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

Black Pearl Consult; Dubai; On-site; AED 918,000 - 1,542,000; Full time

Job summary

Black Pearl Consult in Dubai seeks a Head of Project Costing & Estimation for Africa infrastructure projects. You will lead cost estimation, commercial risk analysis, and develop robust cost models to support competitive bids for government-funded schemes.

The role demands extensive experience in preparing BOQs, cost plans from concept to award, and value engineering across civil, architectural, structural, MEP, and specialist systems, with frequent regional travel. Hindi proficiency is an asset.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience (20+ years) in infrastructure costing, estimation, tendering, and commercial management.
• At least 10–15 years of direct Africa infra/building project experience (West/Central Africa preferred).
• Hands-on experience preparing complete cost estimates from early-stage inputs.
• Familiarity with FIDIC or equivalent international contracts, EPC, PPP, and development-finance requirements.

Responsibilities

• Prepare complete project cost estimates from early-stage inputs.
• Develop detailed estimates across civil, architectural, structural, MEP, and related scopes.
• Build bottom-up cost models for labor, materials, equipment, subcontractors, and financing.
• Prepare cost plans through concept to contract-award stages and value engineering.
• Prepare BOQs, quantity take-offs, and cash-flow projections.
• Benchmark costs against African and international projects using live rate databases.
• Lead tenders, RFPs/EOIs, and contract negotiations.
• Travel across Africa to validate market conditions.

Skills

Project cost estimation

Commercial risk analysis

Cost modelling

Tendering & bid execution

Value engineering

Market intelligence

Currency exchange & financial exposure

Leadership & coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Cost Engineering, or related

Master's degree or professional certification desirable

Job description

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

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

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.

KeyResponsibilities:

• 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 .li>
• 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 .