Job Title: Senior Cost Controller

Location: Woodmead

Primary Purpose (Role):

The Senior Cost Controller is responsible for developing and maintaining project cost information, including planned and actual costs and commitment schedules on larger projects. This role may require managing a team of cost controllers to handle the workload effectively. The Senior Cost Controller oversees, facilitates, and assigns cost control functions while maintaining close liaison with the project team.

Key Performance Areas (Responsibilities)

Technical Expertise

• Setting up the project coding structure.
• Strong understanding of project process flows.
• Establishing cost control systems for projects.
• Interpreting stakeholder and business requirements accurately.

EPCM Man-hour Schedule:

• Populating the EPCM schedule with the actual budget forecast.
• Capturing man-hours monthly and updating forecasts with the Project Manager prior to month end.
• Requesting, reconciling and capturing all reimbursable costs from the accounts department monthly.
• Preparing and submitting EPCM invoices and statements to clients, and following up on payments (Invoice Age Analysis).
• Monitoring EPCM services progress and performance.
• Obtaining progress information from the EPCM controller and updating the EPCM status report.

Cost Control:

• Coding of CBE, converting flat files into import files, and data mapping.
• Setting up import files in accordance with coding methodology.
• Conducting monthly forecasting update meetings with the Project Manager, Engineers and Quantity Surveyors.
• Producing monthly reports and dashboards.
• Reconciling procurement data to Costrac with the Commitment Register.
• Monthly reconciliation of costs with the client and DRA.
• Mapping processes and ensuring timely integration across departments.
• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) building and project scheduling.
• Compiling and maintaining asset registers.
• Auditing cost and accounting project operations to ensure compliance with company procedures and accuracy.
• Applying Earned Value Management principles.
• Conducting procurement analysis and charting.

Costrac System:

• Loading cost flow templates (cash flow, terms & conditions as per contract).
• Capturing orders against the correct cost centre and verifying before commitment.
• Allocating payments correctly, ensuring documentation is checked, signed by relevant parties, sent to the client, and securely filed.
• Recording change notices with correct reasons.
• Capturing client costs where applicable.
• Processing journals with appropriate backup.
• Managing month-end procedures.
• Creating Costrac project SQL pivot reports.

People Management:

• Overseeing, facilitating and assigning cost control functions.
• Interfacing with the project team regarding document control processes.
• Assisting with the daily management of the Cost Control department.
• Monitoring cost control progress on projects.
• Conducting training and mentoring as required, including cost control and accounts payable teams.

General Responsibilities:

• Creating, maintaining, and reporting on project incurred and forecasted costs.
• Identifying opportunities to streamline work processes.
• Supporting the development of control budgets.
• Assisting with the setup and issuance of cost reports, including cost control curves.
• Supporting the development of contingency and change management procedures.
• Supporting project progress measurement practises.
• Assisting with the development of the Final Forecast Cost (FFC) and proactive risk identification and mitigation.
• Ensuring compliance with standardised processes, systems, and tools.
• Managing relationships internally with cost controllers and contracting partners.
• Maintaining internal relationships with the Procurement and Estimating teams to ensure accuracy in current trends.
• Analysing and reporting budget and cost variations proactively.
• Providing technical cost control support to project stakeholders.
• Utilising guidance and protocols for cost controllers within the capital projects framework.
• Preparing and producing the required project cost reports.
• Initiating budgetary control systems and documentation for projects.
• Preparing forecasts, cost trend reports, and monitoring cost and commitments against budgets and forecasts.
• Reporting on deviations, under-runs and overruns.
• Conducting research and assembling all relevant cost information.
• Finalising coding of detailed estimate line items using the baseline project control budget (confirmed by Lead Cost Controller) to establish package budgets.
• Monitoring and updating project schedules.
• Using project schedules and progress reports to generate data and curves for each cost profile.
• Establishing asset management methodology in conjunction with the Lead Cost Controller, based on client's asset management philosophy (asset register).
• Producing asset capitalisation reports in line with client requirements.
• Assigning budgets for procurement packages, performing budget reconciliation of scope and pricing, and producing reconciliation statements to support award recommendations.
• Attending periodic reviews and maintaining forecasts for all packages, ensuring full coding based on EPCM status reports, expenditure, and project changes/trends.
• Forecasting project contingency requirements, escalation, foreign exchange and currencies.
• Importing detailed actual cost and commitment data into the cost system and running detailed baseline cost reports by package.
• Participating in trending and change management processes and incorporating approved trends into the project estimate at completion.
• Updating and maintaining budgets with approved Project Change Notices (PCNs).
• Producing and reviewing cost reports with the Lead Cost Controller and analysing variances.
• Generating data and curves for each cost profile (baseline and periodic updates).
• Updating budget, commitment, forecast, payment and cost statements for monthly reports.
• Attending periodic reviews and maintaining forecasts for all packages.

Stakeholder Relations:

• Ensuring all interactions with stakeholders are conducted professionally and respectfully.
• Keeping all relevant stakeholders informed and up to date on the status of the project's technical aspects.
• Maintaining DRA's position as the client’s preferred engineering service provider.

Personal Capabilities:

• Taking ownership and accountability for deliverables.
• Being proactive, results-driven and committed.
• Valuing innovation and diversity of ideas.
• Maintaining a positive, “can-do” attitude.
• Demonstrating initiative.
• Continuously seeking opportunities to grow and improve capability.
• Driving personal development both within the industry through registration and within the company.

Job Requirements

Dimensions

• Financial: Yes
• Direct Staff: N/A
• Indirect Staff: N/A
• Scope of Responsibility: Tactical

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance or Business-related discipline – Essential
• Advanced MS Excel skills – Essential

Experience

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a similar role within a multi-disciplinary EPCM environment – Essential

Knowledge Areas

• Experience working within EPCM and/or mining environments – Essential
• Knowledge of specific departments such as Projects, Project Controls, etc. – Essential
• Familiarity with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 & OHSAS 18001 – Advantageous
• Sound technical knowledge in a multi-disciplinary environment – Advantageous
• Strong knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, final costs, cash flows and estimating – Essential
• Working knowledge of estimating and tendering processes

Contact information

Yolanda Swart