Project Controller

Project Controller – Hospitality Development
Location: Chennai | Full-time | On-site
About The Laya Collection:
The Laya Collection is a growing hospitality company focused on developing and operating boutique ultra-luxury resorts in India and international destinations.
We are currently developing multiple hospitality projects, with properties at various stages including land development, planning, design, construction, and pre-opening.
As our development portfolio grows, we are looking for a Project Controller to join our team in Chennai and help oversee the management, coordination, financial control, and reporting of our development projects.
The Role:
The Project Controller will work closely with the development team, project managers, consultants, contractors, vendors, and management to ensure that projects remain well-controlled from both a financial and operational perspective.
This is a hands-on role for someone who can bring structure, discipline, visibility, and accountability to complex development projects.
Key Responsibilities:
Monitor overall project budgets, committed costs, actual expenditure, cash flows, and forecasts.
Track development and construction costs against approved budgets and identify variances, risks, and potential overruns.
Maintain comprehensive project cost reports, development trackers, schedules, documentation, and management dashboards.
Monitor project progress across land development, design, procurement, construction, and related development activities.
Support management in reviewing project timelines, milestones, dependencies, and critical issues.
Coordinate with project managers, consultants, contractors, vendors, finance teams, and other stakeholders to ensure accurate and timely reporting.
Review contractor and vendor bills, payment certifications, purchase orders, commitments, and supporting documentation.
Track contracts, variations, change orders, claims, and outstanding commercial matters.
Prepare regular project forecasts, variance analyses, cash-flow projections, and management reports.
Identify financial, commercial, scheduling, and execution risks and highlight areas requiring management attention.
Develop and improve systems, processes, controls, and reporting frameworks across development projects.
Provide management with clear, data-driven insights to support project and investment decisions.
Help ensure projects are delivered with strong financial discipline, documentation, accountability, and commercial control.
Qualifications & Experience:
Strong financial and analytical capabilities, particularly in budgeting, cost control, forecasting, cash-flow planning, and variance analysis.
Experience in project controls, project accounting, construction finance, development management, quantity surveying, project coordination, or a related discipline.
Good understanding of project schedules, progress tracking, procurement, contracting, billing, and project documentation.
Advanced proficiency in Excel / spreadsheets; experience with ERP, project management, or construction management software is an advantage.
Ability to analyze large amounts of project information and convert it into clear management reports and actionable insights.
Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills.
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, or a related field.
Professional qualifications or certifications in finance, project management, cost management, or construction are an advantage.
Experience in hospitality, real estate development, construction, or luxury resort projects would be preferred.
Willingness to work full-time from our Chennai office and adapt to the evolving requirements of a growing development portfolio.
Who We’re Looking For:
We are looking for someone who enjoys being close to projects, understands both the numbers and the realities of development, and can create clear visibility across budgets, timelines, commitments, risks, and progress.
This role offers the opportunity to be closely involved in the development of a growing portfolio of distinctive luxury resorts in India and beyond.

Work arrangement
No