About the Role
AECOM, a global infrastructure consulting firm, is seeking an experienced Cost Engineer to join its project controls team in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. This full-time role involves managing project costs, ensuring budget performance, and maintaining financial accountability throughout engineering, procurement, and construction phases. The position requires collaboration with cross-functional teams to provide accurate cost reporting and support informed decision-making within a dynamic project environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage cost tracking, commitments, actuals, and incurred costs against approved budgets, ensuring accuracy and transparency.
- Monitor and analyze cost performance across all project stages, identifying variances, trends, and risks.
- Validate invoices, progress claims, and contractor payment applications against work performed.
- Prepare comprehensive weekly and monthly cost reports, including cost summaries, variance analysis, and forecast updates.
- Report cost trends, budget deviations, and potential risks to project stakeholders.
- Lead the preparation of cash flow forecasts and cost-to-complete analyses.
- Evaluate and analyze change notices and change orders, assessing their cost impacts.
- Assess cost implications of scope changes, schedule delays, and productivity variances, providing recommendations.
- Maintain change management logs and ensure alignment with project controls procedures.
- Lead Earned Value Management (EVM) calculations and integrate cost and schedule metrics.
- Analyze cost and schedule variances, preparing performance indices and trend forecasts.
- Collaborate with planning teams to ensure accurate progress measurement and cost tracking.
- Maintain and optimize project cost databases for accuracy, integrity, and accessibility.
- Lead the implementation and optimization of cost control software and tools.
- Develop and maintain cost tracking templates and reporting dashboards.
- Collaborate with project managers, discipline leads, procurement teams, and contractors to validate cost information and resolve discrepancies.
- Participate in project progress meetings, providing cost insights and supporting problem-solving.
- Support internal and external audits related to cost control.
- Mentor junior cost engineers and support team development.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Finance, Accounting, Construction Management, or a related field.
- Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in cost control, cost engineering, or project controls.
- Extensive experience on large-scale EPC/EPCM projects in mining, oil & gas, energy, infrastructure, or industrial sectors.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, complex formulas, and dashboard development.
- Demonstrated expertise with cost control systems such as Prism, EcoSys, SAP, Oracle, or similar enterprise platforms.
- Strong analytical and quantitative skills with exceptional attention to detail and data integrity.
- Comprehensive understanding of project progress measurement, forecasting methodologies, and change management processes.
- Advanced proficiency in Earned Value Management (EVM) principles and calculations.
- Excellent communication and documentation skills, with the ability to present complex cost data clearly.
- Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively, supporting multiple stakeholders and project teams.
- Strong organizational skills and capability to manage multiple priorities in fast-paced environments.
- Strategic problem-solving mindset with the capability to analyze cost trends and recommend data-driven solutions.
- Resilience and adaptability in dynamic project environments.
- A Master's degree in a related field is preferred.
- Experience mentoring junior cost engineers or leading cost control teams is preferred.
- Proven expertise in invoice validation, payment application review, and cost claim management is preferred.
- Advanced knowledge of forecasting methodologies and cost-to-complete analysis techniques is preferred.
- Extensive experience with multi-discipline industrial projects and complex EPC/EPCM environments is preferred.
- Track record of supporting internal and external project audits and regulatory compliance reviews is preferred.
- Professional certification in project management or cost engineering (PMP, AACE, or equivalent) is preferred.
- Experience implementing or optimizing cost control systems and process improvements is preferred.
Required Skills
- Cost Tracking, Commitments, Actuals, and Incurred Costs
- Budget Performance and Financial Accountability
- Cost Reporting, Variance Analysis, and Forecast Updates
- Cost Performance Analysis and Risk Identification
- Invoice Validation, Progress Claims, and Contractor Payment Applications
- Cost Claim Management and Dispute Resolution
- Cost Trends Analysis and Mitigation Planning
- Cash Flow Forecasts and Cost-to-Complete Analysis
- Forecasting Methodologies and Resource Allocation
- Change Notices, Change Orders, and Cost Impact Assessment
- Change Management Processes and Logs
- Scope Changes, Schedule Delays, and Productivity Variances Assessment
- Project Controls Procedures and Governance Frameworks
- Earned Value Management (EVM) and Integrated Project Controls
- Cost and Schedule Integration and Performance Indices (CPI, SPI)
- Trend Forecasts and Project Progress Measurement
- Project Cost Databases Management
- Cost Control Software (Excel, ERP Systems, Project Controls Platforms)
- Process Improvements and System Enhancements
- Cost Tracking Templates and Reporting Dashboards
- Stakeholder Engagement and Cost Information Validation
- Discrepancy Resolution and Project Progress Meetings
- Cost Insights and Collaborative Problem-Solving
- Internal Audits, External Audits, and Cost Control Audits
- Regulatory Compliance
- Mentoring and Team Development
- Continuous Improvement and Professional Excellence
- Microsoft Excel (Pivot Tables, Complex Formulas, Dashboard Development)
- Cost Control Systems (Prism, EcoSys, SAP, Oracle)
- Analytical and Quantitative Skills
- Attention to Detail and Data Integrity
- Communication and Documentation Skills
- Presentation Skills
- Independent Work and Collaboration
- Stakeholder Support
- Organizational Skills and Priority Management
- Problem-Solving and Root Cause Analysis
- Data-Driven Solutions
- Resilience and Adaptability
- Cost Control Software Implementation and Process Optimization
- Forecasting Techniques
- Industrial Projects and EPC/EPCM Environments
- Audit Support
- Project Management Certification (PMP, AACE, or equivalent)
- Cost Engineering Certification
Work Environment and Location
This is a full-time, on-site position based in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The role operates within a fast-paced, goal-oriented environment, requiring collaboration with diverse project teams. AECOM is committed to a secure recruitment process, with all new hires required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location.