Capital Projects Cost Controls Manager

Bring financial clarity to complex capital work. In this role, you’ll guide projects from kickoff to closeout by building cost baselines, forecasting and accruals, and explaining the “why” behind every variance. This is a project cost management position—not general accounting or bookkeeping.

A day in the role

Imagine starting your week by aligning the approved estimate, hours, and schedule into a single cost baseline. Midweek, you’re collaborating with engineering and construction partners to consolidate cost inputs, update forecasts and cash flow, and assess the impact of field changes. By week’s end, you’re presenting crisp insights to leadership—what changed, why it changed, and how to mitigate it—while ensuring records reflect commitments, spends, deviations, and change orders.

What you’ll drive

• Integrate cost estimates, work-hour estimates, and schedules into a robust project cost baseline and Work Breakdown Structure aligned to execution strategy.
• Maintain the cost baseline; coordinate cost inputs across disciplines; and keep forecasts and reporting accurate and current.
• Develop and maintain cost reports, cash flow forecasts, cancellation curves, contingency analyses, and monthly accruals.
• Track actuals, commitments, spending, and cash flow; compare to forecasts; and clearly explain variances.
• Estimate cancellation costs and evaluate how changes and deviations affect the total budget.
• Ensure cost records reflect committed and spent funds, deviation notices, field change orders, and execution changes.
• Produce a credible forecast to complete—funds required to finish within approved budget and schedule—grounded in cost trends and analysis.
• Surface cost risks and critical issues early and partner with project leadership on mitigation actions.
• Provide cost data for KPIs, external benchmarking, and project closeout; deliver clear updates and cost performance reports to teams and leaders.

Qualifications

Required

• Several years in project cost management, project controls, or a closely related function.
• Depth in cost forecasting, budgeting, accruals, and variance analysis.
• Ability to interpret project financial performance and communicate findings to stakeholders.
• Self-directed, able to operate with minimal training.
• Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field preferred; equivalent relevant experience considered.

Preferred

• Background with capital, industrial, engineering, construction, or EPC projects; experience on large programs is a plus.
• Comfort collaborating with Project Managers, Engineers, Construction Managers, and Project Controls teams.
• SAP strongly preferred; EcoSys a plus.
• Advanced Excel and strong cost-reporting capability.

Work setup

• Preference for candidates in the Houston area.
• Hybrid model: four days onsite; Fridays remote.
• Standard 40-hour week with limited overtime.
• Flexible start times.
• Free onsite parking.