Senior Cost Lead

Worker Type:
Employee

Job Post End Date: 07/02/2026

About this opportunity:

Cenovus is seeking a Senior Cost Lead to serve as the functional leader for the Cost Control discipline across Downstream Site Project Execution and Front-End Development (FED), providing strategic leadership, governance, and accountability for cost management performance across a diverse project portfolio. Reporting to the Project Controls Manager, this high-impact leadership role is responsible for the development, continuous improvement, and execution of cost tracking, analysis, forecasting, reporting, and change management processes that deliver accurate, value-added insights to improve project performance, portfolio management, and project-related financial decision-making.

The successful candidate will drive cost-efficient, lean, and system-optimized use of cost control resources while fostering predictable and competitive business performance through strong cross-functional integration with Project Management, Engineering, Supply Chain, Construction, contractors, and Finance. Location is flexible between Toledo, OH, Lima, OH, or Superior, WI, with occasional travel to other Cenovus sites, including Lloydminster, Alberta.

What you'll do:

• Lead the Cost Control function across Front-End Development (FED) and Project Execution, providing governance, strategic direction, and accountability for cost management performance throughout the project lifecycle.
• Provide functional leadership, coaching, and oversight for internal Cost Engineers, contract resources, and third-party service providers, ensuring consistent application of standards, high-quality deliverables, and strong individual and team performance.
• Own and continuously improve project cost management processes, including budgeting, commitments, actual costs, forecasting, cash flow, change management, variance analysis and performance reporting to support disciplined capital stewardship.
• Ensure project budgets and forecasts accurately reflect approved scope, schedule performance, contractor progress, changes, risks, and opportunities, while integrating risk assessments into project and portfolio financial outlooks.
• Deliver timely, accurate, and decision-focused reporting and analytics that provide actionable insights into project performance, portfolio health, cost trends, risks, and opportunities, enabling informed leadership and decision making.
• Partner with Project Managers, Front-End Development, Engineering, Estimating, Scheduling, Supply Chain, Construction, and Finance and external contractors to drive integrated project controls alignment, challenge cost performance, and advance cost competitiveness through benchmarking, lessons learned, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Who you are:

• Legally authorized to work in the US.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Finance, or a related discipline.
• 8+ years of related experience, including progressive experience in project cost engineering, project controls, or project management.
• Working knowledge of project controls systems such as SAP, Eco Sys, Maximo, Primavera P6, and advanced Excel reporting tools.

We acknowledge the value of transferrable skills and may consider equivalent combinations of experience and education should you not meet a specific requirement.

Note:
The Final date to receive applications for this position is 11:59 PM MT JULY 1, 2026.

Cenovus was ranked one of Canada's Best Employers in 2025. We're committed to being an employer of choice in our industry by offering a competitive total rewards package and employee programs and rewarding career development opportunities. Learn more.

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Who we are:

Cenovus is an integrated energy company headquartered in Calgary. We're committed to maximizing value by developing our assets in a safe, responsible and cost-efficient manner.

We operate in Canada, the United States and the Asia Pacific region. Our downstream operations include upgrading, refining and marketing operations in Canada and the United States. We are currently the largest refiner in Ohio and transport products from our refineries in Lima and Toledo, Ohio and Superior, Wisconsin via pipelines, rail cars and trucks to customers throughout the United States.

Other operations include oil sands projects in northern Alberta, thermal and conventional crude oil and natural gas projects across Western Canada, crude oil production offshore Newfoundland and Labrador and natural gas and liquids production offshore China and Indonesia.

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The Cenovus experience

Total rewards

We're committed to being an employer of choice through competitive compensation and our comprehensive total rewards package, including:

• Generous paid vacation
• Annual bonus
• Retirement savings plan matching
• Long-term…