Senior Costing Engineer- Capital Projects (Mining & Chemical Processing)

JAC Recruitment; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

JAC Recruitment is seeking a Senior Costing Engineer for a leading rare earth producer in Malaysia. You will develop and maintain CAPEX and OPEX estimates, budgets, forecasts, and cost reports across the full project lifecycle, partnering with engineering, procurement, construction, and finance teams.

You will provide cost analysis, commercial insights, forecasting, benchmarking, and data-driven recommendations to support investment approvals, change control, and governance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Cost Engineering, Construction Management, Finance, Project Management, or related discipline.
• Experience in Cost Engineering, Cost Estimating, Cost Control, Project Controls, or Project Commercial roles within capital project environments.
• Experience within mining, resources, rare earths, chemical processing, oil & gas, petrochemical, EPC, EPCM, power, or heavy industrial industries is highly preferred.
• Proven experience preparing and reviewing CAPEX and OPEX estimates for major industrial projects.
• Strong understanding of cost estimating methodologies, cost control principles, forecasting techniques, earned value management (EVM), and project controls practices.
• Experience supporting feasibility studies, business case development, project execution, and investment approval processes.
• Ability to prepare executive-level cost reports, project dashboards, and management presentations.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and cost management systems.
• Experience with Primavera P6, SAP, EcoSys, Oracle, Cleopatra Enterprise, Aspen Capital Cost Estimator (ACCE), or equivalent tools will be an added advantage.
• Strong analytical, stakeholder management, commercial acumen, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Responsibilities

• Develop, prepare, and maintain capital cost estimates (CAPEX), operating cost estimates (OPEX), project budgets, and cost models across various project stages.
• Support feasibility studies, business cases, concept selection, and project development activities through accurate cost estimation and financial analysis.
• Review engineering deliverables, material take-offs (MTOs), vendor quotations, and contractor submissions to develop comprehensive project cost estimates.
• Prepare estimate basis documents, cost breakdown structures (CBS), cost databases, and benchmarking analyses.
• Perform cost benchmarking using historical project data, industry indices, and market intelligence to validate estimate accuracy.
• Support project investment approvals by providing reliable cost forecasts and commercial recommendations.

Skills

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Commercial acumen

Problem solving

English communication

Education

Bachelor's in Eng

Tools

Primavera P6

SAP

EcoSys

Oracle

Cleopatra Enterprise

ACCE

Job description

About The Company

A leading rare earth materials producer is seeking a

A leading rare earth materials producer is seeking a Senior Costing Engineer to support the successful delivery of major capital projects within its Project Management Office (PMO). This role will be responsible for developing and maintaining project cost estimates, budgets, forecasts, and cost performance reporting across the full project lifecycle. The successful candidate will play a key role in providing cost analysis, commercial insights, forecasting, benchmarking, and project controls support to ensure projects are delivered safely, efficiently, and within approved budget parameters. Working closely with engineering, procurement, construction, project management, and finance teams, this position will contribute to project planning, governance, and decision-making through accurate cost management and data-driven recommendations.

Responsibilities

Cost Estimation & Budget Development

• Develop, prepare, and maintain capital cost estimates (CAPEX), operating cost estimates (OPEX), project budgets, and cost models across various project stages.
• Support feasibility studies, business cases, concept selection, and project development activities through accurate cost estimation and financial analysis.
• Review engineering deliverables, material take-offs (MTOs), vendor quotations, and contractor submissions to develop comprehensive project cost estimates.
• Prepare estimate basis documents, cost breakdown structures (CBS), cost databases, and benchmarking analyses.
• Perform cost benchmarking using historical project data, industry indices, and market intelligence to validate estimate accuracy.
• Support project investment approvals by providing reliable cost forecasts and commercial recommendations.

Cost Control & Forecasting

• Monitor project expenditure against approved budgets and investigate cost variances, trends, and forecast deviations.
• Develop and maintain Estimate at Completion (EAC), Estimate to Complete (ETC), cash flow forecasts, and project cost reports.
• Perform cost trending, sensitivity analysis, and forecasting to identify financial risks and opportunities.
• Support earned value management (EVM) and project performance measurement activities.
• Assess the cost impact of project changes, scope variations, claims, and commercial risks.
• Recommend corrective actions and mitigation strategies to maintain cost performance objectives.

Project Controls & Reporting

• Prepare weekly and monthly cost reports, dashboards, KPIs, and management presentations for project stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain cash flow forecasts, commitment registers, cost curves, and financial performance metrics.
• Collaborate with Project Managers, Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Finance teams to ensure alignment of cost and project objectives.
• Support project governance processes, stage-gate reviews, investment approvals, and project control activities.
• Maintain accurate cost records, supporting documentation, and audit trails in accordance with company standards.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives within cost engineering, estimating, budgeting, and project controls processes.

Stakeholder Coordination & Commercial Support

• Coordinate with internal teams, contractors, consultants, and suppliers on cost-related matters throughout the project lifecycle.
• Support tender evaluations, bid assessments, and contractor cost reviews to ensure commercial competitiveness and cost efficiency.
• Assist in the evaluation of contract variations, claims, and change requests from a cost engineering perspective.
• Provide cost engineering expertise during project reviews, risk assessments, and investment decision-making processes.
• Support the development and implementation of cost management standards, procedures, and best practices within the PMO.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Cost Engineering, Construction Management, Finance, Project Management, or a related discipline.
• Experience in Cost Engineering, Cost Estimating, Cost Control, Project Controls, or Project Commercial roles within capital project environments.
• Experience within mining, resources, rare earths, chemical processing, oil & gas, petrochemical, EPC, EPCM, power, or heavy industrial industries is highly preferred.
• Proven experience preparing and reviewing CAPEX and OPEX estimates for major industrial projects.
• Strong understanding of cost estimating methodologies, cost control principles, forecasting techniques, earned value management (EVM), and project controls practices.
• Experience supporting feasibility studies, business case development, project execution, and investment approval processes.
• Ability to prepare executive-level cost reports, project dashboards, and management presentations.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and cost management systems.
• Experience with Primavera P6, SAP, EcoSys, Oracle, Cleopatra Enterprise, Aspen Capital Cost Estimator (ACCE), or equivalent tools will be an added advantage.
• Strong analytical, stakeholder management, commercial acumen, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Desirable

• AACE International Certification (CCP, CEP, EVP or equivalent).
• Professional Engineer (PE) registration or equivalent professional accreditation.
• Experience in owner-operator project environments.
• Knowledge of project governance, investment evaluation, and capital project management frameworks.
• Exposure to both greenfield and brownfield project developments.

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