COST ENGINEER

Cost Engineer

Lease Crutcher Lewis is seeking a Cost Engineer to help establish and maintain cost control processes throughout the lifecycle of DCAT projects. This role supports project financial management through change order administration, invoicing, budget tracking, forecasting, cost reporting, and closeout support.

You will work closely with project management, operations, accounting, and client cost management teams to keep project financial information accurate, organized, and actionable. Your work will help teams understand cost status, prepare reliable documentation, and support sound project decisions.

The ideal candidate is organized, detail-oriented, discreet, and comfortable managing complex cost information in a fast-paced construction environment.

What success looks like:

• You maintain accurate, timely, and well-organized cost control information across project systems and reporting tools.
• You support change orders, invoices, budgets, forecasts, pay applications, and cost documentation with consistency and follow-through.
• You help project teams understand cost status by preparing spreadsheets, tracking data, and reconciling information across systems.
• You communicate proactively with project teams, accounting, trade partners, vendors, owners, and client cost management teams.
• You manage competing priorities, protect confidential information, and keep cost processes moving in a fast-paced project environment.

What you'll do:

Cost Management and Project Controls

• Manage project cost control workflows in close partnership with the project management team.
• Coordinate change order workflows from start to finish, including routing, review, content analysis, and approval processes.
• Maintain detailed spreadsheets that support accurate forecasting, cost tracking, and reporting across project systems.
• Coordinate with client cost management teams to process change orders, invoices, and required documentation.
• Support project budgets, cash flow projections, labor cost analysis, projected total cost reporting, and construction budget preparation.
• Prepare monthly invoices using Spectrum Accounting Software and coordinate backup documentation with project teams and trade partners.
• Maintain the Schedule of Values and ensure totals balance with the Spectrum Accounting estimate amount.
• Assist with scope change identification, cost estimating, documentation, assembly, and client presentation materials.
• Support owner pay applications, subcontractor pay application reviews, second-tier payments through joint checks, cost corrections, and financial contract closeout.

Communication and Collaboration

• Build strong working relationships with project teams, accounting, operations, clients, trade partners, vendors, and owners.
• Review and respond to cost-related correspondence with clarity, accuracy, and professionalism.
• Attend project finance and staff meetings prepared to share cost updates, open items, and follow-up needs.
• Prioritize work, manage deadlines, and stay organized in an environment with frequent interruptions and competing demands.

What you bring:

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field, construction management certificate, and at least two years of relevant commercial construction experience required; equivalent work experience may apply.
• Understanding of the full construction project lifecycle.
• Experience with change management processes, defined project scopes, commercial construction drawings, and specifications preferred.
• Understanding of project risk management concepts.
• Computer proficiency required; experience with Spectrum Accounting Software, Procore, and Excel preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team while maintaining discretion and confidentiality.
• Ability to manage time, prioritize work, and multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong organization and complex problem-solving skills.

Key attributes:

• Accurate and detail-oriented with financial, cost, and project documentation.
• Collaborative and service-oriented with project management, operations, accounting, clients, and trade partners.
• Clear and professional when presenting cost-related…