Cost Control Manager

Arada; Dubai; On-site; AED 480,000 - 720,000; Full time

Job summary

Arada is seeking a Senior role to lead Cost Control Audit & Governance across pre- and post-contract stages for its UAE portfolio. The candidate will ensure baseline integrity, audit commercial recommendations, and enforce governance over FFC vs. project budgets.

This role drives cost strategy, reporting integrity, and team capability, working with multi-disciplinary teams. The incumbent will lead a team of Senior Cost Controllers and Analysts, engage with procurement, project management, and

Qualifications

• 12–15 years of experience in cost control and commercial management within top-tier developers or international consultancies in the UAE.
• MRICS certification preferred; strong background in quantity surveying and cost governance.

Responsibilities

• Pre-Award Independent Audit & Gateway Control across projects.
• Review Pre-Tender Estimates and Tender Recommendation Reports before package finalization.
• Independent Budget Verification against approved business cases.
• Executive Gateway Reporting to senior leadership on budget variances and risks.
• Design-stage cost checks with Value Engineering triggers if baselines are breached.
• Post-Award Budget Governance: Budget vs. Forecast Final Cost (FFC) reconciliation.
• Contingency governance and data-backed drawdown validation.

Skills

Cost control

Data analysis

Excel

Power BI

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Quantity Surveying, Civil Engineering

MRICS certification

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Power BI

Job description

About Arada

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Sharjah, UAE, Arada was created to build spaces that inspire, connect, and enrich communities. As one of the region’s fastest-growing master developers, Arada has delivered landmark residential, retail, hospitality, and lifestyle destinations that redefine modern living. At Arada, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We foster a collaborative, innovative, and high-performance culture where talented professionals are empowered to make a meaningful impact on the communities we create.

Role Purpose

Lead the independent Cost Control Audit & Governance function across pre- and post-contract stages for Arada’s portfolio. Operating as a mandatory control point, this role ensures absolute baseline integrity, strictly audits commercial recommendations prior to package awards, and enforces rigorous governance over the Forecast Final Cost (FFC) versus project budget, disciplined cost governance, and financial visibility for all projects. The role drives cost strategy, reporting integrity, and team capability development.

Key Responsibilities

• Pre-Award Independent Audit & Gateway Control
• Mandatory Tender Sign-Off: Review, audit, and provide formal feedback on all Pre-Tender Estimates (PTE) and Tender Recommendation Reports before any package finalization.
• Independent Budget Verification: Act as an independent control point to cross-verify procurement and commercial tender returns against the approved business case.
• Executive Gateway Reporting: Prepare and present concise "Gate Review" commercial analysis briefs to the Project Controls Director, CDO, and CEO, explicitly highlighting budget variances and risks prior to contract award.
• Design-Stage Cost Checks: Monitor schematic and detailed design progressions to flag budget deviations early, forcing mandatory Value Engineering (VE) triggers if baselines are breached.
• Post-Award Budget Governance & FFC Control
• Budget vs. FFC Reconciliation: Own the monthly audit of Budget versus Forecast Final Cost (FFC) across all active assets. Identify and challenge hidden cost overruns or optimistic forecasting by project site teams.
• Contingency Drawdown Audit: Establish and enforce strict governance over project risks and contingencies. Validate that any drawdown request is backed by robust data and contractually justified.
• Trend Log & Early Warning Governance: Implement and oversee an active Trend Log system to capture potential variations, design changes, and claims weeks before they manifest as formal commercial risks.
• Cost Monitoring, Reporting & BI Automation
• Data Integrity Auditing: Validate and sign off on all monthly cost reports, cash flow projections, and cost-to-complete metrics, ensuring they represent a single source of truth.
• Executive Dashboards: Drive the development of automated, live Power BI dashboards for the C-suite, focusing strictly on Management by Exception by flagging projects tracking outside a 5% variance threshold.
• Proprietary Benchmarking: Oversee the construction and maintenance of a live internal cost-per-square-foot benchmarking database using historical data from completed Arada phases.
• Team Leadership & Interface
• Internal Audit Team Management: Manage and mentor Senior Cost Controllers and Analysts, instilling a culture of objective, data-driven financial auditing.
• Cross-Departmental Interface: Partner effectively with the established Pre- and Post-Contract Commercial, Procurement, and Project Management teams while maintaining strict departmental independence.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Quantity Surveying, Civil Engineering, or a related field.
• MRICS certification is highly preferred.

Experience

• 12–15 years of experience in cost control, commercial management, or quantity surveying within top-tier developers or international consultancies in the UAE.

Technical Skills

• Deep proficiency in enterprise cost management systems.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Strong Power BI dashboard development and reporting capabilities.

Core Competency

• Exceptional analytical authority with the confidence and credibility to challenge commercial submissions and present objective risk data directly to executive leadership.