Project Cost Controls

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Job summary

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. is seeking a Cost Engineer to join the Project Cost Controls team in North America. This on-site role focuses on cost forecasting, reporting, and financial control across capital projects and outages, with roughly 25% travel.

You will collaborate with project managers, planners, and site leadership to ensure projects meet safety, schedule, and budget goals, while developing standardized cost management processes and KPIs.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Finance, Accounting, Project Controls, or related preferred.
• 3-5 years of experience in cost engineering, project controls, cost management, or financial analysis.
• Strong estimating, forecasting, budgeting, and cost reporting knowledge.
• Experience with SAP and advanced Excel; Primavera P6 experience helpful.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the expert for turnaround cost management and cost control processes.
• Develop and maintain project cost estimates from ICE to TCE.
• Manage cost control systems for timely, reliable reporting.
• Monitor expenditures, update forecasts, and identify cost risks and opportunities.
• Report budget-to-actual performance and provide financial recommendations.
• Support funding requests and cost-benefit analyses for turnaround projects.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Communication

Problem solving

Independent work

Education

Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Finance, Accounting, Project Controls, or related

Tools

SAP

MS Excel

Primavera P6

Job description

At Air Products, we reimagine what's possible. By tapping into the motivation of our people and our collective experience, we create the ideas and innovations that drive us forward. When we come together - where every voice is heard and everyone knows they belong and matter - we create solutions that launch people into space, support lifesaving care in hospitals, and enable the construction of groundbreaking, world scale production facilities.

Reimagine What's Possible

Are you passionate about driving project success through effective cost management, planning, and execution? Air Products is seeking a Cost Engineer to join our Project Cost Controls team within the North America Project Resources & Outage Support (PROS) organization.

This residence-based position plays a critical role in supporting capital projects and turnaround activities by providing accurate cost forecasting, reporting, and financial control throughout the project lifecycle. The Cost Engineer will work closely with project managers, planners, construction teams, and site leadership to ensure projects are delivered safely, on schedule, and within budget.

This role requires approximately 25% domestic travel, with an expectation to be on-site during key project phases, including turnaround planning, preparation, and execution, where the Cost Engineer will provide direct support and oversight of project cost performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the subject matter expert for turnaround cost management and cost control processes.
• Develop and maintain project cost estimates throughout the turnaround lifecycle, from Initial Cost Estimate (ICE) through Turnaround Cost Estimate (TCE).
• Manage cost control systems to ensure accurate, timely, and reliable financial reporting.
• Monitor project expenditures and capital spending, updating forecasts regularly and identifying potential cost risks and opportunities.
• Track and report budget-to-actual performance and provide recommendations to improve financial outcomes.
• Prepare and present financial reports and cost analyses to support business and management decision-making.
• Support Preliminary and Full Funding Expense Authorization Requests.
• Perform cost-benefit analyses for turnaround and maintenance projects.

• Actively participate as a member of the TAR core team during scope development, alignment, detailed planning, execution, and project closeout phases.
• Track and monitor turnaround costs during outage execution to ensure cost visibility and forecast accuracy.
• Support field teams by providing timely cost reporting and financial guidance during outage events.
• Monitor and track FCOs (Field Change Orders) and assess potential cost impacts.
• Validate capital versus expense classifications and ensure proper financial treatment of costs.

• Develop and implement standardized cost management processes, policies, procedures, tools, and training materials.
• Create and maintain programs that improve cost predictability, compliance, and service excellence.
• Partner with DT and business stakeholders to develop applications and digital solutions that enhance turnaround cost management.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) that drive cost competitiveness and operational performance.
• Promote consistency in turnaround cost practices across all North American subregions.

Qualifications Required

• High school diploma or equivalent required; Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Finance, Accounting, Project Controls, or a related discipline preferred.
• 3-5 years of experience in cost engineering, project controls, cost management, financial analysis, or a related field.
• Strong understanding of estimating, forecasting, budgeting, and cost reporting methodologies.
• Proficiency with SAP and advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Experience interpreting and utilizing Primavera P6 schedules and reports.
• Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and effectively in both office and field environments.

• Experience supporting turnarounds, outages, shutdowns, maintenance events, or industrial projects.
• Knowledge of capital and expense accounting practices.
• Experience with continuous improvement initiatives and KPI development.
• Background within industrial manufacturing, chemicals, energy, refining, or related industries.
• Demonstrated track record of developing standardized processes, programs, and training materials.

Travel Requirement

• Approximately 25% domestic travel.
• The Cost Engineer is expected to be on-site during key turnaround planning and execution phases to provide direct cost management support and leadership.

What's In It for You:

At Air Products we foster a culture of inclusion where every voice is heard, and everyone feels they belong and matter.

Additionally, we offer competitive pay and great benefits for our employees.

Check out some of our benefits below!

• Affordable medical, dental, and vision insurance available day one of employment
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with 100% vested company core and match
• Paid vacation, holidays, and sick time
• Adoption assistance
• Flexible spending accountsLife Insurance (AD&D), Supplemental AD&D

Founded in 1940, Air Products is a world-leading industrial gases company and has a proud history of innovation, operational excellence, with an unwavering commitment to safety and environmental stewardship. Working together, we are taking our passion and diverse backgrounds forward to reimagine what's possible and generate a cleaner future for our customers, our communities, and the world.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer (U.S.).You will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, citizenship, gender, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or veteran status.

Air Products is committed to working with and providing a reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability and you believe you need a reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening or to submit an online application, please e-mail us at [e-mail]. General application status inquiries are not answered by this mailbox rather you'll receive an e-mail directly from our Career Center and/or the Talent Acquisition Specialist.