Cost Engineer

American Society of Civil Engineers; Reading; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

The American Society of Civil Engineers is seeking an experienced Cost Engineer to join a major UK nuclear project near Reading. This contract role focuses on developing, managing, and reporting project costs with robust financial control throughout the lifecycle.

The position offers hybrid work with three days on site and two days remote. Key responsibilities include creating budgets, control accounts, and WBS dictionaries; monitoring accruals and forecasts; managing cost risk, change control,

Qualifications

• Significant experience in cost engineering, project controls, or quantity surveying within a complex engineering, construction, infrastructure, defence, or nuclear environment.
• Strong understanding of budgeting, cost control, forecasting, change management, and earned value analysis.
• Experience across the full project lifecycle from bid phase through to project close-out.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain project baseline budgets, Control Account Plans, Responsibility Assignment Matrices, and WBS dictionaries.
• Monitor, control, and validate project accruals, commitments, resource forecasts, and financial data.
• Manage cost risk budgets, contingency drawdown, and support wider project risk management activities.
• Control financial change management, ensuring alignment with contractual and business requirements.
• Produce internal and external cost reports, including Earned Value Management (EVM) and variance analysis.
• Maintain Estimates at Completion (EACs), support forecasting activities, and provide financial performance insights to project stakeholders.

Skills

Cost engineering

Project controls

Quantity surveying

Budgeting

Forecasting

Earned Value Analysis

Education

HNC in Cost Engineering or Quantity Surveying

Job description

Contract Cost Engineer (Inside IR35) | Nuclear Sector | Reading | £70.68/hr Umbrella

We're recruiting for an experienced Cost Engineer to support a major project within the UK nuclear industry. This is an immediate-start contract opportunity based near Reading, working on a hybrid basis with 3 days per week on site and 2 days remote.

The successful candidate will play a key role in the development, management, and reporting of project costs, ensuring robust financial control throughout the project lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain project baseline budgets, Control Account Plans, Responsibility Assignment Matrices, and WBS dictionaries.
• Monitor, control, and validate project accruals, commitments, resource forecasts, and financial data.
• Manage cost risk budgets, contingency drawdown, and support wider project risk management activities.
• Control financial change management, ensuring alignment with contractual and business requirements.
• Produce internal and external cost reports, including Earned Value Management (EVM) and variance analysis.
• Maintain Estimates at Completion (EACs), support forecasting activities, and provide financial performance insights to project stakeholders.

Requirements

• Significant experience in cost engineering, project controls, or quantity surveying within a complex engineering, construction, infrastructure, defence, or nuclear environment.
• Strong understanding of budgeting, cost control, forecasting, change management, and earned value analysis.
• Experience across the full project lifecycle from bid phase through to project close-out.
• HNC (or equivalent) in Cost Engineering, Quantity Surveying, or a related discipline.
• Professional membership or qualification (e.g. APM, AcostE, RICS) highly desirable.
• Advanced knowledge of EVM and project cost management methodologies.

Contract Details

• Location: Reading
• Duration: 26 weeks
• Rate: £70.68/hr Umbrella
• Per Diem: £100/day Umbrella for site days where home address is more than 30 miles from site
• Hybrid Working: 3 days onsite
• Start: ASAP, subject to clearance

Security Requirements

Candidates must be eligible for SC Clearance and have lived and worked in the UK continuously for the last 5 years. Applicants may start on BPSS clearance providing SC clearance is in progress. A valid CSCS/ECS card is required prior to commencement.