Head of Cost

Mace; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading construction firm is seeking a Head of Cost to oversee financial analysis on a large defence project in London. The ideal candidate will have strong commercial acumen, advanced excel modelling skills, and experience with cost systems like PRISM and Power BI. This role involves integrating finance into the programme, preparing detailed reports, and leading a team of cost engineers. Flexible and hybrid working options are available.

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience understanding key financial and non-financial business drivers.
• Ability to lead process improvements and drive efficiencies.
• Skilled at delivering regular forecasting for stakeholders.
• Able to present complex issues in clear language.

Responsibilities

• Provide financial analysis on revenue to improve programme performance.
• Integrate finance into the programme with accurate information.
• Develop and maintain cost workbooks for financial tracking.
• Prepare monthly reports with financial and non-financial KPIs.

Skills

Strong commercial acumen

Advanced excel modelling

Excellent communication

Cost system experience

Proactive attitude

Tools

PRISM

Power BI

Job description

Overview

At Mace, our purpose is to redefine the boundaries of ambition. We believe in creating places that are responsible, bringing transformative impact to our people, communities and societies across the globe. To learn more about our purpose, culture, and priorities, visit our strategy site.

Within our business we harness our unique combination of leading-edge practical expertise and project delivery to unlock the potential in every project.

The project: A large defence capital works programme which, over 15 years, will contribute to the upgrade of the UK’s strategic defence capability.

Mace (in partnership with the client and other industry organisations) will establish and subsequently manage the programme management organisation overseeing the delivery of numerous complex and varied capital works projects.

Our values shape the way we consult, and define the people we want to join us on our journey, they are:

• Safety first - Going home safe and well
• Client focus - Deliver on our promise
• Integrity - Always do the right thing
• Create opportunity - For our people to excel

Responsibilities

The Head of Cost will work with the Programme Management Officer on behalf of the programme partner, liaising with a variety of stakeholders across the programme, reporting to the Head of PMO.

• Providing our business leaders with insightful financial analysis on revenue to improve programme performance and support decision making.
• Integrating finance into the programme by providing value through provision of quality, accurate information showing performance against plans with variance, identifying key drivers supported by analysis.
• Developing and maintaining cost workbooks containing actuals, forecast, current contract value and purchase order information.
• Challenging projects forecast, ensuring it is aligned to scope and schedule.
• Aligning EAC with our trend and change process.
• Developing control accounts across multiple projects.
• Ensuring CBS codes are maintained and aligned to scope.
• Managing an integrated team of cost engineers across multiple projects, ensuring all process is adhered to and best practise implemented.
• Maintaining a cost management plan, along with associated process maps and activity guides.
• Working within a Partnership to ensure standards are met across the programme.
• Preparing monthly reporting packs containing both financial and non-financial KPIs, and insightful commentary.
• Understanding of EVM and able to implement across projects.

Qualifications

• You’ll need to have: Strong commercial acumen, and demonstrable experience of understanding relationships between key financial and non-financial business drivers.
• The ability and drive to lead process improvements and drive efficiencies across ways of working.
• The ability to support in modelling, planning and packaging budget and forecasting decks for presentation to board level.
• The ability to support on delivery of regular forecasting for internal and external stakeholders.
• Able to maintain quality work and meet rigorous deadlines.
• Advanced excel modelling skills is a requisite.
• Good experience of cost systems, in particular PRISM and also Power BI.
• Ability to research, extract and understand relevant data.
• Excellent communicator, both written and verbal. Able to present complex issues in clear, simple language.
• Confidence and gravitas in collaborating with and challenging senior leadership.
• Understanding of contingency management and how this links to baselines.
• Proactive and self-starting attitude.

Additional

• You’ll also have: Passion driven - Sense of belonging, aligned to vision and programme ideology.
• Act inclusively, treating all with respect and driving diverse thinking - Open minded and act inclusively.
• Delivering excellence - Outcome driven, identifying opportunities.
• Integrity - Complimentary and collaborative.
• Embed and embrace culture of health, safety and wellbeing with safety at the heart of everything we do.
• Safeguarding and protecting the planet - Adopting a sustainable approach, making the right decisions to protect our world.
• Project-life balance - Happiness.
• Challenging the status quo in pursuit of a better future - Best in class and ahead of the curve, open to change.
• Value led approach - Driven by future needs, bringing a better solution.
• Ever evolving - Sustainable economically/people perspective.

Mace is an inclusive employer and welcomes interest from a diverse range of candidates. Even if you feel you do not fulfil all of the criteria, please apply as you may still be the best candidate for this role or another role within our organisation.

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