Head of Construction Cost Control & Forecasting

Moss Utilities; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Life insurance & disability plans

401(k) with company match

PTO & paid holidays

ESOP ownership

Job summary

Moss Utilities, based in Dallas, seeks a Director of Project Cost Controls to ensure accurate cost reporting, forecast production costs, and drive cost accountability across projects. You will partner with PMs and field teams to address overruns, track material usage, and maintain robust cost-control dashboards.

The role requires 5+ years in cost control within heavy civil or utility construction, advanced Excel and ERP experience, and strong analytical skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in CM, CE, accounting, finance, or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years in project cost control, job cost accounting, or related construction experience.
• Experience in heavy civil, underground utility, or commercial construction preferred.
• Strong understanding of WIP accounting, percent-complete methodology, over/under billing, and cost-to-complete forecasting.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with construction ERP systems.
• Ability to read and interpret civil plans, estimates, and unit cost schedules.
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to travel periodically and hold a valid driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Oversee company-wide production tracking across water, sanitary sewer, and storm drainage projects.
• Establish consistent production and material tracking standards across projects.
• Monitor field production against budgeted quantities and identify productivity trends or potential margin erosion.
• Track material procurement, usage, commitments, returns, credits, and variances.
• Partner with PMs and field teams to identify and resolve cost overruns, waste, and material discrepancies.
• Support monthly WIP and budget-to-actual reviews for active projects.
• Calculate and monitor cost-to-complete by project and cost code.
• Reconcile production, material, commitments, change orders, accruals, and billing information with the ERP system.
• Prepare clear cost and WIP summaries for executive leadership.
• Maintain accurate documentation and audit trails for financial reporting, surety, banking, and year-end audits.
• Serve as the primary cost-control resource for PMs and Senior PMs.
• Build and maintain standardized cost tracking tools and dashboards.
• Conduct regular budget-to-actual reviews and identify areas requiring corrective action.
• Support After Action Report analysis by comparing estimating assumptions, revised budgets, and actual project results.
• Ensure change orders are accurately reflected in project costs and billing.
• Develop and implement company-wide cost control procedures, tools, and reporting standards.
• Train field supervision and project management teams on production, material, WIP, and cost tracking requirements.
• Monitor adoption and compliance and recommend improvements based on project results and field feedback.
• Continuously improve the flow of information between estimating, field operations, project management, and the ERP system.

Skills

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Problem-solving skills

Advanced Excel

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Accounting, Finance, or equivalent

Tools

Construction ERP systems

Job description

Moss Utilities, based in Dallas, seeks a Director of Project Cost Controls to ensure accurate cost reporting, forecast production costs, and drive cost accountability across projects. You will partner with PMs and field teams to address overruns, track material usage, and maintain robust cost-control dashboards.

The role requires 5+ years in cost control within heavy civil or utility construction, advanced Excel and ERP experience, and strong analytical skills.