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Project controls specialist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Chris P. Caddell

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical project controls specialist skills. We ranked the top skills for project controls specialists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 11.6% of project controls specialist resumes contained project controls as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a project controls specialist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 project controls specialist skills for your resume and career

1. Project Controls

Project control is a vital part of the operations of a business or organization. It covers all plans, strategies, resources, and tools required for the control and management of a project's operation.

Here's how project controls specialists use project controls:

Increased systemic efficiency and enhanced staff performance by successfully supporting implementation of project control processes, procedures, systems and tools.
Project ControlsManage projects with scope including civil, structural, mechanical, and electrical and instrumentation applications in petrochemical industry.

2. Project Management

Here's how project controls specialists use project management:

Managed all project documentation (includes: engineering/technical, correspondence, project management) generated by company and by subcontractors.
Cultivate design of an internally developed proprietary project management database program titled Project Management and Controls System (PMCS).

3. Work Breakdown Structure

Here's how project controls specialists use work breakdown structure:

Developed work breakdown structures and prepared several presentations to assist in analyzing problems and the development of issue resolution recommendations.
Developed and analyzed Work Breakdown Structures, estimates-to-complete, estimates-at-completion and real cost vs. labor category variances.

4. Primavera P6

Here's how project controls specialists use primavera p6:

Contributed and assisted with the development of a project schedule utilizing Primavera P6 establishing a Generic Template for the Cryogenic Division.
Developed detailed resource loaded engineering, procurement, installation, testing/commissioning schedules using Primavera P6.8/8.4 software.

5. Construction Management

Here's how project controls specialists use construction management:

Developed alternate work and recovery schedules as required utilizing Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, HVAC and Instrumentation construction management experience.
Advised construction management on work planning, task analysis, manpower analysis, budget forecasting and critical path identification.

6. Cost Control

Cost control is a process in which actual costs are recorded and incorporated into a format that allows comparison with project budgets to regulate and control operating costs within an organization. The goal of cost control is to manage project delivery within the approved budget and reduce expenses to increase profits.

Here's how project controls specialists use cost control:

Performed monthly forecasting, variance and trend analysis reporting to senior management and recommended different measures for cost control.
Calculated earned values utilizing deliverable items, cost control budget and expenditures resulting in project performance factor.

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7. Project Cost

Project cost is the overall cost for planning, developing, executing, managing, and completing a project. Project cost needs to be estimated and projected in the project planning phase. Cost management strategy includes estimating project requirements, scheduling, budget allocation, and project design.

Here's how project controls specialists use project cost:

Performed internal audit of project accruals to reconcile project costs/revenue in accounting.
Evaluated, monitored and reported general project costs against baseline budget.

8. Status Reports

Here's how project controls specialists use status reports:

Prepared monthly project financial status reports including cost analyses for project and senior management review and planning.
Prepare monthly and weekly progress/status reports summarizing project accomplishments, critical issues and progress analysis.

9. WBS

WBS, Work Breakdown Structure, is a planning tool used in projects, programs, and even initiatives to understand the work that needs to be done to produce one or more results successfully. It is a productivity technique for developing a project schedule, resource needs, and costs that are used to break work down into smaller tasks/components to make work more accessible and manageable.

Here's how project controls specialists use wbs:

Supervised office manager and payroll administrators with entry of daily time and expenses, WBS verification, and week ending reports.
Support development of WBS and Cost Breakdown Structure to establish accurate estimates and allocate necessary resources with an emphasis on efficiency.

10. Management System

A management system is a set of policies, processes, and procedures taken by an organization or a business to ensure it can fulfill its tasks and achieve its objectives. A management system makes sure that the company excels financially and improves the user experience. The management system also takes care of the worker's and employees' needs and manages their workload and oversees their performance. Apart from interior matters of the company, a management system also deals with exterior matters like legislations, tax matters, and law issues.

Here's how project controls specialists use management system:

Conduct cost performance and management audits in order to evaluate the application of performance management systems.
Handled improvements of physical and digital document management system for higher efficiency via SharePoint.

11. Earned Value Management

Here's how project controls specialists use earned value management:

Identified cost overruns, implementing earned value management techniques, and recommended cost-savings measures.
Monitor productivity weekly using Earned Value Management tools.

12. Cost Management

Here's how project controls specialists use cost management:

Oversee Cost Management including developing plans, forecasting and measuring progress/performance against these plans.
Cost management and engineering progress.

13. Project Performance

Here's how project controls specialists use project performance:

Monitor project performance against expected revenue targets, support revenue estimates and reconciliations, initiate funding requirements to customer facing representatives.
Calculate Earned Value and other key project performance indicators and communicate this information to upper management.

14. PowerPoint

Here's how project controls specialists use powerpoint:

Prepared Microsoft PowerPoint quarterly construction status report.
Performed library and Internet research; created statistical charts and PowerPoint slides; formatting of reports and other airport/project specific materials.

15. Cost Reports

Here's how project controls specialists use cost reports:

Initiated bi-weekly conferences with Functional Area Managers to create stronger inter-department relationships to support cost reporting requirements with more detailed data.
Developed instructional material used by the department to educate individuals within the company on comprehending complex cost reports.

5 Project Controls Specialist resume examples

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What skills help Project Controls Specialists find jobs?

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What type of skills will young project controls specialists need?

Chris P. Caddell

Board President, AACEI

I anticipate the basic technical skills will largely be the same as today. However, I expect graduates will need greater familiarity with configuring software. This skill will be moving from an IT-exclusive capability to a useful skill that new graduates will need. From a softer skills perspective, young graduates will need to be self-motivated, self-aware, and outspoken. As our world moves to more remote working, graduates will need to be self-motivated because there may be no one (physically) there to push them. They will need to be self-aware of when they are struggling and need help. And they will need to be outspoken about asking for help when they need it and making sure they make their voices heard.

Do you want to know more?

List of project controls specialist skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a project controls specialist resume and required skills for a project controls specialist to have include:

Project Controls
Project Management
Work Breakdown Structure
Primavera P6
Construction Management
Cost Control
Project Cost
Status Reports
WBS
Management System
Earned Value Management
Cost Management
Project Performance
PowerPoint
Cost Reports
Cash Flow

Purchase Orders
Project Planning
Microsoft Project
Construction Projects
Project Budget
Risk Analysis
Cost Analysis
Cpm
Project Scope
Schedule Performance
Capital Projects
Cost Estimates
Accruals
Cost Data
Corrective Action
Schedule Development

Schedule Analysis
Value Analysis
Construction Schedule
Financial Reports
SharePoint
Reconciliations
Change Order Management
Baseline Schedule
Financial Analysis
EPC
Variance Analysis
Master Schedule
DOD
Critical Path Analysis
Schedule Updates

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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