Sr. Cost Controller

MVL Group; Dubai; On-site; AED 350,000 - 750,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Compensation package

Career growth opportunities

Global exposure

Job summary

MVL Group in Dubai is seeking a senior Cost Control Director to establish and lead a dedicated cost control department across multiple project jurisdictions. You will set standardized processes, build a regional team, and ensure timely budget development with strong governance and oversight.

You will interact with Project Directors, VPs, Finance, and Planning to drive actionable cost improvements and strategic cost performance for executive leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Finance, or equivalent.
• 15+ years of experience in cost control, project controls, or commercial management within construction, EPC, or government contracting environments
• At least 7-10 years in a leadership or managerial capacity overseeing cost control functions across multiple projects and geographies
• Demonstrated experience establishing or restructuring a cost control department, including process design, reporting frameworks, and team building
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to establish credibility and authority across multiple departments and senior stakeholders
• Excellent problem-solving mindset with the ability to translate audit findings and strategic direction into actionable process improvements

Responsibilities

• Establish, lead, and develop the Cost Control function as a dedicated department reporting to the COO, covering all project jurisdictions
• Define and implement standardized cost control processes, procedures, and reporting frameworks across the entire project portfolio
• Build and manage a team of Cost Controllers allocated across jurisdictions, with clear reporting lines to the COO
• Oversee the development of approved project budgets within 30 days of project award, ensuring handover from Proposals to Execution
• Establish a monthly cost reporting framework linking budgets, variations, costs, and contingency within a standardized report
• Ensure project directors have visibility of forecasts, risks, opportunities, and budget performance
• Coordinate with Accounting to capture cost data from Deltek and resolve cost allocation issues
• Provide cost impact assessment and cost estimates for change orders supporting Commercial/Contracts
• Oversee subcontractor payment certification support and procurement visibility
• Collaborate with Planning to align cost and schedule reporting
• Participate in executive meetings to provide strategic cost performance insights

Skills

Cost control

Leadership

Budgeting

Reporting

Process improvement

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Job description

Dubai, UAE

Posting Date: Jul-20, 2026

Location & Relocation

Willing to work in Dubai, UAE

Project Details

• Dubai Office

What’s in It for You?

• Attractive compensation package with strong career growth opportunities.
• Work across international project jurisdictions for strong global exposure.

Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Finance, or equivalent
• 15+ years of experience in cost control, project controls, or commercial management within construction, EPC, or government contracting environments
• At least 7-10 years in a leadership or managerial capacity overseeing cost control functions across multiple projects and geographies
• Demonstrated experience establishing or restructuring a cost control department, including process design, reporting frameworks, and team building
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to establish credibility and authority across multiple departments and senior stakeholders
• Excellent problem-solving mindset with the ability to translate audit findings and strategic direction into actionable process improvements

Responsibilities

• Establish, lead, and develop the Cost Control function as a dedicated department reporting to the COO, covering all project jurisdictions
• Define and implement standardized cost control processes, procedures, and reporting frameworks across the entire project portfolio, consistent with industry best practice and the recommendations of the independent cost control review
• Build and manage a team of Cost Controllers allocated across jurisdictions, with clear reporting lines to the COO and day-to-day coordination with Project Directors, VPs, Finance, and Planning teams
• Oversee the development of approved project budgets within 30 days of project award, ensuring a formal commercial handover process from the Proposals team to the Execution team is completed within the first weeks following award
• Establish a comprehensive monthly cost reporting framework linking initial budget, approved budget, budget transfers, variations, commitments, actual costs, ETC, EAC, margins, and contingency within a single standardized report structure
• Ensure Project Directors have full visibility of forecasts, risks, opportunities, and overall financial performance, and actively own project budget performance and corrective actions
• Coordinate with the Accounting department to ensure accurate and timely capture of cost data from Deltek, and resolve issues related to cost allocation, overhead distribution, and charge code accuracy
• Provide cost impact assessment and cost estimates for change orders and modifications, supporting the Commercial/Contracts function which owns the change management process
• Oversee subcontractor payment certification support, back-charge administration, and procurement commitment visibility
• Collaborate with the Project Controls Director (Planning/Scheduling) to ensure integrated schedule and cost reporting, while maintaining clear functional separation between cost control and planning responsibilities
• Participate in executive management meetings and provide strategic cost performance insights to the CEO, COO, and EVPs