Project Cost Controller Manager - Defence

Turner & Townsend; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading project management company in London seeks a Cost Controller to deliver cost management services across high-profile Defence projects. You will collaborate with teams to implement budget control systems and provide timely cost information. The ideal candidate has a degree in a relevant field, experience in the Defence sector, and excellent stakeholder engagement skills. This role offers a hybrid working model.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Career development opportunities

Health and wellness programs

Qualifications

• Proven experience in cost control within large-scale infrastructure or Defence sector programmes.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain Cost Breakdown Structures (CBS).
• Experience in producing high-quality cost reports.

Responsibilities

• Work collaboratively with project delivery teams for cost control.
• Administer and maintain cost control systems for project budgets.
• Provide cost input for Change Requests and manage forecasts.

Skills

Cost management principles

Budgeting and forecasting

Stakeholder engagement

Microsoft Excel

Cost Breakdown Structures (CBS)

Education

Degree in relevant discipline

Membership of a recognized professional body

Tools

ECOSYS

PRISM

COBRA

Job description

Overview

About Turner & Townsend

In the UK, Turner & Townsend partners with a diverse portfolio of clients across sectors including Health, Local Government, Higher Education, Highways, Utilities, Rail, and Defence. This breadth of experience offers our people the opportunity to work on some of the most exciting and high-impact programmes in the country.

We are a Tier 1 supplier of Project and Programme Management Services to the UK Ministry of Defence and key strategic Defence suppliers. Our work plays a vital role in supporting national security while helping our clients achieve better, more resilient outcomes.

Role Overview and Purpose

We have an exciting opportunity for a Cost Controller (Project Controls Engineer Grade) to join our growing Defence South East team. You’ll play a key role in delivering cost control and performance management services across a portfolio of high-profile projects and programmes. This is a dynamic and rewarding role that offers you the opportunity to work at the forefront of UK Defence. As part of our award-winning Cost Control and Project Controls community, you’ll collaborate with experienced professionals, contribute to innovative solutions, and benefit from a strong network of knowledge-sharing and development opportunities.

There has never been a better time to advance your career in the Defence sector with Turner & Townsend - where your expertise will help shape the future of UK Defence.

Key Responsibilities

• Work collaboratively with project delivery teams as part of a wider cost control function, or independently with support from experienced cost professionals.
• Implement, administer, and maintain cost control systems and procedures to monitor project budgets, commitments, expenditures, and forecasts.
• Support the development and maintenance of a robust, integrated Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB) in collaboration with the Integrated Project Team, ensuring alignment with the change control process.
• Assist in the creation of Cost Breakdown Structures (CBS) and align time-phased budgets with the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to enable accurate cost tracking and control.
• Prepare accruals to ensure timely and accurate reflection of the Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP) in project cost data.
• Develop and maintain cost tracking tools as needed, and generate regular cost reports, including Earned Value Analysis (EVA) to assess project performance.
• Provide cost input to support the development of Change Requests, participate in change control boards, and integrate approved changes into the project baseline.
• Update project forecasts to maintain an accurate and comprehensive Estimate to Complete (ETC).
• Deliver timely and accurate cost information to support project status reporting, performance management, and informed decision-making by project leadership.

Working Location

Turner & Townsend recognises the importance of helping its employees harmonise their work and home life by offering hybrid working, that enable them to balance their working life with other priorities. The organisation anticipates you being on client sites or Turner & Townsend offices 60% of your time, but this may flex depending on client and business requirements. The office is not the only place work gets done, but it is increasingly important for teams to be stronger together by learning, collaborating, and creating amazing work together.

About you

We’re seeking individuals with a strong background in performance and reporting management, ideally gained within the Defence sector or a similarly complex and regulated environment. Just as important as your technical expertise is your desire to be part of a high-performing, collaborative team that’s committed to delivering world-class outcomes for our growing network of Defence clients.

Turner & Townsend is looking for the right people to join our team - if you do not fulfil 100% of the advert but think you can add value to our teams and clients please apply or reach out to the recruiter for a discussion.

Experience and Skills

• Proven experience in cost control and project controls within complex, large-scale infrastructure or Defence sector programmes.
• Strong understanding of cost management principles, including budgeting, forecasting, accruals, earned value management (EVM), and cost performance analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain Cost Breakdown Structures (CBS) and align them with Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) and project schedules.
• Experience producing high-quality cost reports and dashboards, with the ability to communicate complex financial data clearly to stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and leadership skills, with experience managing or mentoring junior cost professionals and working collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.
• Sector-specific experience in Defence or Nuclear industries, with an understanding of the regulatory, commercial, and security frameworks that govern these environments.
• Proven ability to build and maintain trusted advisor relationships with clients, contributing to long-term partnerships and repeat business.
• Experience coordinating contractors, consultants, and advisors across multiple, concurrent projects, ensuring alignment and delivery against programme objectives.
• Practical experience using Microsoft Excel and other MS Office applications for cost tracking, analysis, and reporting.
• Proficiency in Cost Management tools and software, such as ECOSYS, PRISM, COBRA or similar platforms.
• Awareness of how cost control integrates with other project controls disciplines, including scheduling, risk management, reporting, and change control-with the ability to collaborate effectively across these functions.

Desirable Experience

• Experience working with UK Government departments and agencies, particularly on complex infrastructure or capital investment programmes.
• Proven ability to lead and manage multidisciplinary project teams, fostering collaboration and delivering successful outcomes through strategic direction and influence.
• Broader project management expertise, including change management, stakeholder engagement, and governance across the project lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Must hold, or be eligible to obtain, UK Ministry of Defence Security Clearance (SC or higher); UK passport required.
• Degree qualified in a relevant technical, engineering, or management discipline, or possess equivalent professional qualifications and demonstrable experience in Cost Control.
• Membership of a recognised professional body such as the Association for Project Management (APM) or Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
• A UK driving license or the ability to travel to client sites across the region as required is essential.

Additional Information

Our inspired people share our vision and mission. We provide a great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change. We want our people to succeed both in work and life. To support this we promote a healthy, productive and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance. Turner & Townsend is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

Please find out more about us at Turner & Townsend.