Head of Project Controls & Performance

South Wales | Senior Leadership Role | Major UK Industrial Project | Salary Negotiable

Introduction

Acorn by Synergie is searching for a Head of Project Controls & Performance to join the senior leadership team of a long-established global industrial organisation with a major UK manufacturing footprint based in South Wales.

This is a pivotal role within a £1bn-scale industrial megaproject, accountable for defining and embedding a robust project controls framework to deliver predictable outcomes across cost, schedule, safety, and quality.

Key Duties

• Define, embed, and continually evolve the project controls framework covering cost, schedule, risk, change, document control, and integrated performance reporting.
• Drive consistency across the programme through common tools, systems, and ways of working.
• Set and manage cost and schedule baselines, applying robust estimating, forecasting, Earned Value techniques, and schedule management using industry-standard tools such as Primavera P6.
• Establish effective risk and opportunity management disciplines and own the change control process.
• Produce clear and timely performance insight, including variance analysis and executive-level dashboards, to support senior and board-level decision-making.
• Build, lead, and develop a multi-disciplinary project controls team across cost, planning, risk, and document control.
• Work closely with commercial, procurement, engineering, finance, and supply chain functions, acting as the project controls lead within governance and assurance forums.
• Provide project controls input to procurement and tendering activities, including cost modelling, schedule development, and risk evaluation.

Requirements

• Extensive leadership experience in project controls within large-scale UK infrastructure, energy, or industrial programmes.
• Expert knowledge of project planning and scheduling tools (e.g. Primavera P6), cost management, forecasting, Earned Value Management, risk control, and document management.
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills with the ability to influence outcomes at all levels.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with confidence engaging at senior and board level.
• Proven experience managing multi-million-pound budgets and delivering measurable commercial results.
• Familiarity with UK-standard contracts, including NEC and FIDIC.
• Degree in Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction, or a related technical discipline.

What We Offer

• Senior leadership position on a £1bn-scale industrial megaproject.
• Opportunity to shape and lead a critical project controls function.
• Salary negotiable and dependent on skills and experience.
• Long-term career opportunity within a globally established organisation.

Interested?

Apply now to discuss this Head of Project Controls & Performance opportunity in confidence, or contact Acorn by Synergie for further information.