Head of Project Costing & Estimation – Africa (Hindi Speaker)

Black Pearl Consult; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 400,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

Black Pearl Consult located in Dubai seeks a Head of Project Costing & Estimation to lead robust cost models for large-scale infrastructure bids across Africa. You will guide breakdowns from early inputs and ensure competitive, bankable figures.

The role covers bottom-up costing across labour, materials, plant, equipment, and logistics, with experience in FIDIC, EPC, PPP structures, and development-finance requirements. Travel to Africa sites will be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Cost Engineering, or a related discipline (Master's degree or professional certification is desirable).
• Minimum 20 years of proven experience in infrastructure project costing, estimation, tendering, and commercial management.
• At least 10–15 years of direct experience on infrastructure/building projects in Africa (preferably West and Central Africa), with essential experience in government-funded, donor-funded, or bank-financed projects.
• Hands-on experience preparing complete cost estimates for building infrastructure (e.g., healthcare, education, public buildings) from conceptual or limited design inputs.
• In-depth familiarity with FIDIC or equivalent international contract forms, EPC contracting, PPP structures, and development-finance requirements.

Responsibilities

• Prepare complete project cost estimates from early-stage inputs, including area statements, facility descriptions, conceptual drawings, outline specifications, and client briefs.
• Develop detailed estimates covering civil, architectural, structural, MEP, equipment, furniture, ICT, utilities, site development, logistics, temporary works, and specialist systems
• Build bottom-up cost models for labor, materials, plant, equipment, subcontractors, freight, duties, insurance, permits, financing charges, training, commissioning, and O&M
• Prepare cost plans across concept, feasibility, pre-tender, tender, and contract-award stages, maintaining estimates through design development and value engineering
• Prepare Bills of Quantities (BOQs), quantity take-offs, rate analyses, cost breakdown structures, cash-flow projections, and cost-to-complete assessments
• Benchmark costs against comparable African and international projects while maintaining a live database of rates, productivity norms, supplier prices, and market intelligence
• Lead technical-commercial coordination for tenders, RFPs/EOIs, and contract negotiations
• Issue RFQs to suppliers, subcontractors, and service providers; evaluate quotations for scope coverage, exclusions, commercial terms, and execution capability
• Assess local subcontractor availability, capability, capacity, compliance, and pricing across regional African markets
• Review contract terms, payment mechanisms, price-escalation clauses, currency provisions, delay damages, guarantees, and change-management provisions
• Travel frequently across project locations in Africa (particularly West and Central Africa) to validate local market conditions, logistics routes, labor availability, material sources, and subcontractor capability
• Conduct site assessments to gather first-hand intelligence on access, infrastructure, security, import channels, and execution constraints

Skills

Cost estimation

Risk analysis

Cost modelling

Tendering

Value engineering

Contract terms

Education

Bachelor's in Civil Engineering

Bachelor's in Quantity Surveying

Bachelor's in Construction Management

Bachelor's in Cost Engineering

Master's degree desirable

Job description

Black Pearl Consult is looking for a Head of Project Costing & Estimation for large-scale infrastructure projects across Africa. This opportunity is ideal for an experienced professional with expertise in project cost estimation, commercial risk analysis, and developing robust cost models to support competitive bids for major, government-funded infrastructure projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare complete project cost estimates fromearly-stage inputs, including area statements, facility descriptions,conceptual drawings, outline specifications, and client briefs.
• Develop detailed estimates covering civil,architectural, structural, MEP, equipment, furniture, ICT, utilities, sitedevelopment, logistics, temporary works, and specialist systems
• Build bottom-up cost models for labor, materials,plant, equipment, subcontractors, freight, duties, insurance, permits,financing charges, training, commissioning, and O&M
• Prepare cost plans across concept, feasibility,pre-tender, tender, and contract-award stages, maintaining estimates throughdesign development and value engineering
• Prepare Bills of Quantities (BOQs), quantitytake-offs, rate analyses, cost breakdown structures, cash-flow projections, andcost-to-complete assessments
• Benchmark costs against comparable African andinternational projects while maintaining a live database of rates, productivitynorms, supplier prices, and market intelligence
• Conduct value engineering to identify cost-efficientalternatives without compromising functionality, quality, compliance, orlifecycle performance
• Quantify and price project risks, including designmaturity, ground conditions, logistics constraints, security, importrestrictions, local-content requirements, and regulatory exposures
• Develop escalation provisions for labor, materials,equipment, fuel, freight, and currency movements over 2–3 year project durations
• Model currency exchange exposure, payment terms,inflation, interest during construction, taxes, duties, withholding taxes, andfinancing costs
• Recommend appropriate contingency, management reserve,escalation, and risk allowances supported by clear assumptions and sensitivityanalyses
• Prepare bankable, funding-ready cost summaries andassumptions schedules for financial institutions, DFIs, ECAs, governmentclients, and internal investment committees
• Lead technical-commercial coordination for tenders,RFPs/EOIs, and contract negotiations
• Issue RFQs to suppliers, subcontractors, and serviceproviders; evaluate quotations for scope coverage, exclusions, commercialterms, and execution capability
• Assess local subcontractor availability, capability,capacity, compliance, and pricing across regional African markets
• Review contract terms, payment mechanisms,price-escalation clauses, currency provisions, delay damages, guarantees, andchange-management provisions
• Travel frequently across project locations in Africa(particularly West and Central Africa) to validate local market conditions,logistics routes, labor availability, material sources, and subcontractorcapability
• Conduct site assessments to gather first-handintelligence on access, infrastructure, security, import channels, andexecution constraints

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, QuantitySurveying, Construction Management, Cost Engineering, or a related discipline(Master's degree or professional certification is desirable.
• Minimum 20 years of proven experience ininfrastructure project costing, estimation, tendering, and commercial management.
• At least 10–15 years of direct experience oninfrastructure/building projects in Africa (preferably West and CentralAfrica), with essential experience in government-funded, donor-funded, orbank-financed projects.
• Hands-on experience preparing complete cost estimatesfor building infrastructure (e.g., healthcare, education, public buildings)from conceptual or limited design inputs.
• In-depth familiarity with FIDIC or equivalentinternational contract forms, EPC contracting, PPP structures, anddevelopment-finance requirements.

Work Location

Dubai