Cost Controls Manager

Talascend is currently seeking a Cost Controls Manager for a contract opportunity with our client in Huntsville, Alabama.

Overview

The cost controls manager provides independent, client-side cost governance and assurance across the project lifecycle, from front-end loading and front-end engineering and design through engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and closeout. The role oversees contractor cost performance, validates budgets and forecasts, and provides project leadership with an objective view of cost exposure, trends, changes, risks, and corrective actions.

Responsibilities

• Define and administer cost control requirements, coding structures, control accounts, reporting calendars, and governance procedures.
• Review and challenge contractor cost baselines, estimates, cash flow, commitment plans, contingency, escalation, and reconciliation to approved scope and the project work breakdown structure.
• Provide evidence-based recommendations on baseline acceptance, budget transfers, contingency usage, and forecast changes.
• Maintain traceability between approved scope, budgets, commitments, actuals, accruals, changes, risks, and forecast outcomes.
• Validate contractor cost reports, commitments, accruals, value of work completed, invoices, and forecasts against source evidence and contract requirements.
• Develop an independent project management consultant estimate at completion and cost to complete, clearly distinguishing the contractor position from the independent assessment.
• Analyze variances, trends, productivity, quantities, procurement status, currency, escalation, and schedule impacts to identify emerging cost exposure.
• Provide concise weekly and monthly insights, including decision requirements, prioritized actions, and credible mitigation options.
• Oversee the cost elements of change control from early trend identification through assessment, approval, and incorporation into the control baseline.
• Review contractor change estimates, variations, claims, and commercial submissions for scope completeness, quantity basis, rates, productivity, schedule linkage, and risk allowance.
• Integrate quantitative and qualitative risk information with contingency forecasting and report risk drawdown against contingency consumption.
• Support tender evaluations, contract exhibits, payment milestones, audits, and commercial negotiations with objective cost analysis.
• Assure data integrity and reconciliation across cost systems, enterprise resource planning, procurement, schedule, progress, change, risk, and reporting systems.
• Lead the project management consultant cost controls team, set review priorities, assign package ownership, and maintain clear escalation protocols.
• Act as the principal cost interface with the client, contractors, project management, commercial, finance, engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning teams.
• Drive consistent procedures, lessons learned, benchmarking, and continuous improvement across the project or capital portfolio.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, quantity surveying, finance, business, or a related discipline; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• At least 12 years of cost engineering or project controls experience on major engineering, procurement, and construction or engineering, procurement, construction, and management capital projects, including at least five years in a lead or management role.
• Demonstrated experience with project management consultants, owner’s teams, consultants, or independent assurance organizations overseeing contractor cost performance and advising senior project leadership.
• Strong command of budgeting, commitments, accruals, forecasting, estimate at completion, cash flow, contingency, change control, earned value, and variance analysis.
• Ability to challenge contractor positions constructively, document independent recommendations, and communicate clearly with client and commercial stakeholders.
• Advanced Excel capability and practical experience with integrated cost and enterprise resource planning systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional credential such as AACE CCP or CEP, PMP, RICS, or equivalent.
• Experience with comparable enterprise resource planning or project portfolio management platforms.
• Experience in oil and gas, liquefied natural gas, chemicals, power, energy transition, mining and minerals, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, or infrastructure.
• Experience supporting claims avoidance, quantum assessment, joint venture governance, lender assurance, or independent project reviews.