Senior Cost Engineer

Kent; Dubai; On-site; AED 320,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Kent seeks a Senior Cost Engineer based in Dubai, UAE. The role sits within the asset owner's project delivery team and oversees financial governance, budgets, and cost forecasting for major energy infrastructure projects.

You will monitor EPC/EPCM contractor expenditures, evaluate variation orders, and deliver executive-level financial reporting aligned with JV standards. Collaboration with PMs and procurement teams is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or related field.
• 10–12+ years in cost engineering or project controls in oil & gas.
• Experience on client/operator side (IOC/NOC or major JV).
• Based in Dubai, UAE, or willing to work full-time from Dubai.
• Fluent in English; Arabic a plus.

Responsibilities

• Establish and enforce cost control systems and budgets across major projects.
• Review and validate EPC/EPCM contractor payments, valuations, and timesheets.
• Develop EAC forecasts, cash flows, commitment logs, and risk draws.
• Lead evaluation of variation orders and change requests with cost impact.
• Manage SAP PS structures, POs, SES approvals, and asset capitalization workflows.
• Audit contractor cost reports and defend against potential claims.
• Prepare cost variance reports and executive dashboards; support PMs and leadership.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Civil, Chemical, or Industrial), Quantity Surveying, Finance, or related discipline

Tools

SAP PS

MS Excel

Primavera P6

Cost databases

Job description

Job Description:

About you:

Join us.Unleash your energy within.

If you have world-class ambitions to reach the stars while keeping your feet on the ground, we’re the team for you. Weve created a new breed of company – future-focused with reimagined ambition across all disciplines within the energy sector.

We love people who know their own potential and are not afraid to use it. We know that together, we’re far more than the sum of our parts. So, we celebrate people who want to grow and develop as we work together on some of the largest projects on the energy world stage.

Our purpose and beliefs:

As Kent, we’re tackling the greatest challenge of our time - to bring our world the energy it needs in the most responsible way ever imagined.

It’s the energy of every member of our team driven by our beliefs that is making this happen. Whatever our skill, our language, or our culture. These beliefs define and direct us every day to be the very best - for ourselves, our clients, our key stakeholders, the communities we operate in and the planet:

• We PLAY BIG
• We thrive on EMOTIONAL AGILITY
• We are FANATICAL ABOUT PERFORMANCE
• We are built on INFINITE THINKING

Read more about the Purpose, Beliefs and Guiding Principles that drive us

Our vision for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging:

We recognise that diversity & inclusion are catalysts for success. We’re heightening awareness on the benefits of people diversity, diversity of experiences and diversity of our perspectives. Creating a culture of inclusivity where all employees feel a sense of belonging.

Our combined energy is fueled by different nationalities, across 6 continents and 24 countries. Our commitment is to celebrate character – no matter what ethnic background, gender, age, religion, identity, or disability.

About the job:

Kent is looking for a Senior Cost Engineer based in Dubai, UAE.

The Senior Cost Engineer is a pivotal client-side project controls position embedded directly within the asset owner’s project delivery team based in Dubai. Operating from the client/operator perspective, this role holds primary responsibility for the overall financial governance, budget management, commercial evaluation, and cost forecasting of major energy infrastructure capital projects. Acting as a trusted commercial authority, you will closely monitor multi-million-dollar EPC contractor expenditures, evaluate variation orders, implement robust change management frameworks, and deliver executive-level financial reporting aligned with international joint-venture standards.

Skills and Responsibilities:

• Establish, monitor, and enforce overarching cost control systems, Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), and budget baselines across assigned major capital projects.
• Review, audit, and validate EPC/EPCM contractor progress payment certificates, monthly valuation applications, milestone billings, and detailed timesheets to ensure alignment with actual physical completion.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously refine realistic EAC forecasts, cash flow projections, commitment logs, and risk/contingency drawdowns.
• Lead the technical and commercial evaluation of contractor Variation Requests and Change Order Requests (CORs); perform cost-impact assessments and negotiate equitable adjustments.
• Manage project financial structures within SAP Project Systems (PS)—including WBS creation, purchase order (PO) commitments, Service Entry Sheet (SES) approvals, and final asset capitalization workflows.
• Protect project financial interests by proactively auditing contractor cost reports, identifying billing discrepancies early, and developing technical defenses against potential commercial claims.
• Prepare high-level monthly cost variance reports, Earned Value Management (EVM) metrics, and executive dashboards for senior project leadership, board members, and international shareholders.
• Partner closely with Project Managers, Planning/Scheduling Engineers, Procurement Leads, and Contracts Engineers to integrate cost trends with project schedule critical paths.

Knowledge/ Qualification/ Training/ Certification:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Civil, Chemical, or Industrial), Quantity Surveying, Finance, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 10 to 12+ years of dedicated cost engineering or project controls experience within the oil and gas sector (upstream, midstream, or major gas processing facilities).
• Significant background operating in a Senior/Lead capacity managing multi-hundred-million-dollar capital project budgets.
• Extensive experience working on the client/operator side (IOC, NOC, or major joint venture), overseeing tier-1 EPC/EPCM contractors.
• Based in or prepared to work full-time from the regional engineering hub in Dubai, UAE, with potential travel to project operational sites as required.
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English is mandatory for high-level shareholder reporting and executive management presentations. Conversational Arabic is a distinct advantage.

Communication:

• Excellent interpersonal and analytical attributes
• Able to effectively communicate technical issues to peers and line manager (written and verbal)

Skills

• Advanced mastery of SAP Project Systems (PS) and Commercial Management modules (WBS maintenance, SES processing, and financial reporting).
• Expert capability in analyzing Cost Performance Index (CPI), Schedule Performance Index (SPI), and integrating cost curves with Primavera P6 schedules.
• Deep knowledge of FIDIC and customized EPC contract conditions, change management protocols, and claim negotiation principles.
• Advanced proficiency in MS Excel (complex financial modeling, macro-driven dashboards, pivot tables) and cost-estimation databases.

Core Competencies

• Professional firmness to rigorously challenge unjustified contractor scope additions, inflated unit rates, or unverified progress claims.
• Uncompromising commitment to corporate governance, transparency, and audit trail precision.
• Ability to look beyond immediate spend to foresee long-term budget risks, market inflation impacts, and currency/commercial exposures.
• Exceptional skill in translating complex financial metrics into concise, actionable executive summaries for non-financial stakeholders.

Preferred Certifications (Optional)

• Certified Cost Professional (CCP) or Certified Estimating Professional (CEP) via AACE International.
• Member or Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS/FRICS) or equivalent chartered quantity surveyor status.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or formal SAP End-User/Super-User certification.

HSSEQ

The Employee shall observe the Health, Safety, Sustainability, Environment and Quality rules of the Company; it’s clients and the governing authorities of the host country.

Details about the role:

Location: UAE

Travel required: May be

Experience level: 10 – 12+ Years

As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures, and abilities.

We’re a disability-friendly employer and can make adjustments to support you to perform at your best during the recruitment process.

Requirements