Cost Engineer

COLAS RAIL UK; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading construction and engineering firm is seeking a finance professional to assist with cost control and manage financial data. The ideal candidate will have experience in project management, a strong understanding of finance systems, and the ability to manage supplier relationships effectively. Responsibilities include reconciling costs, ensuring timely payments, and generating financial reports. This role offers a competitive salary and generous benefits including annual leave and a pension scheme.

Benefits

Competitive Salary

26 days Annual Leave

Life Assurance

Healthcare Cash Plan

Wellbeing Employee Assistant Programme

Pension Scheme

Eye Care Vouchers

Long Service Award

Season Ticket Loan

Occupational Health Service

Qualifications

• Experience working in finance or commercial roles within engineering or construction sectors.
• Hands-on experience with contractors on large civils or infrastructure projects.

Responsibilities

• Assist with cost control of the Project, focussing on labour/plant/materials.
• Ensure timely GRN of all PODs and maintain DPO requirements.
• Resolve issues related to PODs/invoices with suppliers and finance.
• Ensure accurate reporting of data from site records.
• Participate in resource usage reporting from project meetings.

Skills

Working knowledge of finance systems

Cost and budget administration

Financial and commercial reporting

Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel / Outlook)

Working knowledge of PowerBI

Highly organised and detail driven

Full UK Driving licence

Job description

Purpose of the Role

To assist the Colas Rail teams (Commercial / Delivery / Finance) in facilitating timely payment of all incoming Materials / Plant / Labour / Sub‑Contract works and ensuring the Cost Clerk team maintains the DPO (Days Payment Outstanding) requirements of the business. Collation of commercial data as required by the Project team (Accruals / PO Status / Account Issues). Timely resolution of all account queries with suppliers and delivery teams.

Person Specification

• Working in a finance or commercial function within the engineering or construction sector having hands on experience working for contractors as a CE on large civils or infrastructure projects
• Working knowledge of finance systems
• Cost and budget administration
• Financial and commercial reporting
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel / Outlook)
• Working knowledge of PowerBI
• Highly organised and detail driven
• Full UK Driving licence

Key Responsibilities

• Working closely with the SQS / QS you will assist with the cost control of the Project, focussing on labour / plant / materials through tracking of orders and regular reconciliation of costs with budget.
• Timely GRN of all POD’s received onto the system, and liaison with the finance team to ensure DPO (Days Payment Outstanding) remains within business tolerance.
• Proactive approach to closing out issues with POD / Invoice issues with suppliers / Delivery Team / Finance.
• Responsible for the accurate and timely cost collation, reconciliation and reporting of data from site records – time and allocation sheets, GRN’s, POD’s (or delivery team approval if POD missing).
• Liaising with Construction Managers / Supervisors for the completion of these site records and retrieving them from one of the MMA Compounds if necessary.
• Ensuring all labour, plant and material schedules and trackers are maintained and accurate as well as periodic review of the suppliers allocated to each Cost Clerk, assuring balanced workloads.
• Liaising with Sub‑contractors & Suppliers for Verification of Hours, Missing POD’s, Quantity & Rate errors etc.
• Collation, organisation and reconciliation of spreadsheet data and data from finance / cost / site record systems and entering such records into archive as needed (Scanned / Hard Copy & Digital Records).
• Active participation in weekly planned v actual resource usage reporting from weekly “plan, do and review” meetings.
• Support the Project Commercial team as necessary in the preparation of cost reports, audit responses, evaluation of Sub‑Contractor Applications & issuing of payment notices & GRN on system.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as requested.
• Working in close cooperation with Delivery Managers around commercial performance / Purchase Order Utilisation / Missing Tickets / Problem Suppliers.
• Review of Purchase Order utilisation & notification to project teams of orders approaching or exceeding 100% utilisation. Reporting same at weekly project review meetings as required.
• Work closely with the Finance and project teams to ensure all processes are followed as required. Identify non conformance and elevate concerns to line management.
• Participating in project management team.
• Providing interface with Suppliers & Sub‑Contractors.

What We Offer

• Competitive Salary
• 26 days Annual Leave
• Industry leading Life Assurance
• Healthcare Cash Plan
• Wellbeing Employee Assistant Programme
• Pension Scheme
• Eye Care Vouchers
• Long Service Award
• Season Ticket Loan
• Occupational Health Service