Construction Cost Engineer (Project Engineer I)

Gilbane Building; New Florence (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Gilbane University training programs

Profit-sharing/401k

Job summary

Gilbane Building seeks a Construction Cost Engineer - Project Engineer I (Data Center) to support cost management, change management, forecasting, and financial controls on large-scale data center projects. You will work with project managers, superintendents, and cost managers to ensure accurate cost information throughout the project lifecycle.

The ideal candidate combines practical construction knowledge with financial accountability, ownership of change-management tasks, and proactive

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent industry experience.
• 3-7 years of construction cost engineering/controls experience.
• Strong understanding of commercial construction processes and field operations.
• Ability to read drawings and specs to assess cost impacts.
• Knowledge of cost tracking, forecasting, and change management.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Support identification, tracking, evaluation, and execution of project change events.
• Manage change requests from identification through pricing review and documentation.
• Coordinate with project leaders to collect and validate change documentation.
• Assist in preparing owner and subcontract change orders.
• Maintain change logs, trend logs, and project documentation.
• Track costs, commitments, forecasts, and financial risks.
• Support monthly cost forecasting and project controls activities.
• Analyze cost trends and variances requiring management attention.
• Review subcontractor pricing and quantity impacts.
• Review drawings and field conditions for cost impacts.
• Utilize project management systems to manage change workflows.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem-solving

Communication

Teamwork

Microsoft Office

Cost engineering

Construction knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Building Construction, or related field

Equivalent industry experience

Tools

Clearstory

Job description

Overview

Are you looking for a highly rewarding opportunity that provides extensive career growth opportunities? Gilbane is seeking a

Overview

Are you looking for a highly rewarding opportunity that provides extensive career growth opportunities? Gilbane is seeking a Construction Cost Engineer - Project Engineer I (Data Center) to support project cost management, change management, forecasting, and financial controls on large-scale mission critical construction projects. Working directly with Project Managers, Superintendents, Cost Managers, and project teams, this position is responsible for supporting the identification, evaluation, tracking, and execution of project change events while helping maintain accurate project financial performance throughout the project lifecycle. Unlike a traditional Project Engineer role focused primarily on field coordination or document control, the Cost Engineer is dedicated to supporting project financial performance through proactive change management, cost validation, forecasting, reporting, and stakeholder coordination. This role serves as a critical partner to both project leadership and field teams in maintaining accurate cost controls and financial accountability.

Who are we?

As a Top-10 ENR Contractor, Gilbane is a family-owned business with 45 offices that has been shaping communities since 1870. Consistently recognized as one of the most reputable construction management firms in the country, Gilbane is committed to delivering projects safely and on-time. You will have the opportunity to build schools, labs, hospitals, corporate offices, sports arenas and more! We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Who are you?

You are a detail-oriented construction professional with strong analytical and problem-solving skills. You understand how projects are built and can connect field conditions, construction scope, and project execution activities to financial outcomes. You are comfortable reviewing drawings, specifications, changes in scope, and subcontractor pricing to help determine cost impacts and support decision-making. You collaborate effectively with Project Managers, Superintendents, subcontractors, and clients while maintaining accountability for timely, accurate, and well-documented project cost information. You take ownership of assigned tasks and proactively drive issues to resolution rather than simply tracking or forwarding information. Your core values match Gilbane's: Integrity, Caring, Teamwork, Toughmindedness, Dedication to Excellence, Discipline, Loyalty, and Entrepreneurship.

What’s in it for you?

Gilbane offers employees multi-dimensional training opportunities through a number of resources. While managing your responsibilities on the project, you will be able to enroll in training programs through our award-winning Gilbane University to build leadership and technical skills. You will work alongside experienced Cost Managers, Project Managers, and Project Executives supporting some of the industry's most complex mission critical projects. This role provides a defined growth path into advanced cost management, project controls, and construction management leadership positions.

Responsibilities

• Support identification, tracking, evaluation, and execution of project change events.
• Manage change requests from initial identification through pricing review, approval, documentation, and implementation.
• Coordinate with Project Managers, Superintendents, subcontractors, and project stakeholders to collect and validate change documentation.
• Assist in preparing and packaging owner change order requests and subcontract change orders.
• Maintain complete change logs, trend logs, and supporting project documentation.
• Track project costs, commitments, forecasts, and potential financial risks.
• Support monthly cost forecasting, financial reporting, and project controls activities.
• Analyze project cost trends and identify variances requiring management attention.
• Review and validate subcontractor pricing, quantity impacts, labor productivity assumptions, and add/deduct cost proposals.
• Review drawings, specifications, installed work, and field conditions to determine cost impacts associated with project changes.
• Utilize Clearstory and other project management systems to manage change workflows and project cost documentation.
• Support GMP development, project budgeting, cost modeling, and financial planning activities.
• Generate reports and dashboards supporting project financial performance and forecasting efforts.
• Partner with field and project leadership to identify cost exposures, scope gaps, and change-related risks.

The ideal candidate brings a combination of practical construction knowledge and financial accountability. They understand how work is built in the field and can effectively evaluate the cost impacts of changing conditions. They demonstrate ownership of assigned change-management activities, contribute to accurate forecasting efforts, and support project teams by providing timely and reliable cost information.

Experience/Education

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Building Construction, or related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• 3-7 years of construction industry experience with increasing responsibility in project engineering, cost engineering, project controls, project management, or related functions.
• Strong understanding of commercial construction processes and field operations.
• Ability to read and interpret construction drawings and specifications.
• Knowledge of project cost tracking, forecasting, and change-management principles.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong technical and communication skills are critical
• Ability to work in a team environment
• Knowledge of industry standard software, Microsoft Office (preferred)
• Ability to evaluate pricing assumptions and understand financial impacts associated with project changes.

Salary to be determined based on factors such as geographic location, skills, education, and/or experience of the applicant, as well as the internal equity and alignment with the team. Gilbane offers an excellent total compensation package which includes competitive health and welfare benefits and a generous profit-sharing/401k plan. We invest in our employees’ education and have built Gilbane University into a top training organization in the construction industry. Qualified applicants who are offered a position must pass a pre-employment substance abuse test.

Gilbane is an Affir… . Click here to view the physical demands and working conditions required to perform this role. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.