Project Controls Cost Manager

AtkinsRéalis; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Competitive salary

Training & development

Job summary

AtkinsRéalis is seeking an experienced Project Controls Manager in the UK to lead cost management, forecasting and governance across a major infrastructure programme. You will collaborate with the programme, commercial, finance and planning teams to ensure accurate cost information and robust controls.

The role requires strong leadership and communication skills, with experience in capital investment planning and stage-gate approvals.

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience in cost management and project controls on high-value infrastructure programmes.
• Strong understanding of capital investment planning, forecasting, and cost reporting.
• Ability to create and maintain baselines, cost breakdown structures and control accounts.
• Experience translating cost data into clear governance insights for senior stakeholders.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams including programme, commercial, finance and planning.
• Experience supporting investment approvals and funding submissions within a governance framework.
• Relevant professional qualifications or equivalent practical experience in cost management or project controls.

Responsibilities

• Support the Senior Manager in developing, controlling, and managing capital investment plans for major infrastructure programmes.
• Lead day-to-day cost management including planning, tracking, forecasting and reporting across the programme lifecycle.
• Establish and maintain cost control processes, baselines, and cost reporting for governance and decision-making.
• Monitor commitments, actuals, accruals, forecasts and final cost projections with clear insights.
• Collaborate with programme, commercial, finance, planning, risk and change teams for integrated controls.
• Prepare data and analyses to support stage-gate, investment, and funding approvals.

Skills

Cost management

Project controls

Capital investment planning

Forecasting

Risk management

Leadership

Communication

Education

APM qualification

RICS membership

CEng or equivalent

Job description

Take our vision into the future.You might know us for the great work we do across our wide variety of projects. We're proud to say it's thanks to our people's diversity of thought, expertise and knowledge. And when you join us, you'll be a part of this genuinely collaborative environment, where everyone's voice is valued and treated equally. We're passionate about what we do, but we don't take ourselves too seriously. Simply put, this a great place to be. So, when it comes to your life outside of work, ask us about our flexible and remote working policies designed to help you get the most out of life. We are seeking an experienced Project Controls Manager with strong project management, planning, scheduling, cost management, and risk management skills. The ideal candidate will have excellent leadership and communication abilities.

Overview

Take our vision into the future.You might know us for the great work we do across our wide variety of projects. We're proud to say it's thanks to our people's diversity of thought, expertise and knowledge. And when you join us, you'll be a part of this genuinely collaborative environment, where everyone's voice is valued and treated equally. We're passionate about what we do, but we don't take ourselves too seriously. Simply put, this a great place to be. So, when it comes to your life outside of work, ask us about our flexible and remote working policies designed to help you get the most out of life. We are seeking an experienced Project Controls Manager with strong project management, planning, scheduling, cost management, and risk management skills. The ideal candidate will have excellent leadership and communication abilities.

Your role

• Support the Senior Manager in the development, control and management of capital investment plans for a major complex infrastructure programme.
• Lead the day-to-day cost management of pre-development funding, ensuring robust cost planning, tracking, forecasting and reporting across the programme lifecycle.
• Establish and maintain cost control processes, baselines, cost breakdown structures and reporting outputs to support effective governance and decision-making.
• Monitor commitments, actuals, accruals, forecasts and anticipated final cost, providing clear insight into current and projected cost performance.
• Work closely with programme, commercial, finance, planning, risk and change teams to ensure cost information is aligned, accurate and forms part of an integrated project controls approach.
• Support stage-gate, investment and funding approvals by preparing reliable cost data, variance analysis, cashflow forecasts and evidence-based recommendations.
• Identify cost trends, risks, change impacts and funding pressures early, supporting the development of mitigation actions and maintaining confidence in the programme's cost position.

About You

• Demonstrable experience in cost management, cost control or project controls on high-value, complex infrastructure programmes, ideally within regulated or operationally complex sectors such as aviation, industrial, pharmaceutical, defence, utilities or transport.
• Strong understanding of capital investment planning, pre-development funding, cost forecasting, cost reporting, cashflow profiling, commitments, accruals and anticipated final cost.
• Experience developing and maintaining cost baselines, cost breakdown structures, control accounts and cost reports that support programme governance and senior-level decision-making.
• Ability to analyse cost performance, identify variances and trends, and translate complex cost data into clear, actionable insight for client and programme stakeholders.
• Good working knowledge of integrated project controls, including the relationship between cost, schedule, risk, change, contingency and performance reporting.
• Experience supporting investment approvals, business cases, stage-gate reviews or funding submissions within a structured governance environment.
• Relevant professional qualification or equivalent experience, such as APM, ACostE, RICS, CEng, Project Controls, Quantity Surveying or Cost Management background.

Rewards & benefits

Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive – at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards and a brilliant range of benefits you can tailor to suit your own health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle choices. Make the most of a myriad of opportunities for training and professional development to grow your skills and expertise. And combine our hybrid working culture and flexible holiday allowances to balance a great job and fulfilling personal life.

Rewards and benefits – Careers at AtkinsRéalis

About AtkinsRéalis

We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.

Find out more.

Additional information

Security clearance

This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary, it will be discussed with you at interview. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require candidates to provide proof of residency in the UK of 5 years or longer. If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.

We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they belong - a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop to be the best we can be.

So, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee resource groups to support all employees.

As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to offering an interview to all applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria.

If you would like to be considered under this commitment, please let us know at the application stage.