Cost Engineer

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain project baseline budgets, Control Account Plans, Responsibility Assignment Matrices, and WBS dictionaries.
• Monitor, control, and validate project accruals, commitments, resource forecasts, and financial data.
• Manage cost risk budgets, contingency drawdown, and support wider project risk management activities.
• Control financial change management, ensuring alignment with contractual and business requirements.
• Produce internal and external cost reports, including Earned Value Management (EVM) and variance analysis.
• Maintain Estimates at Completion (EACs), support forecasting activities, and provide financial performance insights to project stakeholders.

Requirements

• Significant experience in cost engineering, project controls, or quantity surveying within a complex engineering, construction, infrastructure, defence, or nuclear environment.
• Strong understanding of budgeting, cost control, forecasting, change management, and earned value analysis.
• Experience across the full project lifecycle from bid phase through to project close-out.
• HNC (or equivalent) in Cost Engineering, Quantity Surveying, or a related discipline.
• Professional membership or qualification (e.g. APM, AcostE, RICS) highly desirable.
• Advanced knowledge of EVM and project cost management methodologies.

Contract Details

Location: Reading

Duration: 26 weeks

Rate: £70.68/hr Umbrella

Per Diem: £100/day Umbrella for site days where home address is more than 30 miles from site

Hybrid Working: 3 days onsite

Start: ASAP, subject to clearance

Security Requirements: Candidates must be eligible for SC Clearance and have lived and worked in the UK continuously for the last 5 years. Applicants may start on BPSS clearance providing SC clearance is in progress. A valid CSCS/ECS card is required prior to commencement.