Lead Project Controls Scheduler

About us

National Grid is hiring a Lead Project Controls Scheduler for the Project Controls & Reporting team in Northborough, MA.

Every day we deliver safe and secure energy to homes, communities, and businesses. We are there when people need us the most. We connect people to the energy they need for the lives they live. 

The pace of change in society and our industry is accelerating and our expertise and track record puts us in an unparalleled position to shape the sustainable future of our industry. To be successful we must anticipate the needs of our customers, reducing the cost of energy delivery today and pioneering the flexible energy systems of tomorrow. This requires us to deliver on our promises and always look for new opportunities to grow, both ourselves and our business.

Job Purpose

We are seeking a detail-oriented and analytical Lead Scheduler to join our Major Capital Project Delivery team. In this role, you will play a critical part in ensuring the schedule integrity and performance of large-scale utility projects. You will work closely with project directors, project managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to develop, maintain, and monitor comprehensive project forecasts and budgets.

The Major Project Controls team oversees a portfolio of 10–20 of our largest capital electric projects, with a combined Estimate at Completion (EAC) of $8–$10 billion, and is accountable for the development, management, analysis, and reporting of project schedules and costs.

Key Accountabilities

• Develop and maintain Primavera P6 schedules across a portfolio of transmission line, distribution line and substation projects using predefined templates (from initiation through closeout) aligned to scope, WBS, milestones, and regulatory/contract constraints; establish baseline and coding standards across the portfolio.
• Perform routine project updates (weekly/biweekly/monthly), run CPM calculations, and conduct critical path, float, variance, and trend analyses; produce look‑ahead reports, and milestone tracking.
• Track schedule performance with earned value metrics (SPI/CPI) and contribute to recovery plans when milestones are at risk; publish portfolio and project control reports for leadership and clients.
• Identify schedule risks, run what‑if scenarios and propose mitigations; support change management processes and schedule QA/QC checks.
• Lead/participate in weekly schedule review meetings with project teams, contractors, and stakeholders; communicate conflicts and recommend actions clearly and promptly.
• Collaborate with procurement and legal teams to embed Project Controls processes into Requests for Proposal (RFPs) and contracts, ensuring alignment of scheduling, cost tracking, and reporting requirements from the outset
• Review and assess bidders’ proposals for adherence to Project Controls criteria—such as WBS/CBS alignment, schedule baselines, and change management protocols—and make recommendations based on compliance.
• Serve as the Project Controls liaison during contract award and execution phases, verifying that awarded contractors implement agreed Project Controls processes (schedule updates, EVM metrics, delay logs) and escalate any deviations for corrective action.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required, Masters degree preferred.
• 5+ years of work experience in Project Controls, Project Management, or Scheduling required.
• Experience specifically with large-scale capital projects (utility, construction, or infrastructure) is highly valued.
• Proficiency in Primavera P6 required.
• Knowledge of Critical Path Method (CPM), float analysis, and schedule risk analysis.
• Demonstrated experience working with contracts/RFP’s a plus  
• Procore experience a plus
• Proficient in Microsoft Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel-VLOOKUPs, pivot tables)
• Excellent analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Familiarity with earned value management (EVM) and related reporting standards is a plus.
• Experienced in influencing, persuading, communicating, challenging, and negotiating.
• Ability to lead schedule review meetings and influence decisions.
• Valid driver's license is required with a safe driving history that meets National Grid's Safe Driver policy.

More Information

Salary: $141,000 - $166,000

This position has a career path which provides for advancement opportunities within and across bands as you develop and evolve in the position; gaining experience, expertise and acquiring and applying technical skills. Internal candidates will be assessed and provided offers against the minimum qualifications of this role and their individual experience. 

National Grid is an equal opportunity employer that values a broad diversity of talent, knowledge, experience and expertise We foster a culture of inclusion that drives employee engagement to deliver superior performance to the communities we serve.  National Grid is proud to be an affirmative action employer. We encourage minorities, women, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans to join the National Grid team.