Cost Control Lead

Cost Control Lead

Job Purpose

Provide expert advice and guidance in the planning, allocation, monitoring, and stewardship of project costs and expenditures for a major oil & gas development. Develop, implement, and maintain project cost control procedures, guidelines, reporting processes, and systems to ensure consistent and effective cost management across multiple EPC contracts.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure the integrity and accuracy of cost data across EPC contracts and provide clear reporting on overall project cost status and performance.
• Provide guidance and technical leadership to Project Cost Engineers, ensuring standardized cost control practices across EPC packages.
• Manage key cost control processes including Value of Work Done (VOWD), forecasting, change orders, trend management, contingency management, and expenditure allocation.
• Provide financial input for project funding submissions and recommend budget transfers to ensure adequate funding and alignment of Cost at Completion with approved budgets.
• Develop forecast cost estimates and prepare annual Work Program & Budget (WP&B) requirements based on project scope, progress, and remaining work.
• Develop and maintain the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS) across the project.
• Monitor FEED/EPC contractor cost performance against approved control plans and recommend corrective measures where required.
• Review contractor deliverables relating to VOWD reporting, trend management, and Earned Value Analysis (EVA).
• Identify potential cost issues and adverse trends early and support the development and implementation of corrective actions and recovery plans.
• Monitor project commitments against approved budgets and ensure change orders receive appropriate contractual and management review.
• Support Procurement and Contracts teams regarding WBS/CBS allocation of commitments.
• Develop cost reporting solutions that maintain accuracy, consistency, and integrity of project cost information.
• Support EPC tender technical evaluations during the pre-EPC phase, including preparation of evaluation plans, coordination of evaluations, and development of technical bid evaluation reports.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline such as Business, Accounting, Commercial, Engineering, Project Management, Supply Chain Management, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related field.

Experience & Knowledge

• Minimum 8 years of relevant professional experience, including:
  • At least 4 years within the Oil & Gas industry.
  • At least 1 year in a supervisory/acting role or with oversight of contractor, subcontractor, service, or vendor personnel.
• Experience working with oil & gas operators, EPC contractors, subcontractors, vendors, or service companies.
• Strong knowledge of project controls/business disciplines, particularly cost control, planning, scheduling, estimating, claims, risk management, change management, procurement, contract management, and project reporting.
• Previous experience on major projects from an Owner/Operator perspective, including management of EPC Lump Sum contracts.
• Experience working within multicultural/multilingual project and contracting environments.
• Experience with ERP and Project Management systems, such as SAP or comparable oil & gas ERP platforms.
• Previous exposure to large-scale oil & gas project cost control practices is highly desirable.

Technical & Business Skills

• Fluent written and spoken English.
• Ability to manage complex cost-control activities and provide guidance to project stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, planning, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently within established procedures, plans, and budgets.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and coordinate activities across multidisciplinary teams.
• Proactive approach to identifying issues and delivering timely, cost-effective solutions.