Cost Control Engineer

AL ASHRAM CONTRACTING (L.L.C); Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

AL ASHRAM CONTRACTING (L.L.C) is seeking a Civil Cost Control Engineer to monitor, analyse and control costs for civil construction projects in the UAE. The role collaborates with Planning, Commercial, Procurement, Finance and Site teams to safeguard profitability and ensure accurate cost reporting and forecasting.

The ideal candidate has a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering and 5–8 years of UAE experience, with MRICS/CCP/PMP or equivalent qualifications considered an advantage.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering preferred.
• MRICS, CCP, PMP or equivalent qualifications would be an advantage.
• Minimum 5-8 years of relevant UAE experience in construction cost control.
• Strong experience in building construction, civil infrastructure or major contracting projects.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain project cost budgets for civil construction works.
• Review contracts BOQs, drawings, specifications and project budgets.
• Develop and maintain the Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS) and cost codes.
• Allocate approved budgets across work packages, activities, materials, labour, plant, and subcontractors.
• Monitor committed costs, actual costs, and forecast costs.
• Identify cost overruns and risks at an early stage; recommend corrective actions.
• Analyse cost performance and provide early warnings to management.
• Reconcile cost information with Finance and Commercial records.
• Monitor CV, SV and CPI to ensure project profitability.

Skills

Cost control

Budgeting

Cost forecasting

BOQ review

CV/SV/CPI analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

MRICS/CCP/PMP or equivalent

Job description

The Civil Cost Control Engineer is responsible for monitoring, analysing and controlling the costs associated with civil construction activities throughout the project lifecycle. The role will establish and maintain project cost baselines, monitor actual expenditure against approved budgets, analyse cost variances, prepare cost forecasts and provide accurate financial information to support project decision-making. The position will work closely with the Project Planning, Commercial, Procurement, Finance, and Site teams to ensure effective cost management and protection of project profitability.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain project cost budgets for civil construction works.
• Review contract BOQs, drawings, specifications and project budgets.
• Develop and maintain the Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS) and cost codes.
• Allocate approved budgets across work packages, activities, materials, labour, plant, and subcontractors.
• Monitor committed costs, actual costs, and forecast costs.
• Identify cost overruns, potential budget risks and adverse cost trends at an early stage.
• Analyse cost performance and recommend appropriate corrective actions.
• Identify potential cost exposure and provide early warnings to Project and Commercial Management.
• Review forecast assumptions with Planning, Commercial, and Construction teams.
• Ensure forecasts accurately reflect current project performance and anticipated final costs.
• Analyse variances relating to labour productivity and material consumption.
• Highlight negative cost trends and recommend mitigation measures.
• Monitor productivity and resource consumption against planned quantities.
• Support the validation of subcontractor and supplier claims against actual site progress.
• Ensure quantities used for cost reporting are accurate and supported by appropriate documentation.
• Track purchase orders, commitments, and invoices against approved budgets.
• Support procurement teams in evaluating the cost impact of supplier and subcontractor quotations.
• Track material price fluctuations and assess their impact on project forecasts.
• Support value engineering and cost optimisation initiatives.
• Coordinate with Finance to ensure project cost information is properly reconciled.
• Provide management with reliable and timely cost information for decision‑making.
• Identify potential margin erosion and recommend corrective action.
• Reconcile cost information with Commercial and Finance records.
• Monitor Cost Variance (CV), Schedule Variance (SV) and Cost Performance Index (CPI).

Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering is preferred. A degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management or a related discipline.

Professional qualifications such as MRICS, CCP, PMP or equivalent would be an advantage.

Minimum 5-8 years of relevant experience in construction cost control, preferably within the UAE.

Strong experience in building construction, civil infrastructure or major contracting projects.

Previous experience as a Civil Cost Control Engineer, Project Controls Engineer, Cost Engineer or similar position.

Strong understanding of civil construction methods, BOQs, quantity measurement.

Experience with subcontractor cost control, procurement, variations and project forecasting.

UAE construction experience is strongly preferred. Current UAE construction experience commonly specify around 5-8 years for comparable cost-control positions.