Project Cost Lead, Capital Projects

Project Controls Cost Lead

Our client is seeking an experienced Project Controls Cost Lead to support large-scale capital projects in a fast-paced industrial environment. This role will be responsible for leading project cost controls, forecasting, financial reporting, and collaboration across project management, finance, accounting, and contractor teams. The ideal candidate has a strong background in industrial capital projects, ERP systems, and project cost management, with the ability to establish and improve cost control processes for complex programs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead all aspects of project cost control and financial planning for capital projects.
• Develop, maintain, and communicate project forecasts, budgets, and weekly cost reports.
• Partner with project managers, contractors, finance, and accounting teams to ensure accurate forecasting and reporting.
• Prepare project cash flow forecasts, accruals, and disbursement projections.
• Monitor project performance through KPIs, earned value analysis, and cost reporting dashboards.
• Develop and maintain project cost tracking tools and reporting templates.
• Support capital appropriation requests and monitor purchasing activity for capital projects.
• Ensure compliance with fixed asset and capital accounting requirements.
• Administer and maintain project cost management systems while ensuring data integrity and ERP reconciliation.
• Coordinate project setup and master data management within ERP systems.
• Support equipment installation and commissioning activities from a cost tracking perspective.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives for project controls processes and reporting.
• Participate in project closeout reviews and lessons learned sessions.
• Travel occasionally to contractor or project locations as needed.

Required Qualifications:

• 5+ years of project cost controls experience supporting medium to large industrial capital projects.
• Strong experience with ERP systems, preferably SAP.
• Experience implementing or working within ERP and financial management systems.
• Proven ability to forecast contractor costs and collaborate closely with finance and accounting teams.
• Strong understanding of project forecasting, budgeting, accruals, earned value management, and cost reporting.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Finance, Construction Management, or a related discipline.
• Ability to thrive in collaborative, schedule-driven project environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Oracle Primavera Cloud (OPC) highly preferred.
• Experience with project controls platforms such as Ares Prism, Hexagon Eco Sys, or similar cost management software.
• Experience developing cost control processes, dashboards, and reporting tools.
• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Industry

Experience:

• Candidates should have experience supporting large industrial or capital construction projects within one or more of the following industries:
  Mining Heavy Industrial / Manufacturing Oil & Gas Telecommunications Semiconductor

Ideal Candidate:

The ideal candidate is a proactive project controls professional with extensive experience in cost forecasting, financial reporting, and industrial capital projects. They possess strong analytical skills, work effectively across multiple stakeholders, and have the ability to build and improve cost control processes while supporting complex, schedule-driven projects. Experience with SAP and Oracle Primavera Cloud is highly desirable.