Senior Cost Engineer

$95k - $135k per year

For more than 100 years, Zachry Construction Corporation has been shaping America's infrastructure from highways and bridges to major civil projects that connect communities and strengthen our nation. As a family-owned company, we've built our reputation on integrity, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to our people.

At Zachry, you're not just joining a construction company, you're joining a family that values hard work, teamwork, and doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do. We're looking for dedicated individuals who are ready to grow their careers and make a lasting impact.

Our Core Values guide everything we do:
Every Person Matters, Together We Can Do Great Things, This Is More Than a Job.

Zachry Construction Corporation is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Engineer to support financial planning, cost control, and forecasting for heavy civil construction projects. This position is responsible for analyzing project costs, developing accurate cost and revenue forecasts, monitoring project financial performance, and identifying potential risks that could impact profitability. The Senior Cost Engineer will work closely with Project Managers, Superintendents, Project Engineers, and Project Controls teams to evaluate production, labor, equipment, and material costs and provide meaningful financial insights that support project execution.

The ideal candidate will have extensive heavy civil construction experience, strong analytical skills, and a proven ability to develop reliable forecasts and communicate financial performance to project leadership.

• Develop, maintain, and analyze project cost and revenue forecasts, including cost-to-complete and estimate-at-completion projections
• Monitor project budgets, actual costs, commitments, and expenditures to identify variances, trends, and potential financial risks
• Partner with Project Managers, Superintendents, and field teams to evaluate production quantities, labor productivity, equipment utilization, and material costs
• Prepare monthly project financial reports, including cost and revenue projections, variance analyses, and profitability assessments
• Analyze project progress, earned revenue, and forecasted margins to identify potential impacts to overall project performance
• Review project cost codes, budgets, subcontractor commitments, and change orders to ensure accurate cost tracking and reporting
• Support project planning and forecasting by evaluating construction schedules, production rates, resource requirements, and remaining work
• Identify cost overruns, productivity concerns, and financial risks while recommending corrective actions to improve project performance
• Collaborate with accounting, estimating, project controls, and operations teams to ensure accurate financial reporting and consistency across project forecasts
• Provide financial analysis and reporting to project leadership, support monthly project reviews, and assist with improving cost-control processes and forecasting accuracy

• Minimum of 5-10+ years of heavy civil construction experience, including significant experience in cost engineering, project controls, or project financial management
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field preferred
• Strong experience with heavy civil construction projects, including highways, bridges, earthwork, concrete, underground utilities, or similar infrastructure
• * Demonstrated ability to develop and manage accurate project cost and revenue forecasts, including cost-to-complete and estimate-at-completion projections
• Strong understanding of construction cost controls, budgeting, financial reporting, earned revenue, and project profitability analysis
• Experience analyzing labor productivity, equipment utilization, material costs, production quantities, and construction schedules to evaluate financial performance
• Ability to identify cost variances, forecast potential overruns, and provide recommendations to improve project financial outcomes
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience with construction accounting, ERP, or project controls software
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills with the ability to present financial information clearly to project leadership
• Ability to work collaboratively with field…