Character of the Work
The construction project controls (PC) manager oversees the actions of
his estimators, schedulers, and cost engineers. The PC manager
orchestrates the combined functions that enable managers, from his own
firm and the owner’s, to anticipate necessary changes to keep the
project on schedule and within budget. This is a large responsibility,
since along with those time and money issues, quality and safety are the
other overriding concerns for any construction project. One could
perhaps say, then, that the controls manager carries half of the
responsibility of the project PM.
As new project cost-creating processes or client reporting requirements
develop, the PC manager anticipates needs and adapts available systems
and personnel skills to gather, record, analyze, and report necessary
information. Matters of scheduling and funding create so much need for
decisions, so it is seldom that the PC manager is not involved in the
decision-making of the program. Probably the main responsibility of the
PC manager, as for any department manager, is to enable subordinate
professionals to best do their jobs. Effective interaction with people
is critical to success. It is not uncommon for the PC manager to
interact directly with client personnel.
Education and Training
In today’s construction industry, anyone expecting to be chosen for a
management position of any kind should hold a relevant baccalaureate
degree. A quantitative degree, such as construction management,
engineering, or business satisfies the need well. Appropriate experience
is essential, too. It is likely that a new PC manager has spent most
professional time in one of the three primary functional areas, so a new
manager often has to extend supervisory attention to new technical
details. If PC managers have education or training about the
construction operations whose time and cost they are to control, they
can be of greater value to their project managers. Completion of
training courses that speed necessary learning of those details is a
wise investment of effort. The PC manager must remain as sensitive to
his or her lifelong learning as to that of subordinates.
Career Opportunities
The project-level decision-making in which a PC manager must often take
part grooms them for increased responsibilities. Movement to a project
management role is not uncommon. Often a successful PC manager will be
offered an opportunity to manage multiple project PC departments. In
other cases, the manager might prefer to technically specialize in
construction claims resolution, risk analysis, or contracts management.
All of these paths can lead to executive positions. In short, few doors
for advancement close and many open wide, when a professional decides to
work in project controls and, further, shows ability to manage the PC
department.
Character of the Work
