Program Controls Leader

About the role

Freese and Nichols is seeking a Program Controls Leader to lead program controls at the company. This is a company-wide leadership role responsible for designing and implementing program controls strategies, managing staff, and ensuring alignment with organizational strategy.

Responsibilities

• Partner closely with Program Management Leadership to design and implement program controls strategies, strategic initiatives, best practices, and digital solutions that deliver maximum value to internal and external clients.
• Lead and manage Program Controls staff, including recruitment, supervision, assignments, and retention.
• Promote collaboration across practices to ensure consistent execution and delivery of program controls services.
• Oversee program controls for large, highly strategic, and complex programs.
• Provide senior-level direction to ensure program controls activities align with organizational strategy.
• Cookordination of multiple projects within a program to ensure integration and alignment with overall objectives.
• Drive process improvements and strengthen collaboration among project teams.
• Identify and manage interdependencies across programs and projects, applying advanced risk mitigation strategies.
• Support advanced resource planning and allocation to enhance efficiency and productivity.
• Introduce innovative approaches that exceed program goals and support broader organizational success.
• Provide expert oversight and guidance to program and project controls teams to ensure effective execution.
• Deliver clear, concise, and actionable communications to program teams, stakeholders, and senior leadership.
• Aid in the preparation and delivery of the program controls message and capabilities to clients.

Requirements

• Extensive professional experience in a Program Controls leadership role.
• Strategic and visionary leadership for program controls, aligning practices with broader organizational goals.
• Comprehensive knowledge of program controls principles and significant experience contributing thought leadership and discipline development.
• Recognized within the industry as a leading authority in program controls, with experience managing major client programs.
• Clear understanding and articulation of the distinctions between program controls and project controls functions.
• Strategic oversight of program controls processes, tools, methodologies, and decision-making to ensure successful delivery and organizational alignment.
• Demonstrated expertise in establishing and maintaining robust baselines, monitoring performance, and delivering meaningful analysis to support proactive program management and evidence-based decisions.
• Advanced technical proficiency in both project and program controls, demonstrating mastery-level competencies.
• Cultivate a collaborative, high-performing, and positive team environment.
• Proven senior leader with a strong record of driving performance and achieving organizational objectives.
• Contribute to the profession through thought leadership, publications, conference participation, and professional association involvement.
• Champion best practices, positioning the organization as a leader in program controls.
• Stay current with emerging trends and industry developments.
• Demonstrate advanced program management leadership capabilities.
• Mentor, develop, and evaluate team members at all levels.
• Recruit and support retention of top talent.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in project management, engineering, architecture, business, building construction, construction management, or equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years of experience working and leading in the program controls environment.
• 5+ years of experience leading program controls for a company or a business line within a company.
• Experience developing, maintaining, and utilizing interactive dashboards and data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, and similar AI-enabled analytics platforms).
• Demonstrated proficiency in program controls and related interdependencies.
• Willingness to travel frequently as needed to meet project and client requirements.

Preferred

• Professional Engineer (PE) or Registered Architect (RA) or Certified Construction Manager (CCM) or Project Management Professional (PMP).
• Experience developing team and professional growth path (program controls and estimators and schedulers).
• Software experience with Oracle, Power BI, Excel Modeling or Power Query, SAP, SharePoint, Projectmates, Procore, other PMIS Databases, Tableau.
• Active participation in professional organizations and continuing education.
• Preference to participation in professional organization leadership roles and history of presenting at regional and national conferences.