Senior Cost Specialist

Millbank Holdings; Burghfield; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Millbank Holdings is seeking a Cost Engineer to join a growing project controls function supporting major nuclear and infrastructure programmes in the UK. You will establish and maintain budgets, control costs and forecasts, manage change and risk budgets, and provide financial performance reporting to stakeholders.

Based within a professional project controls team, you will work across the full lifecycle from bid phase through to project close out, delivering robust cost management and

Qualifications

• Experience in budgeting and cost control within a complex project environment.
• Strong understanding of project cost management principles and methodologies.
• Experience producing financial performance reporting and cost forecasting.
• Knowledge of change control, risk management and contingency management processes.
• Experience supporting projects throughout the full project lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain project baseline budgets and control account plans.
• Monitor and validate accruals, commitments and resource forecasts.
• Manage cost risk budgets, contingencies and drawdown activities.
• Administer and control financial change management processes.
• Produce internal and external cost reports including EVM and variance analysis.
• Support forecasting, EAC and outturn cost reporting.
• Contribute to risk identification and cost risk analysis.
• Maintain CBS, responsibility matrices and cost systems.
• Support initiation, bid activities and commercial management functions.
• Act as interface between project teams, finance and clients on cost matters.

Skills

Budgeting and cost control

Earned Value Management (EVM)

Cost forecasting

Change control

Risk management

Cost reporting

Contract management knowledge

Cost engineering

ERP and project controls systems

Nuclear/defence project exposure

Education

HNC in Cost Engineering or equivalent

ECITB Level 5 Diploma in Cost Engineering

Professional membership (ACostE/APM/RICS)

Job description

Do you have extensive experience in cost engineering, budgeting, forecasting, Earned Value Management (EVM), and cost control within complex engineering, infrastructure, defence, or nuclear projects? Have you managed project cost baselines, change control, risk and contingency budgets, and financial performance reporting throughout the full project lifecycle from bid phase through to project close out? Would you like to play a key role in the successful delivery of some of the UK's most important nuclear projects, influencing project performance through robust cost management and project controls expertise?

The Opportunity

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Cost Engineer to join a growing project controls function supporting major nuclear and infrastructure programmes. This role has been created to strengthen project delivery capability and provide expert cost management support across complex projects throughout their lifecycle.

Working within a highly respected delivery organisation, you will be responsible for establishing and maintaining project budgets, controlling costs and forecasts, managing change and risk budgets, and providing financial performance reporting to internal and external stakeholders. This position offers exposure to major projects while working alongside experienced project controls, commercial and project management professionals.

Key benefits include involvement in nationally significant projects, opportunities for professional development, flexible working arrangements, and the opportunity to contribute directly to project success through robust cost management and governance.

Your duties and responsibilities will be:

• Develop, implement and maintain project baseline budgets and control account plans.
• Monitor, control and validate project accruals, commitments and resource forecasts.
• Manage project cost risk budgets, contingencies and associated drawdown activities.
• Administer and control project financial change management processes.
• Produce internal and external cost reports including Earned Value Management (EVM) and variance analysis.
• Support project forecasting, Estimates at Completion (EAC) and outturn cost reporting.
• Contribute to risk identification, cost risk analysis and opportunity management activities.
• Maintain Cost Breakdown Structures (CBS), responsibility matrices and project cost systems.
• Support project initiation, bid activities and commercial management functions.
• Act as a key interface between project teams, finance and clients on all cost and budget related matters.

You will have the following qualifications & experience:

• Extensive experience in budgeting and cost control within a complex project environment.
• Strong understanding of project cost management principles and methodologies.
• Experience producing financial performance reporting and cost forecasting.
• Knowledge of change control, risk management and contingency management processes.
• Experience supporting projects throughout the full project lifecycle.
• Understanding of contract management and commercial principles.
• HNC qualification (or equivalent) in Cost Engineering, Quantity Surveying or a related discipline.

It's great if you also have the following:

• Degree qualification in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management or similar discipline.
• ECITB QCF Level 5 Diploma (or equivalent) in Cost Engineering.
• Professional membership such as ACostE, APM or RICS.
• Advanced Earned Value Management (EVM) experience.
• Experience within nuclear, defence, infrastructure or highly regulated environments.
• Knowledge of NEC, FIDIC, JCT or similar contract forms.
• Quantitative risk analysis experience.
• Experience using ERP and project controls systems.

The setting for the role

This role is based within the Delivery Business Unit and offers flexible working arrangements. You will work as part of a professional project controls team supporting major projects and programmes, collaborating closely with Project Managers, Project Controls Managers, Finance teams, Commercial teams and Clients. The position provides opportunities to influence project performance through effective cost management, governance, reporting and risk based decision making across complex nuclear and infrastructure projects.

Millbank Holdings Ltd is an equal opportunities employer committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workforce. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals, regardless of background, and encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.

We are proud to be a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, and we are committed to ensuring an accessible and supportive recruitment process for everyone. If you require any adjustments at any stage, please let us know and we'll do our best to accommodate.

Millbank operates as both an Employment Agency and an Employment Business