Project Controls Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Project Controls Engineer jobs in Illinois are consistently in demand, with the strongest activity concentrated in infrastructure, transportation, and industrial construction projects at every level from entry-level coordinator through senior program manager. Chicago anchors the market, drawing large volumes of openings, while Rockford and the Metro East region near St. Louis also generate steady hiring. Major employers with lasting Illinois footprints include Clayco, Skanska, and the Illinois Department of Transportation, with the most sought-after specialties being earned value management, schedule analysis, and cost forecasting on capital programs. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 26+ Project Controls Engineer jobs
This position allows for a hybrid arrangement with a mix of work from home and in the office.
The Project Manager will bring strong experience in leadership and serve as the primary liaison between clients, subcontractors, vendors, and internal teams to ensure alignment on project objectives and requirements. They will guide the team to safely complete the scope of work on schedule and within budget for our clients. We are seeking a proven leader with large-scale nuclear power plant experience who can deliver essential core services while exemplifying our core values.
- Coordinate with lead managers, discipline leads, and project teams across business units to ensure alignment on technical scope, priorities, and deliverables.
- Manage client relationships and expectations; provide timely progress, risk, and cost updates; lead regular performance and status review meetings.
- Own project scope, schedule (integrated master schedule with phasing and lookaheads), budget/forecasts, and key performance metrics; maintain project baselines and critical path.
- Manage scope changes and change orders, assessing impacts on cost and schedule and integrating approved changes into project plans, schedules, and budgets.
- Perform front-end project planning and readiness activities (work sequencing, interfaces, resource planning, outage and operational integration) prior to execution.
- Monitor project execution, including progress, cost, quality, scope, and risk; ensure project documentation is accurate, complete, and compliant.
- Oversee subcontractor and supplier performance and contract conformance, supporting claims and dispute resolution in coordination with the commercial team.
- Report progress, forecasts, and variances to leadership and the client; drive issue resolution, milestone completion, turnover documentation, and project closeout.
- Conduct post-project reviews to capture lessons learned and systematically improve future nuclear project execution.
- Promote a strong safety and quality culture across all project activities, ensuring adherence to applicable nuclear, regulatory, and organizational standards.
- Lead efforts to ensure projects are completed safely, satisfactorily, on time, and within budget
- Support the reporting of key performance indicators for schedule, budget and other dashboard items
We do not sponsor employees for work authorization in the U.S. for this position.
Essential skills and experience:
- 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in the nuclear industry, or other relevant industry
- 3+ years managing multiple projects and/or leading teams; proven experience managing multi-disciplinary teams
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management, business, or other relevant field
- Proven supervision of project teams and management of clients, subcontractors, and vendors.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly with stakeholders, vendors, teammates, and business partners; strong client relationship-building.
- Hands-on use of project controls (cost, schedule, change, risk) on large projects.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office; strong organizational and time-management skills.
- Core skills: project governance, scheduling, cost management, risk/issue tracking, vendor management, process improvement, team leadership, stakeholder communication, and organizational alignment.
- Experience in capital project management
- Experience with serving as a firm/client liaison in a support or lead role
- Ability to multitask and manage multiple competing priorities is critical to success
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work in a collaborative team setting
- Comfortable with approximately 10-25% domestic travel
- Engineering design experience is a plus
- PMP Certification is a plus
- Construction/field knowledge or experience is a plus
At Sargent & Lundy, we care about the health and well-being of our employees. Our commitment extends beyond the workplace, offering comprehensive healthcare plans and generous paid time off to support our team members in every aspect of their lives. We understand the importance of work-life balance, which is why we are proud to provide competitive, award-winning benefits. Our dedication to employee satisfaction has earned us the prestigious Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Award for compensation and benefits in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Health & Wellness
- Health Plans: Medical, Dental, Vision
- Life & Accident Insurance
- Disability Coverage
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Back-Up Daycare
- FSA & HSA
- 401(k)
- Pre-Tax Commuter Account
- Merit Scholarship Program
- Employee Discount Program
- Corporate Charitable Giving Program
- Tuition Assistance
- First Professional Licensure Bonus
- Employee Referral Bonus
- Paid Annual Personal/Sick Time (PST)
- Paid Vacation
- Paid Holidays
- Paid Parental Leave
- Paid Bereavement Leave
- Flexible Work Arrangements
This position allows for a hybrid arrangement with a mix of work from home and in the office.
The Project Manager will bring strong experience in leadership and serve as the primary liaison between clients, subcontractors, vendors, and internal teams to ensure alignment on project objectives and requirements. They will guide the team to safely complete the scope of work on schedule and within budget for our clients. We are seeking a proven leader with large-scale nuclear power plant experience who can deliver essential core services while exemplifying our core values.
- Coordinate with lead managers, discipline leads, and project teams across business units to ensure alignment on technical scope, priorities, and deliverables.
- Manage client relationships and expectations; provide timely progress, risk, and cost updates; lead regular performance and status review meetings.
- Own project scope, schedule (integrated master schedule with phasing and lookaheads), budget/forecasts, and key performance metrics; maintain project baselines and critical path.
- Manage scope changes and change orders, assessing impacts on cost and schedule and integrating approved changes into project plans, schedules, and budgets.
- Perform front-end project planning and readiness activities (work sequencing, interfaces, resource planning, outage and operational integration) prior to execution.
- Monitor project execution, including progress, cost, quality, scope, and risk; ensure project documentation is accurate, complete, and compliant.
- Oversee subcontractor and supplier performance and contract conformance, supporting claims and dispute resolution in coordination with the commercial team.
- Report progress, forecasts, and variances to leadership and the client; drive issue resolution, milestone completion, turnover documentation, and project closeout.
- Conduct post-project reviews to capture lessons learned and systematically improve future nuclear project execution.
- Promote a strong safety and quality culture across all project activities, ensuring adherence to applicable nuclear, regulatory, and organizational standards.
- Lead efforts to ensure projects are completed safely, satisfactorily, on time, and within budget
- Support the reporting of key performance indicators for schedule, budget and other dashboard items
We do not sponsor employees for work authorization in the U.S. for this position.
Essential skills and experience:
- 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in the nuclear industry, or other relevant industry
- 3+ years managing multiple projects and/or leading teams; proven experience managing multi-disciplinary teams
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management, business, or other relevant field
- Proven supervision of project teams and management of clients, subcontractors, and vendors.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly with stakeholders, vendors, teammates, and business partners; strong client relationship-building.
- Hands-on use of project controls (cost, schedule, change, risk) on large projects.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office; strong organizational and time-management skills.
- Core skills: project governance, scheduling, cost management, risk/issue tracking, vendor management, process improvement, team leadership, stakeholder communication, and organizational alignment.
- Experience in capital project management
- Experience with serving as a firm/client liaison in a support or lead role
- Ability to multitask and manage multiple competing priorities is critical to success
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work in a collaborative team setting
- Comfortable with approximately 10-25% domestic travel
- Engineering design experience is a plus
- PMP Certification is a plus
- Construction/field knowledge or experience is a plus
At Sargent & Lundy, we care about the health and well-being of our employees. Our commitment extends beyond the workplace, offering comprehensive healthcare plans and generous paid time off to support our team members in every aspect of their lives. We understand the importance of work-life balance, which is why we are proud to provide competitive, award-winning benefits. Our dedication to employee satisfaction has earned us the prestigious Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Award for compensation and benefits in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Health & Wellness
- Health Plans: Medical, Dental, Vision
- Life & Accident Insurance
- Disability Coverage
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Back-Up Daycare
- FSA & HSA
- 401(k)
- Pre-Tax Commuter Account
- Merit Scholarship Program
- Employee Discount Program
- Corporate Charitable Giving Program
- Tuition Assistance
- First Professional Licensure Bonus
- Employee Referral Bonus
- Paid Annual Personal/Sick Time (PST)
- Paid Vacation
- Paid Holidays
- Paid Parental Leave
- Paid Bereavement Leave
- Flexible Work Arrangements
See All 26 Project Controls Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsProject Controls Engineer Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Project Controls Engineer Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Construction & Real Estate
- Consulting & Professional Services
- Energy
- Manufacturing
- Technology & Software
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in project controls engineer jobs across Illinois.
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management, or a related technical field
- Proficiency in Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project for scheduling and reporting
- Experience with earned value management and cost performance index tracking
- Familiarity with Illinois DOT or large public agency project delivery standards
- PMI Planning and Scheduling Professional or AACE International certification preferred
- Strong written communication skills for producing owner-facing cost and schedule reports
Project Controls Engineer Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a project controls engineer in Illinois?
Most project controls engineers in Illinois enter the field with a bachelor's degree in civil or mechanical engineering, construction management, or a related discipline. Illinois does not require a state-issued license specific to project controls, but many employers expect candidates working on public infrastructure to hold or be pursuing a Professional Engineer license through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Certifications from AACE International or PMI strengthen candidacy considerably for both public and private sector roles.
Which companies hire project controls engineers in Illinois?
Employers hiring project controls engineers in Illinois right now include Sargent & Lundy, AMPED I, and PMA Consultants, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Illinois's heavy infrastructure pipeline, including transit expansion and industrial facility construction, keeps demand broad across both large general contractors and state agency program offices.
Which Illinois cities have the most project controls engineer jobs?
Chicago, Bradley, and Warrenville account for the largest share of project controls engineer openings in Illinois. Chicago dominates due to its concentration of major contractors, transit authorities, and corporate headquarters managing capital programs, while any smaller or suburban cities on the list typically reflect large anchor employers running multi-year infrastructure or industrial construction projects nearby.
Are there remote project controls engineer jobs in Illinois?
Yes, but they're limited, since project controls work is closely tied to active construction sites and owner teams that meet in person. About 62% of project controls engineer openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, with fully remote positions most common for cost analysts and schedulers supporting planning phases rather than active field work.
How can I get hired as a project controls engineer in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a project engineer or project coordinator role with a Chicago-area general contractor or public agency, where you support an experienced controls team before taking on independent responsibilities. Firms like Turner Construction and large Illinois public works departments regularly bring on new graduates for junior scheduling and cost-tracking roles. Building proficiency in Primavera P6 and pursuing an AACE International student membership signals commitment, and Illinois construction management programs at Illinois Institute of Technology and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign often have direct recruiting pipelines to regional employers.
Where can I find and apply to project controls engineer jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to project controls engineer jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current Illinois openings across contractors, public agencies, and owner organizations. Find roles that fit your experience and apply directly.
See All 26 Project Controls Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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