Cost Manager - Infrastructure & Projects (Hybrid)

HKA Global; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

HKA Sydney is seeking a Cost Manager Advisory to lead cost control across complex infrastructure projects, working with project owners, contractors and investors. The role focuses on governance, forecasting, and integration with scheduling and risk management.

You will provide expert cost advice, manage variations and contract payments, develop cost reports and plans, and help drive value for money while navigating a dynamic, client-facing environment.

Qualifications

• Appropriate tertiary qualifications in construction, engineering, finance, or related fields from a recognised tertiary institution.
• Extensive proven experience in the development and delivery of complex rail and/or transport infrastructure and oil & gas projects with specific experience in the development of integrated project controls.
• Experience maintaining effective, best practice project controls.
• Experience in analysing scheduling, risk management, change control including integration with cost control outputs on large infrastructure projects is essential.
• The ability to make complex judgements on the best strategies to maximise preparedness for future requirements and consistently communicating that all decisions can affect the three critical outcomes of customer service, safety, and cost effectiveness.
• Confidence to adapt to a dynamic work environment as it evolves and progresses through substantial change.
• Experience working within client-side project teams, providing independent cost management and commercial advice.
• Experience in contract administration, variation assessment and change management, including evaluation of cost impacts and supporting commercial decisions.
• Strong understanding of claims, contractual and commercial matters associated with major infrastructure projects.
• Experience developing and improving cost reporting, forecasting and project controls processes to provide clearer management information.
• Ability to work across cost, commercial, planning, risk and project management disciplines, providing an integrated view of project performance.
• Experience communicating complex cost and commercial information to senior management and key project stakeholders.
• Experience working in a consultancy environment and embedded within client organisations, adapting to different project governance and reporting requirements.

Responsibilities

• Provide cost control across complex projects with multiple stakeholder interests and interdependencies, raising standards and driving improvements in cost management, in adherence with governance standards and delegations, in tracking variances, with a key focus on a monthly integration with scheduling and risk management.
• Monitor and control budgets through robust forecast and change management.
• Provide expert financial and cost controls advice in relation to contract management, including supporting the management of variations, contractor payments, and invoice disputes on a regular /ad hoc basis.
• Preparation and presentation of Cost Reports, summarising performance, including KPI reporting and variance analysis commentary.
• Preparation of Cost Plans including Cost flow and Cash flow.
• Participate in efforts to analyse systems, processes, and procedures to support continuous improvement.
• Provide timely and authoritative advice to identify, manage and minimise actual and potential cost pressures and drive value for money outcomes.
• Contribute to and identify cost saving opportunities.
• Ensure accurate allocation of Actual Costs.
• Utilise Earned Value Management and other performance measurement techniques to monitor performance.
• Provide regular updates on key projects and programs, issues, and priorities.

Skills

Cost control

Budgeting

Earned Value

Contract management

Change management

Forecasting

Risk management

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Education

Tertiary qualifications in construction, engineering, or finance

Job description

HKA Sydney is seeking a Cost Manager Advisory to lead cost control across complex infrastructure projects, working with project owners, contractors and investors. The role focuses on governance, forecasting, and integration with scheduling and risk management.

You will provide expert cost advice, manage variations and contract payments, develop cost reports and plans, and help drive value for money while navigating a dynamic, client-facing environment.