Cost Intelligence Manager

Cumming Group Infrastructure Ltd; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Cumming Group is seeking a cost management professional to support delivery of projects across our portfolio. You will work with the project team to prepare budgets, cost plans and client reports, while delivering data-driven insights to improve performance.

The role emphasizes collaboration, accuracy, and timely outputs. You will contribute to cost intelligence initiatives and help maintain internal cost databases and dashboards for clients.

Qualifications

• Ideally degree qualified in construction, cost management, engineering or quantity surveying.
• Working towards relevant qualification or experience.
• Good core technical skills and data handling abilities.
• Experience with cost estimating and benchmarking.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day delivery support for projects and take on tasks without supervision.
• Prepare budget estimates, cost plans, cost reports and client reports.
• Provide cost assurance services through data analysis, data cleansing, estimating and benchmarking.
• Maintain dashboard reports for external clients.
• Populate and submit accurate timesheets weekly.
• Support and mentor team members to enable growth of the business.

Skills

Diplomacy

Time management

Team player

Independent

Integrity

Data analysis

Cost intelligence

Excel

MS 365

Education

RICS-accredited degree

Degree in construction/cost mgmt/engineer

Tools

Excel

Cost databases

Measurement systems

Job description

Cumming Group is an international project and cost management consultancy delivering innovative solutions in construction, real estate, and infrastructure. With a commitment to collaboration, transparency, and performance excellence, we support some of the world’s most respected clients across diverse range of sectors.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Provide day - to - day delivery support for projects and demonstrate the ability to take on tasks without supervision.
• Strengthen our service delivery capability and promote knowledge capture, sharing and innovation.
• Prepare budget estimates, cost plans, cost reports and client reports.
• Provide cost assurance services through data analysis, data cleansing, estimating and benchmarking.
• Preparation of cost and benchmark estimates.
• Preparation of cost rates, cost models and engineering definitions.
• Support the preparation of bespoke cost hierarchies, cost break downs and methods of measurements.
• Maintain dashboard reports for external clients.
• Provide input and assistance for data capture, storage, analysis and reporting.
• Cost database management and maintenance.
• Costing tools development.
• Support and maintain internal cost intelligence database systems.
• Monitor industry and economic cost trends and maintain index register.
• Deliver all work outputs in an accurate and timely manner to a high standard of quality.
• Support the implementation of strategic initiatives at service and sector level.
• Undertake service delivery in accordance with the policies and procedures of the business, particularly Health and Safety and Quality Assurance.
• Provide services in compliance with the client's corporate governance procedures where applicable.
• Achieve all objectives as required by the annual performance review process.
• Demonstrate a commitment to continuing professional development and continuous improvement.
• Work to deadlines set by the Project Team Leader.
• Ensuring filing of project correspondence is maintained in accordance with requirements.
• Assist in mentoring and supporting team members, ensuring that staff and new starters are developed to support the successful growth of the business and development of their career.
• Administer change control processes for the services we provide.
• Populate and submit accurate timesheets with useful descriptions weekly.

Knowledge & Skills Required:

• Can deal diplomatically with a wide range of stakeholders in a flexible environment, subject to change.
• Cope with demanding and changing timeframes.
• Good team worker able to contribute own thoughts and ideas.
• Able to work independently and provide progress updates.
• Dependable in high pressure situations.
• Passionate about adding value to cost intelligence services.
• Comfortable working with multiple sources of data and information.
• Driven to continuously improve and provide innovative solutions.
• Able to present information in a logical and intuitive format.
• Self-learner and able to share knowledge verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrate a high degree of integrity.
• Starting to prioritise and self-manage with ability to work in a high-pressure environment.
• Starting to manage conflicting priorities and organise workloads in conjunction with team.
• Provide support to the junior team members.
• Able to deliver results in a client facing role.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Ideally degree qualified: construction, cost management, engineering, quantity surveying or other RICS accredited degree.
• Working towards relevant qualification or experience.
• Good core technical skills.
• Highly motivated, conscientious and inquisitive.
• Good ability in handling and investigating data with an ability to identify trends, patterns and data anomalies.
• Objective, evidence-based decision-making skills.
• Developing interpersonal and team building skills.
• Good interpersonal skills with staff and developing interpersonal skills with clients.
• Good analytical skills, sound judgement and aptitude for forward planning.
• Energetic and motivated with natural drive and an innovative flair, resourcefulness and ability to adapt to change.
• An ability to think clearly and make reasoned decisions, explaining the logic employed.
• Good oral and written communication and developing presentation skills.
• Good knowledge of construction industry technical matters with circa 1 years plus post qualification experience.
• An awareness of construction contracts and best practice within the industry.
• Good IT skills including MS 365 with a good understanding of Excel and automating processes.
• Awareness and experience of cost estimating systems, project databases and measurement systems.
• Good skills & knowledge to enable review and validation of cost data.

Cumming Group is committed to creating a diverse workplace and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

All job applicants will receive equal treatment without regard to age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, “race” (includes nationality, national / ethnic origins, colour) marriage & civil partnership, pregnancy & maternity, gender reassignment, religion and belief.

Note for Recruitment Agencies: We prefer to hire directly, and we will be in touch with our PSL Agencies if this role is eligible for release.

At Cumming Group, we are passionate about helping our clients execute large-scale, complex projects on‑time and within budget. Our project and cost‑management services are specifically tailored to each client’s needs and add meaningful value at every step of a project’s development. Drawing on deep expertise in the communities and sectors we serve, we anticipate and solve problems, deliver solutions, and drive results. Since opening our doors in 1996, Cumming Group has grown to 50+ offices globally and is now home to more than 3,000+ team members – including many of the brightest minds in the industry. Learn more about what a great organisation we are here.

Cumming Group is committed to providing Equal Employment Opportunities through its personnel policies and practices. It is Cumming Group’s policy to recruit, hire, train and promote Team Members and applicants for employment without regard to age, sex, race (including colour, nationality, ethnicity or national origin), religion or belief, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, disability, being married or in a civil partnership, being pregnant or on maternity leave or any other protected characteristic under UK and European law. All such decisions are based on (1) individual merit, qualifications, and competence as they relate to the particular position, and (2) promotion of the principle of equal employment opportunity.