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Project Controls Manager - Aviation

STV · Chicago, IL · $164,279–$187,748 a year · Full time

Posted Aug 28, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about the largest aviation capital program you supported in project controls. What did you own?

What they are checking: Whether their experience is at the scale of airport capital programs, which this leadership role needs.

Tell me about a time you built a dashboard or report that changed how executives made decisions.

What they are checking: Whether their performance reporting is used, not just produced.

How do you lead and grow a team of schedulers and cost analysts?

What they are checking: Whether they can develop people and set standards as a department leader.

How do you keep a good working relationship with contractors while holding them to controls requirements?

What they are checking: Whether they can be firm on data and reporting without damaging working relationships.

What would you do

The contractor's forecast shows the project on budget, but your own analysis says it will overrun. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they will raise a credible warning to the airport authority even when it is unwelcome.

How do you manage a flood of change requests on a large program so they do not quietly eat the contingency?

What they are checking: Whether they have a disciplined change management process with clear approval and tracking.

About the work

How would you set up project controls procedures for a new airport terminal program from day one?

What they are checking: Whether they can build governance, standards and reporting rather than just run existing tools.

How do you connect cost and schedule so leadership sees one honest picture of the program?

What they are checking: Whether they can integrate cost and schedule, for example through earned value, into reliable forecasts.

Walk me through how you run a risk register that actually influences decisions.

What they are checking: Whether their risk management produces action and contingency decisions, not just a list.

How do airside or baggage handling projects create controls challenges that office buildings do not?

What they are checking: Whether they understand phasing, security and operational limits in active airports.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at STV from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

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The full job description

As published by STV.

STV is seeking a Project Controls Manager to join our Project Controls department at our Chicago office. This leadership role will support major aviation capital improvement programs and airport infrastructure projects throughout the Midwest and across STV's national aviation portfolio. The Project Controls Manager will be responsible for leading all aspects of project controls including cost management, scheduling, risk management, forecasting, change management, performance reporting, and project analytics. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with airport authorities, owners, designers, contractors, and program management teams to ensure projects are delivered efficiently and successfully. The ideal candidate will possess significant experience supporting complex aviation programs, airport expansions, terminal developments, airside improvements, baggage handling systems, landside infrastructure, and other large-scale aviation capital projects. Responsibilities Project Controls Leadership • Lead project controls efforts across aviation infrastructure programs from planning through design, construction, commissioning, and closeout. • Develop and implement project controls procedures, governance frameworks, standards, and best practices. • Serve as the primary project controls liaison between project teams, clients, contractors, and executive leadership. • Provide strategic oversight of cost, schedule, risk, forecasting, and reporting functions. • Support program delivery teams with proactive identification and mitigation of project risks and issues. Cost Management & Financial Controls • Develop, monitor, and maintain project budgets, forecasts, and cost reports. • Perform cost trending, earned value analysis, variance analysis, and estimate-at-completion forecasting. • Monitor project expenditures and provide recommendations to mitigate potential budget impacts. • Review contractor payment applications, change orders, and cost proposals. • Support project teams in contingency management and financial planning activities. Scheduling & Performance Management • Oversee development and maintenance of detailed CPM schedules utilizing Primavera P6. • Review contractor schedules and monitor schedule compliance. • Analyze critical path activities, schedule risks, float consumption, and recovery opportunities. • Develop integrated master schedules for complex multi-disciplinary aviation programs. • Prepare schedule performance metrics and executive-level reporting. Risk & Change Management • Facilitate project risk identification, assessment, mitigation planning, and monitoring activities. • Maintain risk registers and support quantitative and qualitative risk analyses. • Evaluate project changes and assess schedule and cost impacts. • Support claims avoidance, change management, and dispute resolution efforts. • Assist project teams in implementing corrective action plans when performance issues arise. Reporting & Stakeholder Coordination • Prepare executive dashboards, monthly progress reports, and performance presentations. • Deliver concise and actionable project insights to owners, program managers, and senior leadership. • Support client meetings, governance reviews, and project status briefings. • Coordinate project controls activities across multiple stakeholders and project teams. Team Leadership & Business Development • Mentor and develop project controls specialists, schedulers, and cost engineers. • Support staffing, workforce development, and professional growth initiatives within the Project Controls group. • Contribute to proposal efforts, strategic pursuits, and aviation market growth initiatives. • Support implementation of digital project delivery tools, reporting systems, and analytics platforms. Required Qualifications • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, Architecture, Business, Finance, or a related discipline. • 10+ years of progressive project controls experience supporting major infrastructure and capital programs. • Minimum 5 years of experience supporting aviation projects including airports, terminals, airside facilities, baggage systems, aviation support facilities, or related infrastructure. • Demonstrated expertise in: • Cost Engineering • CPM Scheduling • Forecasting & Cash Flow Analysis • Risk Management • Change Management • Earned Value Management (EVM) • Performance Reporting • Advanced proficiency with Primavera P6. • Strong knowledge of project controls principles, processes, and industry best practices. • Experience reviewing contractor schedules, budgets, forecasts, and project controls deliverables. • Excellent leadership, communication, presentation, and client-facing skills. • Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced project environment. Preferred Qualifications • Experience supporting large aviation capital improvement programs valued at $100M+. • Experience working with airport authorities, airlines, aviation stakeholders, and alternative delivery methods. • Professional certifications such as: • AACE Certified Cost Professional (CCP) • Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP) • Project Management Professional (PMP) • PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP) • Experience with Kahua, E-Builder, Oracle Primavera P6, Deltek Acumen, Primavera Risk Analysis, Power BI, and enterprise project controls systems. • Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, or Business Administration. Compensation Range: $164,279.49 - $187,747.98 STV offers the following benefits • Health insurance, including an option with a Health Savings Account • Dental insurance • Vision insurance • Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare, Dependent Care and Transit and Parking where applicable) • Disability insurance • Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment • 401(k) Plan • Retirement Counseling • Employee Assistance Program • Paid Time Off • Paid Holidays • Back-Up Dependent Care • Parental Leave • Continuing Education Program • Professional Licensure and Society Memberships STV is committed to paying all of its employees in a fair, equitable, and transparent manner. The listed pay range is STV’s good-faith salary estimate for this position. Please note that the final salary offered for this position may be outside of this published range based on many factors, including but not limited to geography, education, experience, and/or certifications. Not sure this role is the perfect match? We encourage you to apply if STV’s work and values resonate with you. We know great candidates don’t always meet every qualification, and research shows women and people of color are less likely to apply unless they do. At STV, we believe strong talent comes from a wide range of backgrounds, and your skills and experience may align with this or another opportunity as we continue to grow.

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