Cost Manager

Arcadis; Antwerpen; Sur place; EUR 55 000 - 95 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Arcadis is seeking a Quantity Surveyor/Cost Manager for assignments in the Antwerp region. You will handle cost planning, estimating, procurement, and contract administration across feasibility to construction stages.

The role requires English communication, relevant professional certification, and extensive cost-management experience on complex projects. Collaboration with clients, designers, and contractors is essential in this client-facing position.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Quantity Surveying (Engineering, Construction Management).
• Relevant professional certification (i.e., RICS, AACE or similar).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Extensive previous experience in a similar role.
• In depth technical knowledge, including construction processes and cost & commercial management.
• Experience of leading smaller projects and supporting on larger more complex projects.
• Experience delivering analysis and insights.
• Experience working closely with external stakeholders to build client relationships.
• Experience managing business relationships and supporting with middle management level activities.

Responsabilités

• Prepare detailed cost plans, estimates, and budgets from feasibility through detailed design and construction.
• Analyze drawings, specifications, BIM models, and technical documentation to identify cost implications, risks, and opportunities.
• Benchmark costs using historical data, market intelligence, and industry norms.
• Develop cost models, elemental analyses, and pricing breakdowns for various design options.
• Advise the client and design team on cost-effective alternatives, materials, and technical solutions.
• Lead or participate in value engineering workshops, ensuring solutions maintain required quality and performance.
• Assess whole-life cost impacts of design decisions (operational, maintenance, replacements).
• Prepare tender packages, BOQs, schedules of rates, and scope breakdowns.
• Manage the tendering process: issue RFQs/RFTs, respond to bidder queries, run clarification meetings.
• Evaluate bids using commercial comparison sheets, compliance checks, and risk scoring.
• Prepare tender recommendation reports and contribute to supplier negotiation strategies.
• Support contract drafting in line with project scope, technical requirements, commercial constraints, and chosen contract form (e.g., FIDIC, NEC, JCT).
• Administer construction contracts, ensuring compliance with obligations, procedures, and notice requirements (FIDIC or equivalent).
• Prepare contractual correspondence, track key dates, and ensure timely issuance of notices, instructions, and approvals.
• Maintain contract registers (variations, claims, risks, payments, securities, insurances).
• Review and validate contractor applications for payment, progress reports, measurement records, and evidence of completed work.
• Assess and negotiate variations, change orders, and claims, ensuring appropriate justification and valuation.
• Track actual vs. budget vs. forecast costs and update cost-to-complete (CTC) models.
• Provide earned value analysis (EVA), productivity metrics, and performance insights.
• Produce monthly cost reports, cash flow updates, commercial dashboards, and variance analyses.
• Present cost and commercial updates to internal leadership and client representatives.
• Translate technical, commercial, and financial data into clear, concise narratives for non-technical stakeholders.
• Prepare final account documentation and support negotiation to agreement.
• Identify commercial and cost risks early; maintain active risk registers with quantification and mitigation strategies.
• Monitor design and construction changes and evaluate their financial impact in real time.
• Prepare evidence packs for claims: correspondence, records, measurement, delay data, and cost substantiation.
• Support claims avoidance through proactive commercial governance and early engagement.
• Serve as the primary commercial point of contact for the client, project team, designers, and contractors.
• Attend progress meetings, commercial meetings, design reviews, and risk workshops.
• Communicate cost, risk, and contract matters clearly to stakeholders at all levels.
• Support preparation of executive-level summaries, board papers, and presentations.
• Maintain comprehensive and organized records supporting all cost-related decisions.
• Ensure documentation is audit-ready, transparent, and compliant with contractual and corporate standards.
• Collaborate with document control to ensure accuracy of commercial documentation in the CDE/DMS.

Connaissances

Communication in English

Stakeholder engagement

Cost analysis

Commercial management

Formation

Bachelor's degree in Quantity Surveying (Engineering, Construction Management)

Description du poste

We are currently looking for a Quantity Surveyor / Cost Manager for one of clients in the region of Antwerp.

Role responsibilities overview

Cost Planning & Estimating

• Prepare detailed cost plans, estimates, and budgets from feasibility through detailed design and construction.
• Analyze drawings, specifications, BIM models, and technical documentation to identify cost implications, risks, and opportunities.
• Benchmark costs using historical data, market intelligence, and industry norms.
• Develop cost models, elemental analyses, and pricing breakdowns for various design options.

Value Engineering & Cost Optimization

• Advise the client and design team on cost-effective alternatives, materials, and technical solutions.
• Lead or participate in value engineering workshops, ensuring solutions maintain required quality and performance.
• Assess whole-life cost impacts of design decisions (operational, maintenance, replacements).

Procurement & Tender Management

• Prepare tender packages, bills of quantities (BOQs), schedules of rates, and scope breakdowns.
• Manage the tendering process: issue RFQs/RFTs, respond to bidder queries, run clarification meetings.
• Evaluate bids using commercial comparison sheets, compliance checks, and risk scoring.
• Prepare tender recommendation reports and contribute to supplier negotiation strategies.
• Support contract drafting in line with project scope, technical requirements, commercial constraints, and chosen contract form (e.g., FIDIC, NEC, JCT).

Contract Administration

• Administer construction contracts, ensuring compliance with obligations, procedures, and notice requirements (FIDIC or equivalent).
• Prepare contractual correspondence, track key dates, and ensure timely issuance of notices, instructions, and approvals.
• Maintain contract registers (variations, claims, risks, payments, securities, insurances).

Cost Control During Construction

• Review and validate contractor applications for payment, progress reports, measurement records, and evidence of completed work.
• Assess and negotiate variations, change orders, and claims, ensuring appropriate justification and valuation.
• Track actual vs. budget vs. forecast costs and update cost-to-complete (CTC) models.
• Provide earned value analysis (EVA), productivity metrics, and performance insights.

Financial Reporting & Forecasting

• Produce monthly cost reports, cash flow updates, commercial dashboards, and variance analyses.
• Present cost and commercial updates to internal leadership and client representatives.
• Translate technical, commercial, and financial data into clear, concise narratives for non-technical stakeholders.
• Prepare final account documentation and support negotiation to agreement.

Risk, Change, & Claims Management

• Identify commercial and cost risks early; maintain active risk registers with quantification and mitigation strategies.
• Monitor design and construction changes and evaluate their financial impact in real time.
• Prepare evidence packs for claims: correspondence, records, measurement, delay data, and cost substantiation.
• Support claims avoidance through proactive commercial governance and early engagement.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

• Serve as the primary commercial point of contact for the client, project team, designers, and contractors.
• Attend progress meetings, commercial meetings, design reviews, and risk workshops.
• Communicate cost, risk, and contract matters clearly to stakeholders at all levels.
• Support preparation of executive-level summaries, board papers, and presentations.

Documentation & Audit Readiness

• Maintain comprehensive and organized records supporting all cost-related decisions.
• Ensure documentation is audit-ready, transparent, and compliant with contractual and corporate standards.
• Collaborate with document control to ensure accuracy of commercial documentation in the CDE/DMS.

Qualifications & Experience:

First and foremost, you share our passion for improving the quality of life. You pride yourself for the part you play in transforming the world around you and understand the importance of teamwork. You are a technically capable and come to us with:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline Quantity Surveying (Engineering, Construction Management).
• Relevant professional certification (i.e., RICS, AACE or similar).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Extensive previous experience in a similar role.
• In depth technical knowledge, including construction processes and cost & commercial management.
• Experience of leading smaller projects and supporting on larger more complex projects
• Experience delivering analysis and insights.
• Experience working closely with external stakeholders to build client relationships.
• Experience managing business relationships and supporting with middle management level activities.