Project Controls Engineer

KEO is a creative enterprise, where innovation is a way of life. We are uniquely resourced with end-to-end services to take clients from inspiration – through conceptualization – to realization of planning, design or project delivery in the built and natural environments. For over 60 years we’ve led with vision, contributing to many of the world’s most ambitious projects, iconic places, remarkable experiences and prosperous communities.

As a highly integrated and agile AEP/PMCM firm, KEO is recognized by ENR as one of the Top 225 International Design Firms and one of the Top 20 International PM/CM Firms. We are also ranked by World Architecture as the 57th largest global architecture firm and the #1 Firm in the Middle East Region in their 2023 WA100 Survey.

We invite you to join us. Why?

When you join KEO, you’ll discover more than just a job – you’ll find a supportive environment that fosters your professional development through internal global mobility and career development and does so within a culture that supports company-wide health and well-being through on-demand counselling services and regular workplace clinics. You will be invited to celebrate community events such as sports days, fun-runs, in-house sports teams and beach clean-ups. In addition to your competitive package and benefits, you will have access to a suite of policies that include hybrid working arrangements, individual athletic sponsorship, study assistance sponsorship, employee referral rewards, mentoring and coaching programs and extensive in-house on-demand learning courses.

Our newest opportunity is for a talented Project Controls Engineer to join our award-winning team based in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The ideal candidate will bring in-depth expertise in project planning, project controls, and performance management, ideally within large-scale or complex construction projects. You will be responsible for ensuring that the project remains on schedule, within budget, and aligned with quality and performance standards.

We envisage success in this role to include;

Project Controls:

• Developing, implementing and maintaining integrated project control systems and procedures covering scope, schedule, cost, and risk.
• Monitoring and controlling project performance metrics against baseline plans (schedule, cost, resources).
• Providing early warning insights on variances and recommending corrective actions.
• Coordinating with cost engineers and quantity surveyors to track financial progress and forecast expenditures.

Data Collection & Coordination.

• Collect project information from engineering, construction, procurement, commercial, and planning teams.
• Coordinate with discipline leads, contractors, and consultants to ensure data accuracy and completeness.
• Establish and maintain data collection templates and reporting formats.
• Follow up on missing or inconsistent information to ensure reporting deadlines are met.

Project Reporting.

• Prepare weekly, monthly, and ad‑hoc project control reports for senior management.
• Consolidate data into dashboards covering: Project progress, Schedule status, Cost status, Risks and issues, Forecasts and trends.
• Highlight key variances, risks, and critical items requiring management attention.
• Maintain historical records of reports and performance data.

Schedule & Progress Control.

• Support the development and maintenance of project schedules (baseline and updates).
• Review progress updates from the site and engineering teams.
• Identify schedule variances and potential delays.
• Assist in look‑ahead planning and recovery analysis.

Cost & Performance Monitoring.

• Track project cost information (budget, commitments, actuals, forecasts).
• Support earned value analysis (if applicable).
• Coordinate with Quantity Surveying / Commercial teams for cost inputs.
• Monitor trends and flag potential cost overruns or savings.

Risk & Change Monitoring.

• Assist in maintaining the risk register.
• Track the status of mitigation actions.
• Monitor approved and pending changes and their impact on cost and schedule.
• Ensure changes are reflected in reports and forecasts.

Management Interface.

• Provide clear, concise insights to senior management and project directors.
• Support management meetings with reports, slides, and explanations.
• Respond to management requests for specific analyses or summaries.
• Ensure reports are aligned with corporate and client reporting standards.

To be successful in this dynamic opportunity, we envision that your career journey to date will include 10 years of work experience partnered with a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent. 3-5 years of your career will have been focused purely on Project Controls.

Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of project controls principles
• Knowledge of: Schedule management (baseline, progress, updates), Cost control and forecasting, Progress measurement techniques
• Proficiency in: MS Excel (advanced formulas, pivot tables, charts), MS PowerPoint (management‑level presentations), Planning tools (Primavera P6 and/or MS Project ), Reporting dashboards (Power BI – advantage)
• Ability to interpret technical, commercial, and site data

Analytical & Reporting Skills

• Strong data consolidation and analysis capability
• Ability to identify trends, variances, and risks
• Excellent attention to detail with the ability to summarize complex data
• Ability to convert raw information into clear management insights

Other mandatory selection criteria

• Experience in construction, infrastructure, or engineering projects preferred
• UAE experience is mandatory, and must be currently available in the UAE.
• Experience working with senior management reporting is essential.

KEO’s performance is founded upon integrity, results, innovation, safety and our people. We embrace diversity and recognise its’ contribution to client success wherever we work.

We are excited to hear how you can partner with our award-winning team and treat all expressions of interest confidentially.