Senior Cost Engineer at SGS

Job Description

• To control and report on the financial or cost status of the project and highlight any deviations timeously.

Provide costing function strategies     

• To provide support in delivering a complete suite of cost-control services and financial consignments to the Project team.
• To provide cost input and to implement the cost element of risk management plan
• To ensure adherence to the segment financial, business and project processes.
• To provide input in the cost control strategy, plans and procedures.
• Stay abreast of new trends and innovations

Provide cost control support during project lifecycle  

• To understand the scope of work and obtaining relevant documentation by
• Getting the estimate for a specific project
• Ensuring that both the client’s and company requirements are clear and understood
• To develop a project budget ensuring pre – budget steps are taken by:
• Defining the work breakdown structure, aligning to project strategy and PMO and getting it signed off
• Developing CBS’s, finalising them and getting them signed off.
• Finalising the set budget, making changes if necessary, and input approved data on the relevant system.
• To ensure forecasting of financial project cost and trending
• To ensure continuous contact with the project team on a regular basis.
• To manage the close-out process of budget /actual data by:
• Summarising the history of the project in the report
• Conducting checks and balances to track between commitment and actual
• Indicating the lessons learned during the project in the report.

Client Relationships (internal & external) & Reporting 

Ensure team participation by:

•  Attending and participating in the following meetings:
• Project Kick off meeting
•  Progress and co-ordination meeting
• Risk analysis meeting
• Project Review meeting for a specific project
• To deliver Dashboard reports during the project

Internal Reports:

• WIP Summary Report (which entails cost allocation)
• Labour Man-hour Report
• Call Forward Report (budget vs actual)
• Change order report
• Internal Management Report (Cash flow, commitment, issues major variances and ledger)
• Purchase order Report
• Project History Report
• Sundries Report

External Reports:

• Cash Flow Report
• Client management Report
• Direct Field Cost (DFC) Report
• Actively promote the Company's professional image, both internally & externally

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS

• Applicable tertiary qualification in either Engineering, QS or commercial environment, alternatively professional certification as a Certified Cost Professional (CCP), or Earned Value Professional (EVP) or Project Management Professional (PMP)Grade 12

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 8 years or more years in a capital projects cost engineering environment
• Must be able to work unsupervised in a multi-disciplinary project environment.  Must have good communication skills and must be able to work under pressure.  Must be able to cope with deadline related stress.  Must be able to relate to clients in a professional manner
• A good knowledge of the Primavera P6 and Primavera Contract Manager tools would be a recommendation
• A good understanding of the Oracle E-Business Suite (Projects) would be a recommendation
• The ability to use Primavera Risk Analysis would be a strong benefit but not a prerequisite
• Advanced user of Microsoft Excel
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Word and PowerPoint 

REQUIRED SKILLS / KNOWLEDGE

• Cost control: Knowledge of cost engineering principles: total cost management and total quality management etc.
• Reporting: Ability to prepare detailed reports and manage the most effective techniques and tools in report drafting.
• Risk analysis: Ability to identify project and activates risks from any point of view.
• Basic IT Tools, office automation and graphic software      
• Familiarity and use of office automation software tools and basic computer applications.
• Accounting: Knowledge of basic accounting principles.
• Planning & Control: Knowledge of methods and techniques to analyse current and future financial situation identifying trends and problems (actual vs, budget analysis, variances etc.)
• Change management: Ability to effectively and efficiently manage changes during the project
• Industry Knowledge: Understanding of contract types and of their main features
• Legislation & Standards: Knowledge of sector specific law e.g. Engineering, safety etc. and standard specifications e.g. Plant layout requirements etc.
• Project Management: Knowledge of basic project management methods and all project lifecycle phases