Senior Project Controller

Thales AWS (Above Water Systems) have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Project Controller at Crawley. The primary purpose of the role is to provide project planning and monitoring and control expertise to the Project. Working directly with the Project Manager (PM) and Project Management Office (PMO) Manager, this role supports the definition of the project goals and objectives, creates and maintains cost and schedule baselines, monitors and analyses progress against the baselines, and advises and challenges the Project Manager on their decision-making through the presentation and interpretation of relevant project data. There will be infrequent travel required to customer sites across the UK and occasional trips to the Netherlands. This role will require SC Clearance. It would be advantageous if currently held; if not currently held it is expected that the post holder will undergo SC Clearance.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks:

• Update Project schedules, in liaison with work package & control account managers, to reflect progressed/completed work, with estimates to complete (ETC) established via allocation of required resources to outstanding scheduled activities.
• Identify slippages within the project schedules & mitigate these, where possible, through agreed re-planning actions.
• Provide performance data to support decision making and inform / improve the planning and execution of outstanding work packages and control accounts.
• Identify focus areas for management, with recommended actions to address any identified variances or improve performance.
• Maintain the Project WBS and OBS for publication and issue.
• Organise and facilitate internal weekly, monthly and quarterly progress meetings in conjunction with PM.
• Ensure consistent monthly Dashboard Pack Reporting across the Project.
• Attend the Project Management Reviews and be prepared to present the cost/schedule aspects as required.
• Drive an effective and efficient process for managing Cost and Schedule Change Control.
• Take responsibility for the update and analysis of project IBP data, ensuring that all IBP data published is correct and accurate and has been fully signed off by the Project Manager and Work Package Managers (WPMs).
• Support Risk Management process, risk reviews and modelling, including maintenance of the overall Risk Register.
• Co-ordinate the Development and Maintenance of Visual Display Boards, with the emphasis on displaying progress against schedule and key milestones.
• Outline the planning policies and guidelines and ensure they are implemented and followed correctly by all Project Managers and Work Package Managers.
• Establish and put in place governance to ensure the project is well controlled, including identifying where governance is lacking and influencing a change in ways of working to ensure control.
• Adhere to the specification and implementation of best practice for project control standards & procedures for reporting in line with corporate policies.

Must Have Skill:

• Working knowledge/application of scheduling tools such as Oracle Primavera and Microsoft Project.
• Detailed understanding of the principles of Earned Value Management, the demands that EVM reporting places on the schedule & the ability to implement EVM on Projects.

Experience:

• Minimum 10 years of proven successful “hands-on” experience in planning, scheduling, data analysis & cost control within a complex engineering/manufacturing environment covering high level & detailed schedule compilation, programme reporting, budgeting & risk management.
• A relevant Defence background would be advantageous.

Qualifications:

• HNC/HND level education in an Engineering or Business Management discipline desirable (and/or proven successful work experience in planning a complex and sizeable project environment).