Project Controls SME

Job Description

What if you could redefine what’s possible? With us, you can.

As a Project Controls Subject Matter Expert (SME) within our Project Delivery Excellence team, you will help shape how complex projects across Canada are planned, executed, governed, and delivered. This role, based in Ottawa, strengthens our national capability and supports multidisciplinary teams driving major programs that improve communities and advance sustainability.

• Guide project teams in applying best‑in‑class project controls methodologies across cost, schedule, risk, change management, performance tracking, and reporting.
• Support enterprise‑level project governance by developing standardized tools, templates, dashboards, and workflows.
• Collaborate closely with project managers, finance partners, and technical leads to ensure alignment between scope, schedule, cost, and performance metrics.
• Advise senior leadership on trends, variances, mitigations, and opportunities based on robust data analytics.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives and contribute to digital transformation in project delivery systems and processes.
• Ensure project controls practices meet corporate standards, regulatory requirements, and client expectations.
• Mentor project teams and provide SME‑level guidance across WSP’s Canadian operations.
• Stakeholder Engagement: engagement with external stakeholders (clients, regulators, partners) to ensure alignment and transparency throughout the project lifecycle.
• Project Life Cycle Support:
  Assist major projects on project set‑up and roll‑out, performance assessments, as well as performance recovery teams where required.
• Stakeholder
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Work closely with project managers, engineers, contractors, and other stakeholders to ensure project control practices support overall project goals. Serve as the key liaison for project controls, facilitating clear communication and transparency on project status and issues.
• Establishing Processes and Standards:
  Develop, implement, and maintain standardized project control processes, methodologies, and tools for scheduling, budgeting, cost monitoring, and risk management across all projects.
• Training and Development:
  Develop and deliver training sessions or workshops, fostering project controls capability across WSP Canada.
• Process Improvement:
  Continuously evaluate the effectiveness of project control tools and processes. Implement improvements and new technologies as needed to increase efficiency, accuracy, and reporting capabilities in project delivery.
• Quality Assurance:
  Oversight of quality assurance processes related to project controls deliverables, ensuring accuracy, reliability, and compliance.
• Lessons Learned and Knowledge Management:
  Capturing and disseminating lessons learned to support organizational knowledge and future project success.

• Experience in project controls within consulting, engineering, infrastructure delivery, or major capital projects.
• Strong proficiency with project controls tools (e.g., Primavera P6, MS Project, Power BI, cost‑control systems – In‑Eight experience is considered an asset).
• Demonstrated ability to develop and interpret cost models, schedules, dashboards, and performance metrics.
• Knowledge of best practices for risk management, change control, earned value, and project governance.
• Ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and influence decision‑making using data‑driven insights.
• A relevant post‑secondary degree in engineering, project management, business, or a related field; industry certifications (PMP, PMI‑SP, AACE) are an asset.
• Experience:
  
  10+ years in project controls, project management, or a related field, including at least 5 years in a leadership or managerial role overseeing project control functions (scheduling, budgeting, cost control).
• Communication and Stakeholder Management:
  Excellent verbal and written communication skills to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders, present complex information clearly, and facilitate workshops or training sessions.
• Change Management:
  Experience supporting organizational…