Cost Controls & Change Manager

Yates Construction; Hubbard (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Yates Construction seeks a Cost Controls/Change Manager to oversee budgeting, forecasting, tracking, and reporting for a data center megaproject. The role requires strong change management, construction estimation, and contract negotiation experience in mission-critical environments.

You will lead cross-functional cost control efforts, manage change orders, support design and field teams, and drive financial reporting to stakeholders. This is an on-site role in Hubbard, TX with occasional travel.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Finance, or related field preferred.
• 3–5 years of cost control, estimating, or financial analysis experience in data center or mission-critical facilities construction.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain the project’s financial plan and budget, tracking expenditures against approved budgets.
• Perform detailed cost analyses, forecasting, and reporting for budget status to leadership.
• Review and approve contractor progress billings and payment applications relative to construction status.
• Own end-to-end Change Control process and negotiate change orders with contractors to control costs.

Skills

Budgeting

Forecasting

Cost control

Vendor negotiation

Cost management software

Microsoft Excel

MS Project

PowerPoint

On-site construction

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management

Tools

Cost management software

Microsoft Excel

MS Project

PowerPoint

Job description

The Cost Controls/Change Manager is responsible for the overall project cost management, encompassing budgeting, forecasting, tracking, and reporting, and managing the entire change control process on a data center megaproject. This role requires a strong background in change management, construction estimation, and contract negotiation within the mission-critical or data center environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Cost Management and Control:
  • Develop, implement, and maintain the project's financial plan and budget, tracking expenditures against approved budgets.
  • Perform detailed cost analysis, forecasting, and reporting, providing regular updates on budget status to project leadership and stakeholders.
  • Review, verify, and approve contractor progress billings and payment applications, ensuring accuracy relative to actual construction status.
  • Assist in cash flow forecasting and processing of payment requests.
  • Leverage data visualization tools for financial modeling and reporting.
• Change Control and Risk Mitigation:
  • Own and lead the end-to-end Change Control process, ensuring all changes in scope or cost are properly documented, reviewed, and approved by the necessary parties.
  • Analyze and negotiate contractor change order requests, aiming to mitigate unnecessary cost and scope creep.
  • Maintain the project Change Order Log, providing transparent tracking of all potential and executed changes.
  • Work proactively with the design and construction teams to identify potential change drivers and implement mitigation strategies.
  • Manage and finalize contract processes and documents related to RFIs (Requests for Information) and change orders.
• Stakeholder Collaboration:
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Engineering, Procurement, Finance, Legal) to ensure commercial and financial outcomes align with strategic organizational objectives.
  • Serve as the key resource for cost reporting and cost management support for the project.
  • Build trusted relationships with external vendors and general contractors to drive performance improvement and control costs.
• Process Improvement:
  • Establish and lead cross-functional cost management programs to drive performance improvement.
  • Ensure cost controls processes and tooling are optimized and consistently applied across the technical organization.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Finance, or a related field is preferred.
• Experience: 3-5 years of experience in cost control, estimating, or financial analysis, with a preference in data center or mission-critical facilities construction.

Skills:

• Strong proficiency in budgeting, forecasting, and cost control for large construction projects.
• Demonstrated experience managing and negotiating agreements, pay applications, and change orders with general contractors and subcontractors.
• Expert-level proficiency in cost management software and Microsoft Excel, MS Project, and PowerPoint.
• Deep knowledge of general construction market conditions and cost benchmarks for mechanical, electrical, and structural systems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, negotiation, and analytical skills.
• Primarily construction site–based, supporting field teams and trailers.
• Occasional travel to regional job sites may be required.
• Requires regular use of computers, mobile devices, and standard office equipment.