Senior Cost Engineer

SGS; Heidelberg; On-site; ZAR 500 000 - 600 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global inspection company in Heidelberg is seeking a Project Cost Engineer to oversee and report on project financial status. The role entails developing budgets, providing cost control support, and ensuring accurate reporting to clients and internal stakeholders. Candidates should possess a relevant tertiary qualification, at least eight years' experience in capital projects, and strong communication skills. Good knowledge of Primavera software is recommended. This is a unique opportunity to join a reputable team committed to excellence in engineering services.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 8 years in a capital projects cost engineering environment.
• Ability to work unsupervised in a multi-disciplinary project environment.
• Ability to prepare detailed reports and manage techniques in report drafting.

Responsibilities

• Provide costing function strategies and financial support to the project team.
• Develop and finalize project budgets and maintain ongoing cost control.
• Deliver ongoing reporting to internal and external stakeholders.

Skills

Cost control knowledge

Good communication skills

Good knowledge of Primavera P6

Advanced user of Microsoft Excel

Education

Applicable tertiary qualification in Engineering, QS or commercial

Grade 12

Tools

Primavera Contract Manager

Oracle E-Business Suite

Job description

Company Description

SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 97,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.

SGS Bateman’s multidiscipline engineering team provides integrated engineering services for processing plants and related operations. Using proven ISO methodologies enhanced by innovative approaches, the team transforms conceptual designs into operational manual processing plants of all sizes and complexities. An extensive suite of enhanced 3‑D design tools and modeling software allow our engineering team to visualize all aspects of plant development.

Job Description

To control and report on the financial or cost status of the project and highlight any deviations timeously.

Responsibilities

• Provide costing function strategies: support in delivering a complete suite of cost‑control services and financial consignments to the Project team.
• Provide cost input and implement the cost element of risk management plan.
• Ensure adherence to the segment financial, business and project processes.
• Provide input in the cost control strategy, plans and procedures.
• Stay abreast of new trends and innovations.
• Provide cost control support during project lifecycle: understand the scope of work and obtain relevant documentation; get the estimate for a specific project, ensuring both the client’s and company requirements are clear and understood.
• Develop a project budget: defining the work breakdown structure, aligning to project strategy and PMO and getting it signed off, developing CBS’s, finalising them and getting them signed off.
• Finalise the set budget, make changes if necessary and input approved data on the relevant system, ensuring forecasting of financial project cost and trending.
• Maintain continuous contact with the project team on a regular basis and manage the close‑out process of budget/actual data: summarise the history of the project in the report, conduct checks and balances to track between commitment and actual, indicate lessons learned during the project in the report.
• Ensure team participation: attend and participate in Project Kick‑off, Progress and coordination, Risk analysis and Project Review meetings. Deliver Dashboard reports during the project.

Client Relationships (internal & external) & Reporting

Internal reporting activities include:
WIP Summary Report (cost allocation), Labour Man‑hour Report, Call Forward Report (budget vs actual), Change order report, Internal Management Report (Cash flow, commitment, issues major variances and ledger), Purchase order Report, Project History Report, Sundries Report.

External reports: Cash Flow Report, Client management Report, Direct Field Cost (DFC) Report. Actively promote the Company’s professional image, both internally & externally.

Qualifications

• Applicable tertiary qualification in either Engineering, QS or commercial environment, or professional certification as a Certified Cost Professional (CCP), Earned Value Professional (EVP) or Project Management Professional (PMP).
• Grade 12.

Skills And Experience

• Minimum of 8 years in a capital projects cost engineering environment.
• Able to work unsupervised in a multi‑disciplinary project environment; good communication skills; able to work under pressure, cope with deadline‑related stress, and interact with clients in a professional manner.
• Good knowledge of Primavera P6 and Primavera Contract Manager (recommended).
• Good understanding of Oracle E‑Business Suite (Projects) (recommended).
• Ability to use Primavera Risk Analysis would be a strong benefit but not a prerequisite.
• Advanced user of Microsoft Excel; proficient in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

Required Skills / Knowledge

• Cost control: knowledge of cost engineering principles, total cost management and total quality management.
• Reporting: ability to prepare detailed reports and manage effective techniques and tools in report drafting.
• Risk analysis: ability to identify project and activity risks from any point of view.
• Basic IT tools, office automation and graphic software familiarity and use of office automation software tools and basic computer applications.
• Accounting: knowledge of basic accounting principles.
• Planning & Control: knowledge of methods and techniques to analyse current and future financial situation, identifying trends and problems (actual vs budget analysis, variances etc.).
• Change management: ability to effectively and efficiently manage changes during the project.
• Industry knowledge: understanding of contract types and their main features.
• Legislation & Standards: knowledge of sector specific law (e.g., Engineering, safety, etc.) and standard specifications (e.g., Plant layout requirements).
• Project Management: knowledge of basic project management methods and all project lifecycle phases.