Project Controls Manager

Balfour Beatty is seeking a talented Project Controls Manager to join our Work Winning Team and play a pivotal role in one of the UK's most significant and complex secure infrastructure programmes. Based in South Cumbria, you will help shape the successful bid strategy before transitioning into a key delivery role, overseeing project controls throughout the lifecycle of a major secure building and infrastructure development.

This landmark programme will progress from RIBA Stage 2 through to construction and handover, delivering critical infrastructure enabling works, new manufacturing and office facilities, and the redevelopment of existing industrial assets over the next eight years. Joining at the very beginning of the project, this is a unique opportunity to influence how the programme is planned, governed and delivered, while helping to create a transformational industrial complex that will have a lasting impact for decades to come.

As Project Controls Manager, you will be at the heart of project performance, providing leadership across planning, scheduling, cost control, reporting, risk management and performance assurance, ensuring the successful delivery of this flagship project from inception to completion.

• Leading the project controls function across a major secure building and infrastructure programme, supporting the Programme Director and Head of Project Controls in driving successful project outcomes.
• Managing and developing teams across planning, risk and cost control, creating a high-performing and collaborative project controls environment.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with the client, project partners and supply chain stakeholders to ensure effective programme delivery.
• Developing and implementing the overall project controls strategy, embedding best practice, governance and consistency across the programme.
• Driving continuous improvement and digital innovation, ensuring alignment between client and contractor project control systems and processes.
• Establishing and maintaining robust project controls frameworks, systems and reporting processes to provide clear visibility of programme performance.
• Developing performance measurement frameworks, including KPIs, productivity metrics, forecasting and earned value management.
• Overseeing baseline management, change control, performance reporting and programme forecasting to support effective decision-making.
• Providing strategic insight and performance analysis to the project leadership team, helping to identify risks, opportunities and improvement initiatives.
• Leading programme planning activities using Primavera P6, ensuring integrated and NEC-compliant schedules are developed and maintained throughout the project lifecycle.
• Managing the integration of project schedules into the wider programme master schedule to ensure coordinated delivery across multiple work streams.
• Embedding risk and opportunity management within project controls processes, ensuring programme impacts are understood, quantified and effectively communicated.
• Overseeing schedule and cost risk analysis, scenario planning and the development of mitigation strategies.
• Providing strategic oversight of cost management, forecasting and financial performance across the programme.
• Ensuring robust cost control processes are implemented and maintained, including budgeting, cost reporting, change management and estimate-at-completion forecasting.
• Supporting commercial and delivery teams in identifying cost risks, opportunities and value improvement initiatives.
• Ensuring compliance with NEC contract requirements, project controls standards and programme governance processes.
• Leading project controls assurance reviews, audits and reporting activities to maintain high standards of performance and accountability.
• Producing accurate, timely and meaningful performance reports for both the project leadership team and client stakeholders.

• Proven experience leading project controls functions on major construction, infrastructure or complex building projects.
• Strong leadership experience managing multidisciplinary teams across planning, risk and cost control.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with clients, delivery partners and supply chain organisations.
• Experience developing and implementing project controls strategies, governance frameworks and best practice processes.
• Strong understanding of NEC…