Program Controls Specialist – Utility Field Safety Operations

Show

Program Controls Specialist – Utility Field Safety Operations

Location: Somerset, NJ

Job Type: Full-time

Schedule: Monday through Friday, with field support as needed

Anticipated Assignment: Utility field safety program support; contingent upon client award or notice to proceed

Travel: Local travel to utility field locations as needed

About Us

CARIAN is a purpose-driven, woman-owned consulting and advisory firm dedicated exclusively to the power sector. We partner with leading electric and gas utilities to provide strategic advisory and disciplined execution across program management, business intelligence, and field execution oversight. Guided by integrity, trust, excellence, and accountability, our team helps deliver complex capital programs and build the resilient energy infrastructure that communities depend on.

Position Overview

CARIAN is seeking a Program Controls Specialist – Utility Field Safety Operations to support cost, schedule, forecasting, manpower planning, workforce deployment tracking, reporting, and program controls for utility field safety operations.

This role provides visibility into field coverage, staffing demand, labor hours, utilization, schedule changes, open issues, training readiness, and program performance. The Program Controls Specialist will work closely with the Program Manager, field supervisors, operations coordinator, safety leadership, and internal stakeholders to maintain accurate reporting and support informed decision-making.

This is not a pure cost analyst or desk scheduler role. The successful candidate must be comfortable working with field-driven data, manpower plans, workforce forecasts, schedule changes, and operational reporting in a utility or construction environment.

Key Responsibilities

Support cost, schedule, manpower planning, workforce forecasting, deployment tracking, and program reporting
Maintain staffing plans, field coverage trackers, manpower forecasts, labor-hour reports, utilization summaries, and deployment dashboards
Track planned versus actual field coverage, schedule changes, staffing gaps, open positions, replacement needs, and upcoming resource demand
Develop and maintain weekly and monthly program reports for internal leadership and client stakeholders
Support forecasting of field personnel needs by region, work location, schedule, shift, classification, and anticipated workload
Track issue logs, action items, risks, schedule impacts, staffing constraints, and follow-up items through closure
Coordinate with the Program Manager and field supervisors to validate field updates, schedule changes, hours, and coverage status
Coordinate with the Program Operations Coordinator to align reporting with onboarding, credentialing, training, badging, and access-readiness status
Review labor-hour trends, staffing utilization, overtime, inactive time, redeployment needs, and resource availability
Support invoice, timesheet, expense, and reporting reconciliation as needed
Build and maintain Excel-based trackers, dashboards, charts, and management reports
Identify data inconsistencies, reporting gaps, and operational trends that require management attention
Provide clear, timely, and accurate information to support program decisions, client updates, and workforce planning

Qualifications

3+ years of experience in project controls, program controls, workforce planning, scheduling, PMO support, field operations reporting, or related analytical roles
Experience tracking cost, schedule, labor hours, manpower, staffing forecasts, resource plans, or field deployment data
Strong Excel skills, including formulas, pivot tables, data validation, charts, and structured reporting
Ability to organize field-driven data into clear dashboards, trackers, reports, and management summaries
Strong analytical skills with attention to detail, accuracy, and follow-through
Ability to work with program managers, field supervisors, safety teams, recruiting, HR, finance, and client stakeholders
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Ability to support fast-moving field operations with changing schedules, staffing needs, and reporting priorities
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint
Ability to work from the Somerset, NJ office and travel locally to field locations as needed

Preferred Experience

5+ years of relevant experience
Experience supporting utility, construction, infrastructure, field services, safety-sensitive, or contractor oversight programs
Experience with manpower planning, workforce deployment, headcount forecasting, utilization tracking, or large field-team reporting
Experience with Power BI, Smartsheet, SharePoint, Microsoft Project, Primavera P6, or similar reporting/scheduling platforms
Experience supporting electric or gas utility programs, transmission and distribution work, substations, construction management, or field operations
Familiarity with credential tracking, training status, access readiness, or field compliance reporting
Experience preparing executive-level reports, client-facing dashboards, weekly status reports, or performance summaries

Why CARIAN

Purpose-driven work – Help deliver infrastructure that powers communities

Industry reputation – Trusted by leading utilities for our reliability and results

Career growth – Opportunities to lead major programs and mentor high-performing teams

Collaborative culture – Join a team that values delivery excellence and long-term relationships

Competitive total rewards – Strong compensation, full benefits, 401(k) match, and meaningful work

Equal Employment Opportunity

CARIAN is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We hire and develop talent based on qualifications, performance, and business needs. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. As a women-owned firm dedicated to the power sector, we are committed to building a team that reflects professionalism, expertise, and integrity at every level.

Compensation

The base salary range for this role is $80,000 – $120,000 annually. This range represents a good-faith estimate at the time of posting; actual compensation will depend on experience, qualifications, skills, project assignment, and business needs. CARIAN offers a competitive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, holidays, and 401(k) participation with company match. This position may also be eligible for discretionary bonus incentives or other compensation programs based on company and individual performance.