Project Controls Director

About the Role

Parsons is seeking a Project Controls Director to join its team in Riyadh, Riyadh. This full-time role involves leading all aspects of cost, schedule, risk, and change management for a complex development program. The Project Controls Director will ensure robust governance, accurate forecasting, transparent reporting, and high-performance execution to support successful project delivery, maintaining schedule certainty and financial control.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish, manage, and enforce the overall project controls strategy, systems, procedures, and reporting frameworks across the program.
• Develop project control plans, governance models, and performance measurement systems aligned with client and program objectives.
• Ensure integration of cost, schedule, risk, and change management across all phases of the project lifecycle.
• Implement best practices, policies, and standards for project controls across all project packages and delivery teams.
• Oversee the preparation, review, and approval of the integrated master schedule, ensuring alignment across engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover activities.
• Monitor schedule progress and performance, identifying delays, potential impacts, and mitigation strategies.
• Evaluate contractor schedules to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and project milestones.
• Implement advanced scheduling methodologies such as critical path analysis, schedule risk assessment, and resource-loaded scheduling.
• Provide schedule forecasts and recovery strategies to support proactive project management.
• Direct all cost engineering functions including cost estimating, cost control, cash flow forecasting, and budget monitoring.
• Establish project cost baselines and ensure accurate tracking of expenditures against approved budgets.
• Lead monthly cost reporting, forecasting, and variance analysis to ensure financial transparency and control.
• Analyze cost trends and recommend corrective actions to maintain financial performance.
• Ensure alignment with performance measurement frameworks such as Earned Value Management (EVM).
• Lead the development and implementation of comprehensive project risk management frameworks.
• Facilitate risk identification workshops, qualitative and quantitative risk assessments, and mitigation planning.
• Oversee schedule and cost risk modeling to support decision-making and contingency allocation.
• Monitor risk exposure, mitigation effectiveness, and escalation of critical risks to senior leadership.
• Maintain an active risk register and ensure proactive management of project uncertainties.
• Direct the management of project changes and variations to ensure proper evaluation, documentation, and integration into project baselines.
• Establish and maintain structured change control processes and governance.
• Facilitate Change Control Board (CCB) meetings and ensure transparent decision-making.
• Collaborate with commercial and contract teams in evaluating claims, entitlement assessments, and negotiation strategies.
• Ensure accurate tracking of project trends, early warning notices, and potential claims exposure.
• Oversee preparation of executive-level reports, dashboards, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Ensure consistent, transparent, and timely reporting of project performance, risks, and opportunities.
• Present complex project performance data in clear and actionable formats for executive leadership and stakeholders.
• Provide strategic insights to support informed decision-making at program level.
• Lead the evaluation, implementation, and optimization of project controls systems and digital platforms.
• Promote continuous improvement through automation, advanced analytics, and performance monitoring tools.
• Ensure data accuracy, consistency, and integrity across all project controls systems.
• Establish standardized processes and documentation practices to maintain audit readiness.
• Introduce innovative technologies and methodologies to enhance forecasting accuracy and reporting efficiency.
• Lead and manage a multidisciplinary project controls team including planners, schedulers, cost engineers, risk specialists, and reporting analysts.
• Build and maintain high-performing teams focused on collaboration, accountability, and technical excellence.
• Conduct performance evaluations and support professional development and training initiatives.
• Foster a culture of data accuracy, continuous improvement, and operational discipline.
• Collaborate closely with engineering, construction, procurement, contracts, finance, and operational teams to ensure alignment across the project lifecycle.
• Coordinate with senior stakeholders, project partners, contractors, and consultants.
• Proactively identify and resolve project issues to ensure seamless integration of project controls strategies.
• Ensure effective cross-functional communication and coordination across all project delivery teams.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Over 10 years of experience in project controls.
• Strong leadership capabilities.
• Deep technical knowledge of project controls best practices.

Work Environment

This role is based in Riyadh, Riyadh, and is a full-time position within Parsons. The Project Controls Director will work with exceptional people and contribute to an innovative culture that values people, embraces agility, and fosters growth.