Project Controls Specialist

Job Title: Project Controls Specialist (Remote)

Job Description

The Project Controls Specialist leads the development, implementation, and management of comprehensive project control systems for major capital and R&D programs. This role focuses on forecasting, scheduling, cost control, variance analysis, and performance reporting to ensure large, complex projects remain aligned with scope, budget, and schedule. The specialist translates complex project data into clear, actionable insights for leadership and stakeholders, supports strategic project planning, and plays a central role in advancing high-impact, mission-driven initiatives in the nuclear and advanced energy sector.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain robust project control systems for major capital and R&D projects, ensuring alignment with overall program objectives.
• Manage project forecasting, scheduling, variance analysis, cost alignment, and performance reporting to keep projects on schedule and within budget.
• Design, implement, and maintain earned value management systems, risk models, and change control processes to monitor project performance and risk exposure.
• Build, update, and analyze detailed project schedules using Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, and related scheduling tools.
• Translate complex project and financial data into clear, actionable insights and recommendations for leadership and key stakeholders.
• Conduct detailed cost analysis, including unit cost development, burn rate tracking, and trend reporting to support informed decision-making.
• Collaborate closely with engineering, finance, operations, and PMO teams to ensure alignment of project scope, cost, and schedule with organizational goals.
• Identify, propose, and implement process improvements to enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and clarity of project controls, reporting, and analytics.
• Mentor and support team members in project controls methodologies, tools, and best practices to build organizational capability.
• Support schedule risk analysis and cost forecasting activities to anticipate potential issues and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Contribute to the design and maintenance of forecasting, scheduling, and cost control systems that support large-scale, high-visibility programs.
• Participate in project coordination, document control, and data entry activities to maintain accurate and up-to-date project records.
• Support quality control and quality assurance activities related to project controls, ensuring data integrity and consistency across systems.
• Leverage tools such as Power BI, KPI dashboards, and platforms like monday.com to support project forecasting, performance tracking, and reporting.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support overall project success and continuous improvement across the project portfolio.

Essential Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Project Management, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of experience in project controls, or at least 15+ years of relevant experience in lieu of a degree.
• Minimum of 4 years of hands-on experience using Primavera P6 for project scheduling and control.
• Proven expertise in earned value management, schedule risk analysis, and cost forecasting for large or complex projects.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including managing and analyzing complex data sets.
• Experience working in a Project Management Office (PMO) or large project management environment.
• Demonstrated experience in cost control, project control, project scheduling, and project management.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data and provide clear, data-driven insights.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to convey complex information to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to lead through influence in cross-functional environments.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE/NRC Q-Clearance, with U.S. citizenship required for eligibility.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Master's degree in Business, Finance, Project Management, or a related discipline.
• Professional certifications such as PMI or AACE credentials (e.g., PMP, PMI-SP, AACE-PSP, AACE-EVP).
• Experience supporting large CAPEX or utility projects, particularly those with significant complexity and regulatory oversight.
• Background in nuclear, energy, or high-tech industrial projects, including construction or advanced manufacturing environments.
• Experience with quality control, quality assurance, and inventory control in a project context.
• Familiarity with project coordination, document control, and structured project documentation practices.
• Experience with forecasting, budget forecasting, and project forecasting in large-scale programs.
• Experience using Power BI or similar business intelligence tools to develop dashboards and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Experience using collaboration and work management platforms such as monday.com.
• Exposure to high-impact, mission-driven environments focused on national energy security or critical infrastructure.

Work Environment

This role operates primarily in a remote work environment, offering flexibility while maintaining strong engagement with cross-functional teams. There is an expectation to travel to the Wilmington office approximately once a month to collaborate in person with leadership, engineers, finance, and operations teams. The work centers on large-scale, advanced nuclear fuel and energy-related projects, supported by modern project management, scheduling, and analytics tools such as Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, Excel, Power BI, and digital collaboration platforms. The environment emphasizes innovation, precision, and continuous improvement, with opportunities to contribute to groundbreaking, long-term capital programs and to work within a high-impact, mission-driven culture focused on advancing energy technology and security.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Kevil, KY.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $120000.00 - $135000.00/yr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

401k, remote, expnese travel, relo, pto and holiday

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Kevil,KY.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 16, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.