Sr. Cost Controller (19429)

Arion; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Arion in Houston seeks a Senior Cost Controller to oversee project financial performance, ensuring accurate cost management, forecasting, and reporting across initiatives. You will partner with project teams and Finance to align budgets, actuals, and forecasts, provide visibility into cost risks, and support informed decisions to meet project and business goals.

The role requires extensive EV management expertise, strong analytical skills, and experience with ERP systems like NetSuite and EcoSys

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant technical discipline is preferred; however, candidates with relevant experience will be considered.
• 8-10+ years of industry experience in cost control.
• 5+ years of experience in onshore or offshore cost control.
• Strong understanding of earned value management – forecasting, PI, CPI, SPI.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and manage project budgets and forecasts in alignment with the approved baseline.
• Develop and support forecast updates by validating actual costs to date (labor, materials, invoices, timesheets, travel).
• Collaborate with project teams to incorporate schedule and execution progress into cost forecasts and reflect risks and opportunities.
• Monitor cost movements through variance analysis and benchmarking against scope and prior forecasts.
• Analyze productivity metrics and cost drivers to validate estimate accuracy and identify deviations.
• Provide regular reporting of cost performance, forecast outlook, and risk exposure to budget holders; drive mitigation strategies.
• Present all manhour and cost data clearly in reviews; discuss cost status and root causes.
• Interface with planning/scheduling to ensure integration of cost and schedule data; report impacts of variances.

Skills

Earned value management

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Cost control experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant technical discipline

Tools

NetSuite

EcoSys

MS Office

Job description

Job Summary

The Senior Cost Controller oversees project financial performance by ensuring accurate cost management, forecasting, and reporting. This role partners with project teams and Finance to maintain alignment between budgets, actuals, and forecasts, while providing visibility into cost risks and supporting informed decision-making to achieve project and business objectives.

Job Summary

The Senior Cost Controller oversees project financial performance by ensuring accurate cost management, forecasting, and reporting. This role partners with project teams and Finance to maintain alignment between budgets, actuals, and forecasts, while providing visibility into cost risks and supporting informed decision-making to achieve project and business objectives.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and manage project budgets and forecasts in alignment with the approved baseline (“as-sold”) position, in coordination with designated budget owners.
• Develop and support forecast updates by validating actual costs to date, including labor, materials, manufacturing costs, supplier invoices, timesheets, and travel expenditures, ensuring data integrity and accuracy.
• Collaborate with the project team to incorporate schedule and execution progress into cost forecasts, ensuring that cost risks and opportunities are appropriately identified and reflected.
• Monitor and control cost movements through detailed variance analysis, benchmarking against current scope, physical progress, and prior forecast iterations.
• Analyze productivity metrics and cost drivers to validate estimate accuracy and identify deviations from planned performance.
• Provide regular reporting and communication of cost performance, forecast outlook, and risk exposure to budget holders; support and drive implementation of mitigation strategies and cost optimization initiatives.
• Presents all manhour and cost data in a transparent way, attends project and management reviews to present cost status, budget deviations and root causes.
• Interface with project planning/scheduling functions to ensure full integration of cost and schedule data; analyze and report on cost impacts resulting from schedule variances and performance trends affecting revenue and margin targets.
• Perform related duties, as needed.

Qualifications / Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in relevant technical discipline preferred; however, candidates with relevant experience will be considered.
• 8-10+ years of industry experience in cost control.
• 5+ years of experience in onshore or offshore cost control.
• Excellent understanding of earned value management – forecasting, productivity index (PI), cost performance index (CPI), and schedule performance index (SPI).
• Solid analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Possess good interpersonal skills and excellent verbal/written communication skills.

Software

• Expert knowledge of ERP systems (NetSuite preferred).
• Enterprise Projects Performance Software experience (EcoSys preferred).
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) preferred.

Working Conditions

• Work is primarily conducted in an office environment but may require occasional travel to off-site work locations.

Physical Requirements (With or Without Reasonable Accommodation)

• Ability to lift and carry up to ten (10) pounds.
• Ability to communicate effectively, including sufficient clarity of speech, hearing, or other communication capabilities.
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time.
• Sufficient visual acuity or other observational abilities to review documents, perform analysis, and conduct investigations.
• Sufficient manual dexterity to perform routine office tasks such as typing and using standard office equipment.
• Sufficient mobility to perform office duties and travel to off-site locations as needed.