Project Cost Lead

Since 1898, we have helped customers complete more than 25,000 projects in 160 countries on all seven continents that have created jobs, grown economies, improved the resiliency of the world's infrastructure, increased access to energy, resources, and vital services, and made the world a safer, cleaner place. 

Differentiated by the quality of our people and our relentless drive to deliver the most successful outcomes, we align our capabilities to our customers' objectives to create a lasting positive impact. We serve the Infrastructure; Nuclear, Security & Environmental; Energy; Mining & Metals, and the Manufacturing and Technology markets. Our services span from initial planning and investment, through start-up and operations. 

Great infrastructure transforms communities. Our customers’ projects have a higher purpose – their roads, rail, communications, airports and energy projects are a gateway to a modern prosperous world.

A world that caters for growing populations and keeps up with rapid technological change; a world that is resilient to economic and geophysical setbacks; a world powered by cleaner energy and systems that accelerate the path to global decarbonization; a world connected by smart and affordable transport networks to empower disenfranchised communities and unlock access to opportunities.

In this role, your focus will be around cost estimating, analysis, pricing schedule reviews, control activities and managing interfaces with subcontractors for a nationally significant megaproject. You will identify cost trends for management attention, support project organizational and administrative activities, and ensure work is completed as scheduled. Your data analysis will provide innovative solutions to cost engineering challenges, and your leadership will be essential to project success.

• Lead cost estimating, cost analysis and cost control activities for a significant area of the project, ensuring estimates, budgets, forecasts and cost reports are accurate, consistent and aligned with approved project procedures.
• Coordinate and review conceptual, definitive and change-related estimates, including estimate basis, assumptions, exclusions, escalation, contingency, productivity factors and risk allowances.
• Prepare and maintain estimate review and basis packages, ensuring appropriate quantity development, pricing build-ups, benchmarking, peer review, management review and client-facing deliverables are completed in accordance with approved procedures.
• Analyse specifications, pricing schedules, scope documents, subcontractor quotations and procurement information to confirm scope coverage, identify gaps, assess cost drivers and support estimate reconciliation.
• Prepare cost studies utilising historical data, market intelligence, statistical analysis, productivity assumptions, cost and quantity comparisons, and lessons learned from comparable projects.
• Support pricing schedule reviews, tender evaluations, subcontractor bid assessments and commercial clarifications by providing cost, estimating and benchmarking input.
• Monitor and analyse project cost performance, commitments, trends, changes and forecast movements, identifying potential cost impacts and recommending corrective actions for management attention.
• Lead the development and maintenance of cost control management plans, estimate plans, work breakdown structures, coding structures, control budgets and related cost processes and procedures.
• Coordinate closely with engineering, procurement, contracts, construction, project management, ECI subcontractors and other customer consultants to ensure estimating and cost control inputs are integrated, timely and aligned with project execution requirements.
• Provide guidance, mentoring and technical direction to cost engineers, estimators and project controls personnel, ensuring work is completed to required quality standards and schedule commitments.

• Requires bachelor's or master's degree (or international equivalent) and 13-15 years of relevant experience or 17-19 years of relevant work experience

• Demonstrated expertise in leading cost engineering functions, including estimating, cost control, cost analysis, forecasting, change management, trends and project reporting.
• Strong estimating capability across all project phases, including conceptual estimating, definitive estimating, change estimating, estimate basis development, quantity take-off review, pricing build-ups, benchmarking and estimate reconciliation.
• Advanced understanding of estimate classification, contingency development, escalation, productivity factors, risk and opportunity analysis, allowances, indirect costs, distributables, labour, material, equipment and subcontract pricing.
• Ability to interpret specifications, scope documents, pricing schedules, procurement packages, subcontractor quotations and contract requirements to identify scope coverage, exclusions, assumptions and cost impacts.
• Proven ability to establish comprehensive criteria for Project Controls activities and apply statistical knowledge, including regression analysis, variance estimation and correlation, to real-world cost and estimating scenarios.
• Strong knowledge of cost control processes, including control budget development, commitment tracking, accruals, earned value, forecast preparation, change control, trend analysis and variance explanation.
• Experienced in developing and maintaining cost databases, historical benchmarks, norms, productivity assumptions and lessons learned to improve estimate quality and consistency.
• Advanced understanding of engineering, procurement, contracts, construction and startup work processes, with the ability to integrate cost and estimating deliverables across project functions.
• Strong commercial awareness and ability to support subcontractor bid evaluations, pricing schedule reviews, commercial clarifications, client estimate reviews and estimate reconciliation discussions.
• Experienced in providing leadership, personnel administration, coaching and technical guidance for cost engineers, estimators and broader project controls teams.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, with a proven ability to present cost and estimating information clearly to project leadership, functional management, clients and subcontractors.
• Adept at identifying, analysing and resolving complex cost engineering and estimating issues, while maintaining attention to detail, data integrity and procedural compliance.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of current industry trends, market conditions, cost indices, labour productivity, supply chain impacts and technical developments affecting project estimates.

As a global company, Bechtel has long been home to a vibrant multitude of nationalities, cultures, ethnicities, and life experiences. This diversity has made us a more trusted partner, more effective problem solvers and innovators, and a more attractive destination for leading talent.

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