Description

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Director, LinkUS Program Controls provides strategic leadership in the development, implementation, and oversight of comprehensive program-level controls, including cost management, schedule adherence, risk mitigation, and performance measurement. This role ensures the successful delivery of multiple high-capacity transit corridor projects funded through the LinkUS initiative by driving consistency, accountability, and data-driven decision-making across all program elements.

Perform other duties in alignment with the COTA Strategic Plan and in support of the organization's vision to Move Every Life Forward.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Lead the development and implementation of program-level control systems to support corridor planning, design, right-of-way (ROW) acquisition, utility coordination, procurement and construction;
• Implement and maintain program controls tools (e.g., Primavera P6, SAP, Oracle, Unifier, e-Builder, Procore), coordinate data across design, procurement, and construction teams.
• Lead a centralized controls team and coordinate closely with corridor-level project controls, finance, procurement, risk management, and executive leadership.
• Manage budgeting and financial controls for the LinkUS Program, providing leadership through planning, design, and capital delivery phases; and
• Ensure integration of cost controls, schedule management, and earned value analysis to support effective project delivery and performance;
• Monitor progress against approved baselines and oversee the tracking and analysis of change orders and cost variances across the LinkUS program.
• Lead the identification and assessment of program risks, develop and maintain contingency budgets, and facilitate risk workshops, including FTA OP40-style reviews;
• Evaluate potential impacts and advise executive leadership on mitigation strategies to minimize risk exposure and ensure program success; and,
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs), including cost-to-complete, schedule adherence, estimate at completion (EAC), and risk exposure. Develop and deliver monthly and quarterly performance dashboards.
• Deliver training and ongoing support to project teams to ensure consistent application of controls standards.
• Provides leadership to assigned COTA staff and project teams, as needed.
• Collaborate with the FTA regional office to support Small Starts and New Starts funding applications. Assist in ensuring compliance with FTA requirements and help substantiate cost estimates and contingency levels.

Requirements

MINIMUM EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Requires a bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance or a related field and a minimum of five to seven (5-7) years’ experience managing program controls in large-scale infrastructure (preferably transit) projects. Experience integrating cost, schedule, and risk at capital program level required. 

LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS:

PMP/EV certification preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Proficient in earned value management, schedule analysis, risk quantification; experienced with PMIS tools (Primavera, Oracle, Unifier, Power BI, e-Builder, Procore).
• Knowledge of FTA project development processes (e.g., OP40, funding request procedures) and DOT requirements.
• Ability to engage in multiple tasks without losing concentration.
• Ability to define problems, research issues and develop logical and practical solutions within the framework of general principles of project management and the policies and procedures of the organization.
• Strong analytical, reporting, presentation, and collaborative skills
• Skills in effective stakeholder management;
• Ability to distill complex data for stakeholders at all levels
• Effective written and oral communication skills, strong detail orientation and ability to work independently with minimal supervision as well as within a group environment.
• Knowledge of the MS Office (or similar) package, (Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint).
• Ability to effectively communicate with internal and external resources to resolve potential conflicts and maintain a teamwork atmosphere;
• Skills in human relations; and,
• Ability to direct and lead team members and external contractors.  

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

This position requires exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body and the following additional physical abilities:

• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Mental Acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Talking 1: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Visual Acuity 1: Have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and/or extensive reading.
• Visual Acuity 3: Visual Acuity to determine the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned or to make general observations of facilities or structures.
• Visual Acuity 4: Have visual acuity to operate motor vehicles and/or heavy equipment.
• Visual Acuity 5: Have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, operation of machines; using measurement devices; and/or assembly or fabrication parts at distances close to the eyes.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.