Senior Cost Manager

AtkinsRéalis; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering services organization in Birmingham seeks a Senior Cost Manager to join their Complex Infrastructure team. This role involves delivering projects in the Energy and Infrastructure sectors, fostering client relationships, and ensuring high standards in cost management delivery. The ideal candidate has a degree in a construction or finance-related field, extensive leadership experience, and strong collaborative skills in building teams and driving business growth.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Competitive salary

Training and professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Proven track record supervising projects for Complex Infrastructure clients.
• Experience in a consultancy environment delivering exceptional projects.
• Ability to mentor and develop Assistant Cost Managers.

Responsibilities

• Support Cost Management capability and development of related software.
• Engage community of practice for technical excellence.
• Build sustainable relationships with clients.

Skills

Leadership skills

Technical expertise in Cost Management

Understanding of industry benchmarks

Collaborative behaviour

Education

Degree in construction or finance related field

Tools

Power-BI

PRISM

Oracle

Cobra

Job description

Overview

Shape a faster, smarter, safer future.

Become a vital member of our Project & Programme Services team, proudly taking on some of the world’s most exciting and prestigious projects. Join us, and you’ll be part of our genuinely collaborative environment, where everyone is supported to make the most of their talents. It’s about recognising everyone’s contributions equally while delivering excellence together.

Flexible and remote working are central to our culture, so talk to us about what’s important to you, from reduced weeks to buying more leave, and how we can make reasonable adjustments for you or support your ambitions outside of work.

Our awesome Complex Infrastructure team make the biggest, most complex and ambitious infrastructure projects happen. Whether it’s transforming the energy sector, forming the backbone of Britain’s transport network on High Speed 2, transforming how the railway works on East Coast Digital Programme, increasing our international connectivity on Heathrow Airport, or delivering safe and reliable journeys for National Highways and local government bodies, a career with us represents an opportunity to make a positive difference to the communities we serve and for future generations to come. And we do all of this whilst working with fun and passion.

Due to continued growth, we are looking for a Senior Cost Manager to join our Cost Management (Project Controls) team, who possesses strong and proven experience, notably for Energy and Infrastructure sectors, in our Midlands Complex Infrastructure team. The individual must be ambitious and wanting to progress within our Complex Infrastructure Business Unit. The role will involve delivering work with both existing and new clients and working with our Cost Management team to ensure our technical service offering is kept to the highest standard, whilst having a strong team working ethos and delivering in accordance with AtkinsRéalis’ digital aspirations.

You will play an integral part in supporting with delivering the business plan for this rapidly expanding team. You will innovate and foster a collaborative, professional and positive working environment along with delivering an appropriate cost management role.

This role provides you with the opportunity to support with team management, business growth, and working with internal and external partners across the entire business.

Specific Requirements include, but are not limited to, the following:

Responsibilities:

Reporting into the Cost Management leadership team, you will be responsible for building long term, sustainable relationships with both members of our own organisation, and wider Client base.

Your role

• Support our Cost Management capability including development and use of Power-BI, PRISM, Oracle, Cobra, Ecosys and other Cost Management related software.
• Engage our community of practice and support technical excellence, service innovation and development of our benchmarking capabilities.
• Unlock talent and develop next generation of leaders.
• Deliver excellent client service on our commissions through quality assurance and regular client care.
• Support and lead teams on project / technical delivery.

Strategic:

• Support with delivering the strategy for the Cost Management Service including identifying continuous development.
• Deliver an exceptional cost management service for multiple stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities for strategic recruitment and associated investments by the business, linked to the Complex Infrastructure business strategy.
• Ensure appropriate engagement with the wider AtkinsRéalis business, as determined by the strategy.
• Support with the development of a positive team ethos and continue to create opportunities for the team’s development.
• Continually monitor progress against targets, identify risks and provide solutions to achieve successful business outcomes.

Business Development:

• Support with the Cost Management business development activity.
• Opportunities to support Key Account Management activities.
• Monitor and manage Cost Management activity and associated expenditure within your remit.
• Support with generating high quality leadership material for business use.
• Engagement and understanding of internal business processes.
• Support key accounts to maximise our impact.

Project leadership:

• Having responsibility, under minimum supervision, delivering portfolios and projects.
• Be the ambassador for AtkinsRéalis, your profession and the professional institution to which you belong.
• Providing guidance and technical advice to different stakeholders, including effectively chairing meetings.
• Clear understanding of and competence in project commercial accountability.

Technical leadership:

• Actively broaden your experience and expertise in line with the core competencies.
• Have an up‑to‑date and developing knowledge of legal and technical matters relevant to the work you do, and the law of the region or country in which you practice.
• Participating in relevant internal/external training initiatives.
• Applying the concepts of quality assurance and environmental management.
• Managing the client relationship and service delivery.

Team building and management:

• Helping grows our service and sector‑focused teams.
• Provide leadership within a project delivery environment.
• Mentor and develop Assistant Cost Managers and Cost Managers within AtkinsRéalis.

Attributes:

• Proven track record to supervise projects for or on behalf of local or national Complex Infrastructure clients.
• Proven track record of working in a consultancy environment, delivering exceptional projects, and managing teams.
• Degree qualified in a construction or finance related field. Preferably with RICS, ICE, AACE, ACostE or similar.

About you

• Technical expertise in Cost Management services across complex infrastructure.
• An excellent understanding of industry benchmarks / best practices, Cost and Work Breakdown Structures, and methods of measurements (e.g. RMM, NRM, HWMM etc).
• Strong network within the energy and/or infrastructure sectors.
• Leadership skills necessary to direct and manage project teams.
• Evidence of service innovation, technical excellence, and exceptional service delivery.
• Proven technical skills to monitor, analyse, and control cost performance against set targets.
• Technical ability to challenge engineering teams and identify/cost efficient solutions.
• Collaborative behaviours and technical expertise to interface with wider project controls expertise including schedule logic and risk exposure.
• Awareness of the challenges and opportunities in the industry.
• Commercial, quantity surveying, and/or Finance skills, with full working knowledge of the construction industry, and an understanding of Standard Forms of Contract (NEC/FIDIC/JCT).
• Ability to develop and understand performance measurement of projects using Earned Value Management (EVM) and similar techniques.
• Major project/programmes work experience.

Reward & 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.

Be rewarded. Find out more.

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.

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