Project Controls Specialist

What You'll Be Doing

Job Scope: The Project Cost Controls Specialist is responsible for supporting project cost management, budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, and performance reporting throughout the project lifecycle. This position requires strong hands-on experience with SAP, particularly in project cost tracking, commitments, actual costs, purchase orders, accruals, and financial reporting.

The successful candidate will work closely with Project Managers, Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Accounting, and other project stakeholders to ensure project financial data is accurate, timely, reconciled, and aligned with approved budgets and forecasts.

Primary responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

SAP / Project Cost Controls

• Utilize SAP as the primary project cost controls and financial management system.
• Monitor project budgets, commitments, actual costs, accruals, expenditures, and forecasts.
• Review SAP project data for accuracy, completeness, and proper cost coding.
• Investigate cost, coding, purchase order, invoice, and commitment discrepancies.
• Track purchase orders, commitments, invoices, accruals, and project expenditures.
• Support project setup and maintenance of cost structures, WBS elements, cost codes, and related master data.
• Reconcile SAP financial information with project controls reports, accounting records, and forecasts.
• Assist Project Managers with cost-to-complete and Estimate at Completion (EAC) forecasting.
• Identify cost trends, variances, potential overruns, and emerging financial risks.
• Support monthly project financial close, accrual development, and reporting activities.

Forecasting, Analysis & Reporting

• Prepare and maintain project budgets, forecasts, cash-flow projections, and cost reports.
• Analyze budget, commitment, actual cost, forecast, and variance information to evaluate project performance.
• Prepare weekly and monthly project controls reports, dashboards, and management summaries.
• Develop clear explanations of cost variances, forecast changes, and potential financial impacts.
• Maintain accurate project controls data across SAP and internal reporting tools.
• Develop and maintain Excel-based cost reports, reconciliations, and analytical tools.
• Provide timely project performance information to Project Managers and leadership.\

Change Management & Project Support

• Support project change management by evaluating and documenting the cost impact of project changes.
• Maintain change logs and track potential, pending, approved, and rejected changes.
• Ensure approved changes are incorporated into project budgets and forecasts.
• Maintain historical cost information and supporting documentation for auditability and future estimating.
• Coordinate with Accounting to resolve financial discrepancies and support project closeout.
• Promote consistent cost-control practices, coding structures, reporting standards, and data quality.

Ideal Background

Education: Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, Finance, Accounting is preferred. Equivalent relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Certification: No certification is required for this position.  

Experience: This position requires 2+ years' experience working within an EPC, engineering, construction, industrial, or professional technical services environment. Experience supporting engineering and construction projects through multiple project phases is preferred.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated hands-on SAP experience in project controls, project accounting, cost control, or a project financial environment.
• Experience with project cost control, budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, and performance reporting.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including data analysis, reconciliations, formulas, PivotTables, and reporting.
• Understanding of project WBS and cost structures, commitments, actuals, accruals, forecasts, and change management.
• Experience developing cost-to-complete and Estimate at Completion forecasts.
• Ability to reconcile information across multiple systems and identify data discrepancies.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to communicate project financial information effectively to Project Managers and leadership.
• Knowledge of Earned Value Management concepts and project performance measurement is preferred.
• Experience with Power BI or other reporting and dashboard tools is preferred.
• Experience integrating or reconciling information between SAP, accounting systems, timekeeping systems, and project reporting tools is preferred.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to sit, stand, or walk for long periods of time.

Hargrove Culture

We work to create an environment founded on trust, personal integrity, and a “team mentality” so that each person understands the value of their contributions both on a project and company-wide level. We know that each person on our team contributes to the success of our company by pairing expertise and passion to meet and exceed the needs of the clients we serve across the globe. 

Our safety culture protects and promotes the well-being of every person who works with us and every person touched by our work.

As a 100% Teammate owned company, we proudly offer a comprehensive benefits package including, paid holidays, personal paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, 401(k), and other benefits to eligible Teammates.

Equal Opportunity Employment Statement

Hargrove is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex (including gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, sexual identity, marital or family status), disability, military service or obligations, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Hargrove is a drug-free workplace.

The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.