Cost Manager

The Opportunity Hub UK Ltd; Town of Oxford; Hybrid; CAD 75,000 - 96,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Private medical and dental insurance

Enhanced pension scheme

Performance-based bonuses

Job summary

The Opportunity Hub UK Ltd in Oxford is seeking a Cost Manager to strengthen a structured, well-resourced team. You will manage cost plans, budgets and reports for live construction projects, ensuring financial clarity and profitability.

You will oversee spend, handle contractors’ valuations, support procurement and negotiations, and liaise with stakeholders to keep numbers aligned across projects. An essential role for career growth in Property & Construction.

Qualifications

• Degree in Quantity Surveying or related field.
• Experience managing costs on large projects.
• Proficient in NEC/JCT contract forms.
• Advanced Excel skills and cost management software.

Responsibilities

• Prepare cost plans, budgets and estimates across a portfolio of live construction projects
• Track and report on project spend against budget, flagging variances before they become problems
• Manage the valuation and payment process for subcontractors and suppliers
• Support procurement activity, including tender analysis and contract negotiation
• Liaise with quantity surveyors, project managers and clients to keep everyone working from the same numbers
• Produce final accounts and cost reports for completed works

Skills

Cost management

Budgeting & forecasting

Contract negotiation

Excel advanced

NEC/JCT contracts

Stakeholder liaison

Quantitative reporting

Education

Quantity Surveying or related field

Tools

Excel

CostX

Job description

Perfect role for a mid professional looking to grow their Property & Construction career in Oxford.

Oxford's construction pipeline hasn't slowed down. Between the science parks, the university estate work and a steady flow of commercial development, cost control has become the difference between a scheme that turns a profit and one that quietly bleeds money. This business, an established name in Property & Construction with a headcount north of 250, runs large-scale projects that need exactly that kind of discipline. They're now looking for a Cost Manager to join a structured, well-resourced team.

Here's what you'll be doing:

• Prepare cost plans, budgets and estimates across a portfolio of live construction projects
• Track and report on project spend against budget, flagging variances before they become problems
• Manage the valuation and payment process for subcontractors and suppliers
• Support procurement activity, including tender analysis and contract negotiation
• Liaise with quantity surveyors, project managers and clients to keep everyone working from the same numbers
• Produce final accounts and cost reports for completed works

Here are the skills you'll need:

• A degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management or a related field
• Solid working knowledge of NEC or JCT contract forms
• Experience managing costs on projects of meaningful scale, ideally within a contractor or consultancy setting
• Confidence with cost management software and Excel at an advanced level
• Sharp attention to detail. Numbers that don't add up should bother you
• The ability to hold your ground in a negotiation without burning the relationship

Key perks and benefits:

• £40,000 to £51,000, depending on experience
• Hybrid working, with time split between the Oxford office and home
• Private medical and dental insurance
• Enhanced pension scheme
• Performance-based bonuses on top of base salary

Why pursue a career in Property & Construction?

Good cost managers are hard to find and easy to promote. Property & Construction rewards people who can keep a project financially honest, and Oxford's mix of academic, science and commercial building work means the projects rarely repeat themselves. Get a few years into a Cost Manager role here and the next step, whether that's a senior surveying position or a move into commercial leadership, tends to follow.