Cost Control Lead

Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over 22,000 people in more than 60 countries. 

Working with our clients across real estate, infrastructure, energy and natural resources, we transform together delivering outcomes that improve people’s lives. Working in partnership makes it possible to deliver the world’s most impactful projects and programmes as we turn challenge into opportunity and complexity into success. 

Our capabilities include programme, project, cost, asset and commercial management, controls and performance, procurement and supply chain, net zero and digital solutions. 

We are majority-owned by CBRE Group, Inc., the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, with our partners holding a significant minority interest. Turner & Townsend and CBRE work together to provide clients with the premier programme, project and cost management offering in markets around the world

Who are you?

You are an experienced Cost Lead with 15+ years of experience in cost management and cost control on major capital projects, either seeking your next step or currently working in a similar role within a comparable environment. You are self-motivated, analytical, and capable of working independently as well as part of an integrated client/project team.

You bring structure and rigour to cost reporting, forecasting, and performance management, and you are confident advising senior stakeholders on cost performance, trends, and emerging cost pressures. You thrive in complex, fast-moving capital project environments and take ownership of delivering high-quality cost management outcomes for your clients.

Job Description

As a Cost Lead – Cost Management & Control, you will be embedded within client environments in the energy and natural resources sector, providing leadership and delivering cost management and cost control services across major capital programs. Working alongside project delivery and controls teams, your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Cost Control & Reporting

• Support the development and implementation of cost management governance frameworks, procedures, and standards across the project or program.
• Develop, implement, and maintain cost control systems, processes, and procedures to track project baselines, budgets, commitments, actuals, accruals, incurred cost, and forecasts.
• Establish and manage Cost Breakdown Structures (CBS) aligned to Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) to enable accurate cost performance tracking and reporting.
• Lead monthly cost control activities, including cost data validation, actual cost tracking, ETC/EAC forecasting, variance analysis, and management commentary.
• Develop and maintain cost dashboards and reporting tools that provide clear, data-driven insights to project and senior leadership.
• Apply Earned Value Management (EVM) principles to support cost performance measurement, forecasting, and project controls integration where applicable.
• Track and manage contingency drawdown, allowances, cost trends, and emerging cost risks.

Change Management & Commercial

• Support the change control process, including trend identification, cost impact assessment, change order review, and baseline updates.
• Review and validate contractor/subcontractor cost submissions, invoices, progress claims, and change impacts from a cost control perspective, in coordination with commercial and contract teams.
• Provide cost input to procurement, commercial, and contract administration activities where required, including cost validation, budget alignment, and assessment of cost impacts.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as the primary cost management and cost control point of contact for clients, project managers, and interfacing disciplines including Finance, Planning, Risk, and Commercial teams.
• Promote cost control best practices and provide expert advice to project teams and senior stakeholders.

• Present cost performance, forecasts, variances, and risk exposure clearly to senior and executive-level audiences.

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop junior cost control staff, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement.
• Support knowledge management, lessons learned, and benchmarking activities across engagements.

Qualifications

Required

• Minimum 15 years of experience in cost management/cost control on capital projects, with demonstrated leadership responsibility.
• Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, or a related field.
• Proven experience implementing and managing cost control processes on major capital programs in the energy or natural resources sector.
• Strong understanding of how cost control interfaces with scheduling, risk, change management, and project reporting.
• Clear understanding of the distinction between cost control and finance/accounting functions.
• Proficiency in cost management tools and platforms (e.g., EcoSys, Procore, or equivalent) and advanced MS Excel; experience with data visualization tools such as Power BI is an asset.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present to senior and executive stakeholders.

Preferred / Assets

• Membership or certification with AACE International, such as CCP or EVP, is strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with the AACE estimate classification framework (Class 1–5) and how estimate maturity informs cost baselines and forecasting.
• Experience working within energy, oil & gas, utilities, or natural resources capital programs.
• Familiarity with scheduling tools sufficient to critically assess schedule impacts on cost (e.g., Primavera P6, MS Project).
• Experience with ERP-integrated cost environments (e.g., SAP, Oracle, D365).

Additional Information

What's in it for you... 

• 100% covered health and dental benefits for you and your dependents (including paramedical services) 
• Health spending account, to top up expenses not covered in the benefits program 
• RRSP option with company matching 
• Annual learning and development budget 
• Access to a range of online learning tools, and support for career development and growth 
• Coverage of one professional membership or license fee per year, if directly related to your role
• We believe in work-life balance, so you can recharge and take care of what matters most with vacation, flex and sick days
• A flexible, hybrid work approach that allows colleagues to find balance between their professional and personal lives 
• Commitment to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture that promotes a sense of belonging 

Our inspired people share our vision and mission. We provide a great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change.

We want our people to succeed both in work and life. To support this we promote a healthy, productive and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance. 

We are an Equal opportunity employer who will ensure accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities upon request. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

Please find out more about us at 

#LI-SA1

#LI-Hybrid

Join our social media conversations for more information about Turner & Townsend and our exciting future projects: 

It is strictly against Turner & Townsend policy for candidates to pay any fee in relation to our recruitment process. No recruitment agency working with Turner & Townsend will ask candidates to pay a fee at any time. 

Any unsolicited resumes/CVs submitted through our website or to Turner & Townsend personal e-mail accounts, are considered property of Turner & Townsend and are not subject to payment of agency fees. In order to be an authorised Recruitment Agency/Search Firm for Turner & Townsend, there must be a formal written agreement in place and the agency must be invited, by the Recruitment Team, to submit candidates for review. 

Join our social media conversations for more information about Turner & Townsend and our exciting future projects: 

It is strictly against Turner & Townsend policy for candidates to pay any fee in relation to our recruitment process. No recruitment agency working with Turner & Townsend will ask candidates to pay a fee at any time. 

Any unsolicited resumes/CVs submitted through our website or to Turner & Townsend personal e-mail accounts, are considered property of Turner & Townsend and are not subject to payment of agency fees. In order to be an authorised Recruitment Agency/Search Firm for Turner & Townsend, there must be a formal written agreement in place and the agency must be invited, by the Recruitment Team, to submit candidates for review.