project controls (cost, schedule, change, and risk) as implemented by the PDB contractor and Owner's Engineering Advisor.
Ensure project controls processes and reporting align with the Owner's governance requirements and the terms of the PDB agreement.
Schedule & Planning Oversight   Review, challenge, and validate the PDB contractor's and Owner’s Engineering Advisor's project schedules, ensuring logic, sequencing, and durations reasonably reflect actual project scope and timelines.
Monitor critical path activities and baseline adherence, flagging schedule slippage, scope deviations, or emerging delays to project leadership.
Support integration of the Owner's internal milestones and stakeholder commitments into the master project schedule.
Cost Control & Forecasting   Oversee and interpret cost reports, forecasts, and cash flow projections submitted by the PDB contractor and other advisors.
Track budget performance against approved baselines through variance analysis, identifying and escalating cost trends early.
Support development of Owner’s cost forecasts and funding/drawdown projections for internal and external reporting.
Change Management   Lead the Owner's review and evaluation of change orders, trend notices, and scope change requests submitted by the PDB contractor and other key contractors.
Maintain a change log and ensure changes are properly assessed for cost, schedule, and risk impact before approval.
Support negotiation…