Cost Lead - Energy & Utilities

Mace; Warwick; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Mace, a leading construction and consultancy firm, is seeking a Senior Cost Manager to lead cost engineering activities across major projects in the UK. You will develop and maintain cost estimates, budgets, and cash-flow profiles aligned with project scope and schedule.

You will monitor costs, provide variance analysis, produce reports for leadership and stakeholders, and drive continuous improvement in cost processes through automation and governance alignment with WBS and CBS.

Qualifications

• Membership of RICS, CIOB, APM, ICE or equivalent.
• Extensive experience delivering projects in a regulated infrastructure environment.
• Deep property or infrastructure project management expertise.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen.
• Leadership and management experience of large, diverse teams.
• Experience managing relationships with key senior stakeholders.
• Knowledge of how carbon and sustainability considerations will shape project outlooks.

Responsibilities

• Lead cost leadership across project governance, processes and standards.
• Develop and maintain cost estimates, budgets, forecasts and cash-flow profiles aligned with project scope and schedule.
• Monitor actual costs, commitments and accruals against the approved baseline with variance/root-cause analysis.
• Produce timely cost reports and performance updates for project teams and stakeholders.
• Ensure effective alignment between WBS, CBS, schedule and cost management systems.
• Support the implementation of Earned Value Management to assess cost and schedule performance.
• Identify cost risks and contingency forecasts with the Risk team.
• Lead cost impact assessments for proposed changes, including funding requests and baseline updates.
• Provide cost leadership during baseline development and re-baselining activities.
• Maintain project information within approved cost management systems with audit trails.
• Investigate cost anomalies or process gaps and ensure compliance.
• Provide specialist advice to Project Managers and delivery teams.
• Improve and automate cost management and reporting processes.

Skills

Cost management

Forecasting

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Risk analysis

Process improvement

Data analysis

Tools

ERP systems

Earned Value Management (EVM) tools

Excel advanced

Job description

Mace combines construction expertise with consultancy to unlock potential in every person or project and redefine the boundaries of ambition. Our values shape the way we consult and define the people we want to join us on our journey.

Please note: The candidate must have a right to work in the UK without Visa sponsorship and expected to be on site or in office 2-3 days a week in London or Warwick.

You’ll Be Responsible For

• Cost leadership: Managing cost engineering and cost control activities, ensuring consistent application of project governance, processes and standards.
• Estimating and forecasting: Develop and maintain accurate cost estimates, budgets, forecasts and cash-flow profiles aligned with project scope and schedule.
• Cost performance: Monitor actual costs, commitments and accruals against the approved baseline, providing variance, trend and root cause analysis.
• Reporting: Produce timely and accurate cost reports and performance updates for project teams, leadership and key stakeholders.
• Integrated controls: Ensure effective alignment between the Work Breakdown Structure, Cost Breakdown Structure, schedule and cost management systems.
• Earned value management: Support the implementation of Earned Value Management to assess and communicate project cost and schedule performance.
• Risk and contingency: Work with the Risk team to identify cost risks and opportunities, interpret Quantitative Cost Risk Analysis outputs and maintain appropriate contingency forecasts.
• Change control: Lead cost impact assessments for proposed changes, including funding requests, baseline updates, contingency drawdowns and revised forecasts.
• Baseline management: Provide cost leadership and assurance during project baseline development and re-baselining activities.
• Systems and data: Maintain project information within approved cost management systems, ensuring accuracy, traceability and a complete audit trail.
• Governance and assurance: Investigate cost anomalies or process gaps and ensure procedures, templates and records remain accurate and compliant.
• Stakeholder management: Provide specialist advice, challenge and guidance to Project Managers, delivery teams and internal and external stakeholders.
• Continuous improvement: Improve and automate cost management and reporting processes, reducing reliance on manual spreadsheets where appropriate.

You’ll Need To Have

• Membership of RICS, CIOB, APM, ICE or equivalent demonstrable professional or personal development.
• Extensive experience in the successful delivery phase of projects and programmes in a regulated infrastructure environment ideally Energy and Utilities.
• Deep property or infrastructure project management expertise.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen.
• Leadership and management experience of large, diverse teams.
• Experience of managing relationships with key senior stakeholders.
• Knowledge of how carbon and sustainability considerations will shape the outlook of the projects you are working on

Our values

Safety first - Going home safe and well: We champion a safe, diverse and inclusive working environment, understanding the importance of wellbeing in every team.

Client focus - Deliver on our promise: We own the quality of deliverables, strategic outcomes and build long term relationships with our clients.

Integrity - Always do the right thing: We influence positive outcomes within our industry, while always aligning with our compliance obligations.

Create opportunity - For our people to excel: We champion a continuous improvement culture throughout all activities, inspiring our people and teams to develop.

Mace is an inclusive employer and welcomes interest from a diverse range of candidates.

We are also open to discussing part time, flexible, and hybrid working options if suitable with-in the role.