Title: Project Controls Lead
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Salary: $155,000 - $175,000 + Bonus + Benefits

We are partnering with a small, well-regarded owner’s representative firm to appoint a Project Controls Lead in Charlotte, North Carolina. This is a key hire supporting a major banking client, with the opportunity to take ownership of project controls across a significant program and, over time, build out a team around you.

This is not a traditional Quantity Surveying role. The focus is on project controls, program management, internal reporting, stakeholder communication, governance, forecasting, and oversight rather than hands-on QS delivery. That said, the successful person will need to understand construction commercial language and be comfortable operating alongside both a Quantity Surveyor and a Project Manager on the program.

For someone who enjoys building structure, creating reporting clarity, and becoming the go-to person for program controls on the client side, this is an outstanding opportunity.

The Role – Project Controls Lead

As Project Controls Lead, you will be responsible for establishing and managing the reporting, controls, and governance processes that support successful program delivery. You will act as a key link between project teams, consultants, and client stakeholders, ensuring leadership has clear, accurate, and timely information to make decisions.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading project controls and program reporting for a high-profile client account
• Developing and maintaining reporting frameworks across schedule, cost, risk, and program performance
• Producing clear internal reporting packs, dashboards, and executive-level updates
• Monitoring project performance and identifying risks, issues, trends, and opportunities early
• Coordinating closely with delivery teams, including PMs, QSs, consultants, and client stakeholders
• Supporting governance, change control, forecasting, and overall program visibility
• Driving consistency in controls processes and reporting standards across the program
• Acting as a trusted point of contact for client-side leadership on project controls matters
• Helping shape the future structure of the team, with the potential to hire and lead additional project controls resource as the program grows

What They Are Looking For

This role would suit someone from a project controls, program management, construction management, cost management, or related client-side / consultancy background who understands how major capital projects are tracked, reported, and managed.

Minimum Qualifications

• Proven experience in project controls, program controls, or project/program management within construction, real estate, or capital projects
• Strong understanding of cost, schedule, risk, reporting, and governance
• Experience producing internal / client-side reporting for senior stakeholders
• Ability to work across multiple workstreams and provide structure in a fast-moving environment
• Strong communication skills with the ability to simplify complex project information
• Comfortable working alongside commercial, project management, and delivery teams
• Enough commercial awareness to understand QS terminology and construction cost language, even if not from a pure QS background
• Experience in a client-facing, owner’s rep, consultancy, or capital programs environment is highly desirable

Why Join?

• Rare opportunity to join a small owner’s rep firm in a high-impact leadership hire
• Work directly on a major banking client program
• Visible, strategic role with real influence over reporting and program controls
• Chance to build and shape a team over time
• Excellent fit for someone who wants ownership, progression, and long-term growth rather than being one of many in a larger platform

If you are a project controls professional who enjoys bringing structure, visibility, and confidence to complex construction programs, we would welcome a conversation.