Cost Control Manager, Mission Critical

ARCO Design/Build; United States; Remote; USD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

ARCO Design/Build is seeking a Cost Manager to oversee cost management and financial controls for complex construction projects from preconstruction through closeout. You will partner with project leaders, finance, subcontractors, and clients to establish budgets, monitor performance, forecast final costs, identify risks, and support sound decisions.

Strong cost-control experience and translating financial data into actionable guidance are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in CM, Eng, Finance or related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Five+ years of experience in construction cost control, project controls, or related field.
• Experience with Procore required.
• Experience with complex construction projects (design-build, EPC, infrastructure, data centers, etc.).
• Strong understanding of budgets, forecasting, change management, and project financial reporting.
• Ability to interpret contracts, drawings, schedules, and cost information.
• Advanced Excel and cost-control system proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain project budgets, cost codes, work breakdown structures, and cost-control procedures.
• Track commitments, actuals, accruals, and projections.
• Prepare monthly cost reports, forecasts, and estimates at completion.
• Analyze variances, trends, risks, and project profitability.
• Identify cost risks and advise leadership on corrective actions.
• Support cost-to-complete analysis and financial decision-making.
• Review data for accuracy and proper period accounting.
• Coordinate cost information with schedules and progress metrics.
• Assist in earned-value reporting and performance analysis.
• Prepare dashboards and executive-level cost reports.

Skills

Cost control & budgeting

Financial analysis

Stakeholder communication

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management/Engineering/Finance

Tools

Procore

Excel

ERP systems

Cost management software

Job description

Atlanta, GA, US; Birmingham, AL, US; Chicago, IL, US; Indianapolis, IN, US; Nashville, TN, US

WHY ARCO

Ready to experience a better way to build your career?

ARCO hires only the best and brightest dedicated to providing our clients with superior solutions, cultivating our award-winning workplace culture, and driving success at all levels of the business.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Cost Manager will oversee project cost management and financial controls for complex construction projects from preconstruction through closeout. This role will partner closely with Project Managers, Superintendents, Preconstruction, Finance, subcontractors, vendors, and clients to establish budgets, monitor performance, forecast final costs, identify risks, and support sound project decisions.

The ideal candidate has strong construction cost-control experience and can translate financial information into clear, actionable guidance for project leadership.

A DAY IN THE LIFE

COST MANAGEMENT AND FORECASTING

• Establish and maintain project budgets, cost codes, work breakdown structures, and cost-control procedures.
• Track commitments, actual costs, accruals, and projected expenditures.
• Prepare monthly cost reports, forecasts, cash-flow projections, and estimates at completion.
• Analyze budget-to-actual performance, cost variances, trends, exposures, and project profitability.
• Identify cost risks early and recommend corrective actions to project leadership.
• Support project teams with cost-to-complete analysis and financial decision-making.
• Review project financial data for accuracy, completeness, and proper period accounting.

PROJECT CONTROLS AND REPORTING

• Manage project-control processes for cost, schedule, procurement, and reporting.
• Coordinate cost information with project schedules and progress measurement.
• Support earned-value reporting, productivity tracking, and performance analysis where applicable.
• Prepare dashboards, presentations, and executive-level reports for internal and external stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate project documentation and reporting records.
• Provide timely updates on financial performance, risks, opportunities, and required decisions.

BILLING AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT

• Review subcontractor payment applications, invoices, commitments, and supporting documentation for accuracy and compliance with contract terms.
• Coordinate with Project Managers, Superintendents, Finance, and subcontractors to resolve billing discrepancies and maintain timely payment processing.
• Track potential and approved changes, including scope, pricing, schedule, and risk impacts.
• Evaluate change-order documentation and confirm approved changes are incorporated into project budgets, forecasts, commitments, and cost reports.
• Support subcontract buyout, contract administration, claims documentation, and change-order negotiations as needed.
• Maintain accurate billing and change-management records throughout the project lifecycle.

NECESSARY QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Five or more years of experience in construction cost control, project controls, project accounting, commercial management, or a related function.
• Experience with Procore required
• Experience with general contracting, design-build, EPC, infrastructure, industrial, data center, or other complex construction projects.
• Strong understanding of construction budgets, forecasting, subcontractor costs, change management, commitments, accruals, and project financial reporting.
• Ability to interpret construction contracts, drawings, specifications, schedules, and cost information.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with construction ERP, project-management, or cost-control systems.

MAKE YOUR MOVE

We are proud to be one of the fastest-growing, privately-owned companies in America, celebrating over 30 years of experience as design-build experts. We have completed over 7,500 design-build projects nationwide. We ranked #9 on ENR’s Design-Build Firms list and #34 on ENR's Top 400 Contractors list of 2026. Most importantly, our clients like us, trust us, and want to do business with us. We are looking for people with the same enthusiasm, passion, and respect for the hard work that brought us to where we are today. Are you a person who can make a difference at ARCO? If the answer is “Yes!” we look forward to meeting you.

ARCO does not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third-party recruiting agencies without pre-approval from ARCO’s Human Resources team. Pre-approval is required before any external candidate can be submitted. ARCO will not be responsible for fees related to unsolicited resumes and for candidates who are sent directly to our hiring managers. Agencies must have a fully executed vendor agreement in place as well as written approval to submit candidates from an ARCO TA Manager for a specific position before submitting candidates.

As set forth in ARCO Design/Build’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.