Cost Control Engineer

Role Purpose

To support effective cost management for infrastructure projects by maintaining cost control systems, tracking budgets and commitments, monitoring actual costs, preparing forecasts (CTC/EAC inputs), and producing accurate periodic cost reports aligned with physical progress across roads, utilities and marine work packages.

Key Accountabilities

• Maintain project cost control structures (WBS/CBS, cost codes) and ensure consistent cost allocation across infrastructure work packages (earthworks, asphalt/roadworks, drainage & utilities, concrete works, marine/civil structures where applicable).
• Support baseline budget preparation and controlled budget transfers from tender/award, ensuring revisions follow approval workflows.
• Track actual costs vs budget for labour, plant, materials, subcontractors and preliminaries; highlight variances and support corrective action tracking with project team.
• Maintain commitment and procurement registers (POs/subcontracts), ensuring all committed costs are captured and updated in a timely manner.
• Coordinate with Procurement/Stores/Finance to reconcile GRNs, invoices, accruals and cost postings; support month-end closing activities.
• Prepare weekly/monthly cost reports including variance analysis, cost trends, critical cost drivers, and summary dashboards as required.
• Support forecasting by collecting progress, productivity and cost data to update Cost-to-Complete (CTC) and Estimate at Completion (EAC) under guidance of senior controls/commercial staff.
• Coordinate with Planning/Project Controls to align physical progress measurement (installed quantities, asphalt tonnage, pipe meters laid, concrete volumes) with cost reporting and earned value metrics where used.
• Support variation/claim cost assessments by preparing backup for rate build-ups, dayworks records, plant/labour logs and substantiation documents.
• Assist with cashflow reporting by tracking payment status, expected inflows/outflows, retentions, advances and major procurement spend.
• Maintain cost governance and audit-ready documentation: approvals, assumptions, backup files, and consistent reporting archives.
• Participate in commercial/project review meetings and provide clear cost updates and risk flags to the project team.

Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge & Skills

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering / Quantity Surveying / Construction Management (or related)
• Project controls or cost management certifications (advantage)
• 3–6+ years in cost control / project controls within infrastructure or civil construction projects (roads/utilities/drainage; marine exposure an advantage)
• UAE/GCC experience preferred
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Analytical mindset and structured reporting
• Proactive follow-up and ownership
• Clear communication and teamwork
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Integrity and confidentiality with cost data
• Cost control fundamentals: budget vs actual, commitments, accruals, forecasting support
• Understanding of infrastructure cost drivers (plant utilisation, material consumption, productivity impacts, rework)
• Basic earned value/progress-based reporting principles
• Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, dashboards)
• Familiarity with ERP/finance postings and document controls
• Knowledge of variation cost impact support and record keeping