Program Controls Lead

Overview The Program Controls Lead is a senior leadership role within the Center of Excellence (COE), responsible for integrating cost controls, estimating, scheduling, forecasting, and program-level financial visibility across the portfolio. This role leads both the Cost Controls and Scheduling functions and establishes the operational rigor, governance standards, and analytical frameworks required to support predictable program delivery and long-term capital planning alignment.

Reporting directly to the COE Lead, the Program Controls Lead drives consistency across estimating, schedule governance, forecasting, benchmarking, and portfolio analytics. The role partners closely with Project Delivery, Design Enablement, PMO, Innovation, and client stakeholders to improve program predictability, support financial stewardship objectives, and strengthen integration between cost, schedule, and capital planning activities.

The role operates as an enterprise enablement and governance function. It provides leadership oversight, portfolio-level visibility, and strategic controls integration while supporting early-phase planning, program forecasting, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Job Summary/Goals This role provides program-wide leadership for integrated controls functions within the COE. Key goals include:

• Lead and integrate the Cost Controls and Scheduling teams under a unified program controls structure
• Establish and enforce program-wide controls governance, estimating standards, scheduling discipline, and forecasting methodologies
• Improve cost and schedule predictability through benchmarking, analytics, and risk visibility
• Support client financial stewardship objectives through disciplined controls processes and reporting alignment
• Strengthen integration between estimating, scheduling, constructability, and delivery planning
• Support evolving capital planning and portfolio forecasting capabilities through program-level controls insights and analytics
• Provide leadership focus on recovery planning, forecasting accuracy, process efficiency, and continuous improvement
• Partner closely with COE functional leaders and client stakeholders to align priorities, staffing, reporting, and operational focus areas

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Program Controls Leadership & Governance

• Own program-wide controls governance frameworks across estimating, scheduling, forecasting, and reporting

• Establish integrated controls standards, methodologies, and performance expectations across the portfolio

• Ensure alignment between cost, schedule, scope, and delivery assumptions at all major program milestones

• Provide leadership oversight for estimating rigor, schedule integrity, forecasting accuracy, and controls consistency

• Serve as the senior escalation point for program controls risks, variances, recovery concerns, and confidence gaps

• Drive accountability for timely, defensible, and data-driven controls outputs

• Cost Controls & Estimating Leadership

• Lead program estimating functions across scoping, engineered drawing, and final pricing phases

• Ensure consistent application of estimating assumptions, exclusions, qualifications, and risk documentation

• Oversee development and validation of scoping budgets, engineered drawing budgets, and final pricing estimates

• Support bid review processes focused on pricing reasonableness, scope completeness, and benchmarking consistency

• Lead portfolio-level benchmarking initiatives, market intelligence tracking, and pricing trend analysis

• Identify recurring cost drivers, scope gaps, and estimating accuracy trends to improve predictability

• Support future-state change order benchmarking and unit pricing analysis initiatives

• Scheduling & Planning Leadership

• Lead program scheduling governance and standards across the portfolio

• Establish consistent schedule development, milestone management, reporting, and forecasting practices

• Ensure alignment between schedule assumptions, procurement strategy, delivery sequencing, and cost forecasts

• Partner with Project Delivery and PMO teams to identify schedule risks, recovery opportunities, and resource impacts

• Support integrated schedule analytics and portfolio reporting to improve program visibility and decision-making

• Promote proactive planning disciplines to reduce reactive execution and improve throughput capacity

• Forecasting, Analytics & Capital Planning Support

• Lead portfolio-level forecasting and controls analytics efforts across cost and schedule performance

• Develop standardized reporting and variance narratives for executive leadership and client stakeholders

• Maintain program-level controls dashboards, assumption logs, and risk registers

• Support long-range planning efforts through integrated controls insights and trend analysis

• Contribute controls expertise to evolving capital planning and financial stewardship initiatives

• Provide early warning indicators and scenario analysis to support strategic decision-making and recovery planning

• Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop the Cost Controls and Scheduling teams

• Establish performance expectations, workload prioritization, and quality standards across both functions

• Create development pathways and succession planning for controls team members

• Promote collaboration between Estimators, Schedulers, Design, PMO, Delivery teams

• Ensure staffing models and resource allocation align with program priorities and workload demands

• Process Improvement & Innovation

• Lead controls process improvement initiatives focused on efficiency, consistency, and scalability

• Support implementation of program controls innovation initiatives, analytics tools, and reporting enhancements

• Identify opportunities to improve integration between systems, reporting structures, and benchmarking data

• Partner with leadership to evaluate future-state controls capabilities, automation opportunities, and operational improvements

• Support innovation initiatives tied to estimating processes, scheduling methodologies, and portfolio analytics

• Cross-Pillar COE Integration

• Partner closely with Project Delivery, PMO, Design Enablement, and Innovation teams

• Align controls processes with constructability, delivery strategy, and program execution priorities

• Support enterprise reporting alignment and operational governance across the COE

• Serve as a strategic partner to the COE Lead on controls operations, staffing strategy, and program performance

Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Finance, Business, or related field
• 10+ years of experience in construction cost controls, estimating, scheduling, or program controls leadership
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary controls or program management teams
• Strong understanding of integrated cost and schedule controls methodologies
• Experience supporting portfolio-scale or prototype-driven programs preferred
• Experience with capital planning, forecasting, or enterprise program controls environments preferred

Knowledge Skills And Abilities

• Deep expertise in construction estimating, scheduling, forecasting, and program controls governance
• Strong leadership and organizational management capabilities
• Ability to integrate cost, schedule, and operational data into executive-level insights and decision support
• Strong analytical rigor and financial acumen·
• Ability to influence strategic decisions through credible, data-driven recommendations
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills with both client and executive leadership teams
• Working knowledge of architectural and engineering drawings
• Proficiency with estimating and scheduling tools such as CostX, RSMeans, Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, Bluebeam, and PlanSwift
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, reporting tools, and data analytics platforms

Beneficial Skills

• Experience operating within a Center of Excellence or enterprise program controls environment
• Experience leading integrated cost and schedule controls functions
• Familiarity with portfolio benchmarking, capital forecasting, and financial stewardship initiatives
• Familiarity with JLL PDS governance frameworks and controls standards
• Experience supporting innovation, industrialized construction, or operational transformation initiatives
• Exposure to multi-site retail, restaurant, or prototype rollout programs preferred