Project Control Manager

CEL is an Irish based 40-year manufacturer, distributor and exporter of electrical switchgear and controls, and related products and services, focused on the supplying the global Data Centre industry.

Operating from 400,000ft² of manufacturing capacity in Williamsburg, Virginia, we aim to double in size each year for the next three years.

CEL is led by a hard-working team who follow traditional working practices, value collaboration, continuous improvement, excellence in quality and commercial curiosity.

Through this role, you will ensure CEL continue to enhance on our reputation for building the best quality switchgear with support systems that exceed our customer expectations.

Position Overview:

Reporting to the VP Projects, we are seeking a highly organized Project Control Manager who will play a critical role in ensuring the successful delivery of customer projects by providing accurate analysis and reporting of all relevant project metrics, including financial performance, delivery schedules, resource utilization and risk indicators across our portfolio of electrical switchgear projects for our data-centre clients.

You will manage a team consisting of Project Cost Engineers, Master Schedulers and Document Controllers to ensure that each project stream is executed efficiently, aligned with contractual obligations, client expectations and delivered to the highest standards.

You will require a strong technical understanding of Project Management Systems and a very high degree of financial and commercial acumen.

What You'll Be Doing:

Leadership & Performance:

• Lead, mentor and support your team, providing tactical direction and strong daily leadership to ensure they can execute in a professional and consistent manner.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration and excellence.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and support professional development.
• Facilitate collaboration, knowledge sharing and professional development across the team.

Project Performance Monitoring:

• Collect, consolidate and analyze data from multiple project streams to assess overall program health.
• Track and report KPI's e.g. budget adherence, schedule variance, earned value and forecast accuracy.
• Maintain dashboards and reporting tools to provide real-time visibility to stakeholders.

Financial Controls:

• Verify rigorous financial and commercial analysis is being carried out through all project phases.
• Monitor project budgets, cost-to-complete forecasts and planned V's actual spend etc.
• Support monthly financial reviews and variance analysis with department managers, SMT and SLT.
• Ensure alignment between project financials and corporate reporting standards.

Schedule Management:

• Collaborate with Project Managers and Planners to track delivery milestones and schedule performance.
• Identify schedule risks and recommend mitigation strategies based on input from Program Managers.
• Support integrated master schedule / SIOPS development and maintenance.

Reporting & Communication:

• Prepare and present regular and accurate performance reports for senior leadership and clients.
• Ensure consistency and accuracy in reporting across all projects.
• Facilitate project control reviews and support audit readiness.

Process Improvement:

• Develop and refine project control processes, templates and tools.
• Promote best practices in cost control, scheduling and performance tracking.
• Train and support project teams in the use of control systems and methodologies.

Key Competencies:

• Very strong strategic and analytical thinker with a results-driven mindset.
• Strong leadership presence and ability to inspire cross-functional teams.
• Financially and commercially astute with sound business judgment.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• High level of integrity, professionalism and resilience.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Project Management, Finance or related field.
• Strong understanding of project management methodologies (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2, Agile) is essential.
• 5+ years of experience in project controls or project management in a technical or industrial environment.
• Proficiency in Excel, Power BI or other data visualization tools.
• Familiarity with electrical switchgear systems, manufacturing or data center environments is a plus.

We strongly believe that seeking out and hiring the most diverse talent and creating an inclusive workplace is the way to create an exceptional and innovative workplace for our employees which will deliver excellence in service to our customers.

We encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experience to join this multicultural, hard-working team.