Cost Controls Specialist

WSP; Houston (TX); Remote; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP is seeking a Cost Controls Specialist to join their Project Controls team supporting Power & Energy programs, including transmission line and substation capital projects. This role focuses on forecasting, budgeting, variance analysis, and cost reporting, collaborating with project managers, finance teams, schedulers, contractors, and clients.

The selected candidate will be mostly remote with some onsite support and in-person meetings.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a related field.
• 7-10 years of experience in cost controls on capital projects.
• Strong forecasting, budgeting, variance analysis, and cost reporting skills.
• Experience with ERP/PMIS tools (EcoSys, Procore, Oracle, e-Builder, AEC cloud).
• Knowledge of Earned Value Management (EVM) and cost forecasting.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and monitor project cost control processes for Power & Energy projects.
• Prepare budgets, forecasts, cash flows, cost reports, accruals, and commitments.
• Track actual costs, change orders, invoices, and cost coding.
• Perform cost variance and trend analysis and support EVM activities.
• Produce regular cost reports and executive dashboards.
• Support change management, contractor progress tracking, and close-out reporting.

Skills

Forecasting

Budget tracking

Variance analysis

Earned value management

Cost reporting

Cost controls

Communication

Coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Engineering, Construction Management

Tools

EcoSys

Procore

Oracle

e-Builder

Autodesk Construction Cloud

Job description

This Opportunity

WSP is seeking a Cost Controls Specialist to join their Project Controls team supporting Power & Energy programs, including transmission line and substation capital projects. This role is well suited for a cost controls professional with experience in forecasting, budget tracking, variance analysis, and project cost reporting who enjoys working collaboratively with project managers, finance teams, schedulers, contractors, and clients. The selected candidate will be mostly remote with some onsite support & in-person meetings.

Your Impact

• Develop, maintain, and monitor project cost control processes for transmission line, substation, and related Power & Energy projects.
• Prepare and maintain project budgets, forecasts, cash flows, cost reports, accruals, commitments, and financial projections to support accurate project performance tracking.
• Track actual costs, commitments, contingency, change orders, invoices, and cost coding to support timely and reliable project cost management.
• Perform cost variance analysis, trend analysis, and earned value management support, identifying cost risks and recommending corrective actions to project leadership.
• Use cost management and PMIS platforms such as EcoSys, Procore, Oracle, e-Builder, or similar systems to manage budgets, forecasts, commitments, change orders, invoices, and cost reports.
• Produce regular cost reports, budget variance summaries, forecast updates, and executive-level financial dashboards that clearly communicate project cost status, risks, and required decisions.
• Support change management, contractor progress tracking, invoice review, contingency management, and project close-out reporting from a cost controls perspective.

Who You Are

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field preferred; equivalent cost controls or project controls experience will also be considered.
• 7-10 years of experience in cost controls, project controls, finance, or related functions on capital projects, preferably within transmission line, substation, utility, infrastructure, or Power & Energy programs.
• Advanced hands-on experience with forecasting, budget tracking, variance analysis, cost reporting, cash flow tracking, commitments, accruals, and change control is strongly preferred.
• Experience with cost management, ERP, and PMIS tools such as EcoSys, Procore, Oracle, e-Builder, Autodesk Construction Cloud, or similar platforms is preferred.
• Working knowledge of earned value management (EVM), cost forecasting, budget baselines, cost coding structures, trend analysis, and project financial controls.
• Strong analytical, communication, and coordination skills, with the ability to translate cost data into clear updates for project teams, finance partners, contractors, clients, and leadership.