Project Cost Clerk

If you are looking to work for a growing business who truly value and care for their employees, then look no further!

The Cost Clerk will provide accurate, timely and well-controlled cost administration for a construction project. Working closely with the Project Manager, Commercial Manager, Quantity Surveyors, finance team, procurement and site personnel, the role will maintain reliable cost records, validate project expenditure, support forecasting and reporting, and help ensure that costs are correctly authorised, coded and allocated. The successful candidate will bring substantial cost-control experience from a construction, civil engineering or infrastructure environment and will be confident working independently in a fast-paced site-based setting.

• Maintain accurate project cost records, cost ledgers, commitment schedules and supporting documentation.
• Process and reconcile purchase orders, delivery notes, goods-received records, subcontractor applications, invoices, credit notes and accruals.
• Check that expenditure has appropriate approval, supporting evidence, contract or order coverage, and correct project, work-package and cost-code allocation.
• Monitor actual costs, commitments and forecasts against budgets, identifying anomalies, duplicate charges, coding errors, missing liabilities and emerging variances.
• Prepare regular cost reports, reconciliations and supporting schedules for project and commercial reviews.
• Assist with period-end activities, including accruals, prepayments, cost transfers, reconciliations and completion of audit-ready working papers.
• Liaise with suppliers, subcontractors, procurement and site teams to resolve invoice, quantity, rate, tax and payment queries promptly.
• Maintain records of labour, plant, materials, hired equipment and other site costs, ensuring charges are complete and supported.
• Support cash-flow forecasting, applications for payment, subcontract administration and change-control processes where required.
• Maintain organised electronic and hard-copy records in accordance with project procedures, document-retention requirements and audit standards.
• Contribute to improvements in cost-control processes, reporting accuracy and data quality.
• Comply with company policies, delegated authorities, contractual requirements and site health, safety and environmental procedures.

• Significant experience in a Cost Clerk, Project Cost Administrator, Commercial Administrator or similar role on construction, civil engineering or infrastructure projects.
• Strong practical knowledge of purchase-to-pay processes, project cost coding, commitments, accruals, reconciliations and cost reporting.
• Experience working with subcontractors, suppliers, quantity surveyors and site-based project teams.
• Demonstrable ability to investigate discrepancies and maintain accurate records across a high volume of transactions.
• Understanding of construction terminology, work packages, plant and material costs, and subcontract payment processes.
• Experience supporting month-end reporting and internal or external audit requirements.
• Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, including lookups, pivot tables, filters and reconciliation techniques.
• Experience with construction ERP, finance, procurement or cost-management systems; familiarity with systems such as COINS, SAP, Oracle, Causeway or similar is advantageous.

• Excellent numerical accuracy and attention to detail.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise competing deadlines.
• Analytical and methodical approach to resolving cost and data discrepancies.
• Clear, professional communication with commercial,…