Senior Cost Control & Project Recovery Manager

Confidential; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 500,000 - 800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and benefits

Career progression opportunities

Challenging mega-project exposure

Job summary

Confidential seeks a Senior Cost Control & Project Recovery Manager to lead cost governance, forecasting, and recovery initiatives on major Oil & Gas EPC projects in the UAE. The role requires a hands-on leader who drives measurable improvements in productivity, profitability, and project performance.

You will own the integrated framework, align schedules with cost data, and deliver executive dashboards using Excel and Power BI. Strong PWM/P6 and ERP experience are essential.

Qualifications

• 15-20+ years of project controls and cost management experience.
• Significant experience on large-scale Oil & Gas EPC projects.
• Proven track record of recovering or materially improving underperforming projects.
• Contractor-side EPC experience essential.
• ADNOC/UAE/GCC project experience strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the integrated cost control framework including budget control, actuals, commitments and accruals, ETC, EAC, forecast margins, cash flow interfaces.
• Align WBS/CBS with schedules, quantities, manpower, procurement, subcontracting and area/commodity ownership.
• Measure earned vs actual man-hours and productivity; identify losses and cost leakage.
• Develop and track a quantified Project Recovery Plan and monitor realized savings and avoid double-counting.

Skills

Cost forecasting

Earned Value Management

Productivity analysis

WBS/CBS integration

Commitments and accruals

Cash flow forecasting

Primavera P6

Excel

Power BI

EcoSys

SAP

Oracle

Communication

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Tools

Primavera P6

Power BI

Excel

EcoSys

SAP

Oracle

Job description

Senior Cost Control & Project Recovery Manager

Are you a proven project recovery specialist with the ability to turn around underperforming EPC projects and deliver measurable commercial results?

We are seeking a Senior Cost Control & Project Recovery Manager to lead cost governance, forecasting, and recovery initiatives on major Oil & Gas EPC projects. This is a strategic leadership role for an experienced professional who can move beyond traditional cost reporting and drive tangible improvements in project performance, productivity, and profitability.

YOUR ROLE

As Senior Cost Control & Project Recovery Manager, you will establish the project's true Cost-at-Completion (EAC) position and develop a robust, measurable recovery strategy to improve commercial outcomes.

This role requires a hands-on leader who can identify cost leakage, challenge assumptions, determine root causes, quantify recovery opportunities, and influence senior project and construction teams to execute corrective actions.

• Own and maintain the integrated cost control framework, including: Budget control, Actual costs, Commitments and accruals, Estimate to Complete (ETC), Estimate at Completion (EAC), Forecast margins, Cash flow interfaces
• Ensure alignment between WBS/CBS structures and project schedules, quantities, manpower, procurement, subcontracting, and area/commodity ownership.

Productivity & Performance Analysis

• Measure earned versus actual man-hours and productivity across disciplines, areas, and commodities.
• Identify productivity losses, idle resources, and cost leakage.
• Analyze cost and schedule performance using objective project controls data.

Project Recovery & Improvement

• Develop and maintain a quantified Project Recovery Plan covering: Productivity improvement, Workforce optimization, Demobilization strategies, Subcontract execution plans, Procurement and material exposure mitigation, Indirect cost reductions, Schedule acceleration and resequencing
• Track recovery initiatives through to realized savings and eliminate double-counting of benefits.
• Forecast manpower and demobilization requirements based on remaining quantities and achievable productivity targets.
• Conduct scenario analysis on resource strategies, schedule outcomes, and recovery initiatives, demonstrating impacts on EAC and project profitability.

Executive Reporting

• Deliver weekly and monthly variance analysis including: Root cause identification
• Accountable owners
• Corrective actions
• Financial impact assessment
• Develop executive-level dashboards using Excel, Power BI, and project source systems.
• Support management reviews with clear recommendations and proactive early warning indicators.

Stakeholder Management

• Challenge Construction Managers and discipline leaders using factual cost, quantity, resource, and earned-hour data.
• Integrate cost performance with Primavera P6 schedules and commercial entitlement assessments.
• Distinguish recoverable client/EPC-caused costs from internal inefficiencies.

WHAT WE’R LOOKING FOR

Experience

• Must have 15-20+ years of project controls and cost management experience.
• Significant experience within large-scale Oil & Gas EPC construction projects.
• Proven track record of successfully recovering or materially improving underperforming projects.
• Contractor-side EPC experience is essential.
• ADNOC, UAE, or broader GCC project experience is strongly preferred.

Education and Certifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in any Specialization

Skills and Competencies

• Advanced expertise in: Cost forecasting, Earned Value Management (EVM), Productivity and man-hour analysis, WBS/CBS development and integration, Commitments and accruals management, Cash flow forecasting
• Strong Primavera P6 knowledge.
• Advanced Excel and Power BI capabilities.
• Experience with EcoSys, SAP, Oracle, or comparable ERP/cost management systems is advantageous.
• Strong understanding of EPC construction across: Civil, Mechanical, Electrical & Instrumentation (E&I)
• Ability to challenge field assumptions and drive data-based decision-making rather than simply compiling reports.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Ability to influence senior project and construction leadership teams.
• Confidence to challenge conventional thinking and drive accountability.

WHAT WE OFFER

• The chance to contribute to some of UAE’s Oil and Gas EPC Mega projects.
• A collaborative, supportive environment that values innovation and excellence.
• Opportunities for professional growth and career progression.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.

Ready to be part of our team?

Join us and play a pivotal role in shaping a high-performing team that drives our success.