South Project Cost Controller - South African Restoration Project

Project Cost Controller - South African Restoration Project About Us

Imperative is a global infrastructure grade nature restoration company that aims to be in the top decile for quality in the carbon projects market. We have a build-own-operate model and specialise in the design, development and operation of carbon credit projects that help combat climate change while promoting biodiversity conservation, economic growth and social development in the countries in which we operate.

With a strong commitment to environmental and social responsibility, we are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Nursery Manager to join our dynamic team.

We are seeking a resilient, detail-driven Project Cost Controller to join the Project Controls team on the Spekboom Project near Jansenville in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. You will maintain accurate, timely cost control data across the project lifecycle–budget, commitments, actuals and forecasts–spanningmultiple phases, and support decision-making through structured reporting and variance analysis. This is a foundational role in a pioneering native forest regeneration project that aims to restore a planting area of 100,000 hectares, spread over a total project area of more than 1 million hectares.

This role sits within the Project Controls function of the Integrated Project Team (IPT), working across 4

Cast Plus (the project’s cost management system) and the Reporting Hub, and supporting reporting to both IPT and Non-IPT (funder) audiences. You will work closely with the wider Project Controls team and Nat Carbon Africa (Services Provider) to maintain a single, reconciled source of cost truth across Code Mapping, WBS and IPSC code structures. You will report directly to the Project Controls Manage rand assist the Senior Finance Managerwhilst playinga key role in maintaining data integrity as the project scales.

• Maintain cost breakdown structures (CBS) aligned to the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).
• Cost Coding of Projectinvoices, purchase orders and commitments in the cost system (4
  
  Cast Plus).
• Reconcile cost coding against approved budget structures and Code Mapping/lookup tables.
• Flag and resolve coding discrepancies, including miscoded transactions and out-of-range cost codes.

• Track committed vs. actual vs. forecast by cost category and work package.
• Monthly Cash Flow Analysis,Forecast at Completion (FAC) and Forecast to Complete (FTC) calculations and maintenance.
• Support budget change control, including change order documentation, evidencegatheringand approval routing.

• Analyse cost data to identify trends, areas of improvement, and potential risks.
• Maintain progress measurement records consistent with defined rules of creditandutilisereporting toolstotrack key performance indicators.

• Prepare periodic (monthly/quarterly) cost reports for both IPT and Non-IPT (funder) audiences, with a clear distinction between reporting formats.
• Build andmaintainclean, pivot-ready datasets.
• Support dashboard/BI reporting (Power BI, Reporting Hub), including data model integrity and DAX logic for % committed / % spent.
• Draft variance narratives distinguishing genuine cost overrun from scope or baseline changes.
• Assist with weekly pay runs, collaborating with procurement on outstanding documentation.
• Manage and control the asset register.
• Assist with supplier queries and requests as required.
• Undertake any other tasks as reasonably required by the Senior Finance Manager.

• Reconcile cost/code mapping documents against source systems (owner, entity, category).
• Maintain audit trail and documentation standards for…