Position:
Senior Cost Specialist - Program
Prepared by:
Location:
Santa Cruz Project, Casa Grande, AZ
Approved by:
Reports to:
Program Controls Manager
Effective date:
Q2 2026
Summary of Primary Functions
Ivanhoe Electric is advancing the Santa Cruz Copper Project into the execution phase using an Integrated Project Execution Team. At Ivanhoe Electric, we believe that Program Controls is the hub of our program's success, and we are currently seeking an experienced Program Lead Planner to join our Program Controls team for an on-site role in Casa Grande, providing cost engineering/management support for our major Capital Project. In this role, you will serve as the key day-to-day interface with the Director of Engineering and Construction to ensure that program-level costs are transparent and well understood, and that mitigation measures are developed and implemented to meet budget requirements at the program, project, and subproject levels.
The Senior Cost Specialist provides governance, leadership, tools, and guidance to the Underground and Surface Projects Cost analysts to support control of the overall program budget through execution. Cost Management recommendations and scenario analyses are to be submitted directly to the Program Engineering and Construction teams and the Director of Construction, who approves outcomes for incorporation into the project's overall cost report.
In general, you will support the program team in aligning the approved cost strategy, challenging forecast assumptions across projects/subprojects, supporting discussions on risk exposure and variances, and identifying solutions to funding requirements. You will be part of efforts to find innovative solutions to cost-engineering challenges and contribute to the program's success.
Specific Responsibilities/Essential Functions
Program Execution and Safety Integration
- Embody and promote the ‘Zero Harm’ values of Ivanhoe Electric.
- Be a role model who promotes Ivanhoe Electric’s business culture and contributes positively to the program goals by striking the right balance among our teams, stakeholders, and community.
- Provide cost leadership to 2 cost analysts, responsible for their respective projects.
- Identify, coach, and mentor talent to realize their potential.
- Display excellence in leadership in cost management delivery in line with the conditions of the role.
Overall Budget Management
- Provide estimates and cost planning, including producing and presenting the final cost plan.
- Review and participate with the engineering and construction teams in developing cost estimates (WBS/Cost Center coding and confirmation of work packages).
- Developing cost plans and estimates through the detailed design phase, delivering updated cost plans at appropriate design milestones.
- Recast the overall program budget into the Control budget for the Program to a level of detail required for appropriate forecasting and evaluation of performance of partners and contractors.
- Contribute to the procurement process by reviewing critical packages for a scope-to-scope review and alignment of the WBS / Code of accounts.
- Support the development of a process for active support of individual projects by the trend and Change Control Committee at the program level, encouraging a scope review and an impact analysis before submitting a trend or change request.
- Work with the project team to review contingency drawdown requests and recommend mitigation measures for high-probability risks or trends.
- Ensure Project Cost analysts explain variances during the period and submit reconciliation requests to the accounting and accounts payable teams.
Progress Measurement and Forecasting
- Lead estimating, cost controls, and change management activities throughout the project lifecycle.
- Carries out validation of trend/changes on a bi-weekly and monthly basis.
- Support procurement and construction teams in estimating to negotiate change orders throughout the program lifecycle.
- Liaise with the project managers to ensure the team gathers status information to prepare a forecast update in a timely fashion.
- Use of rules of credit to establish Earned Value Management methods to support forecasting or bottom-up estimating.
- Ensuring that cost auditing, validation of accruals and evaluation of work in progress is managed effectively and that a robust process is in place.
- Preparation of Cost and incurred flows to ensure alignment with cash needs with the finance team.
Reporting
- Develop and implement priority plans, including risk mitigation strategies, using internal tools and performance metrics (KPIs, critical success factors, and earned value frameworks).
- Support program-level capital planning and reporting.
- Produce monthly cost forecast reports and provide regular updates on project performance, including recommending solutions and securing leadership alignment.
- Participate in leadership meetings with the SVP, GM, Directors, and team members, and prepare/deliver presentations as required.
Systems and Information Management
- Use of Project Controls tools compatible with Microsoft Dynamics or Business Central and internal tools to track earned value and forecast costs through financial reports.
- Implement and maintain internal Business Management Systems (including Power BI) and delivery methodologies to ensure consistent delivery of cost management services.
- Compiling as-built or actual cost data for benchmarking purposes.
- Drive knowledge management by capturing lessons learned and maintaining internal databases.
Preferred Skills, Knowledge, and Experience
Required
- Excellent communication and presentation skills that combine sound analytical cost engineering principles with the ability to summarize and present budget strategy/cost plans to technical and non-technical team members.
- Initiative-taking, purposeful, and capable of thriving in a multi-partner project execution delivery team.
- Bachelor’s degree in construction management, cost management, estimating, engineering, or a field related to mining or construction.
- Minimum 10 + years of relevant experience working in a cost management role in the construction or mining industry.
- Experience leading cost management on major construction projects with a high degree of complexity.
- Good knowledge of various construction industry technical matters, such as different procurement processes for cost management, value engineering, accounting principles for accruals, and earned value management for forecasting.
- Good knowledge of SOX requirements for cost reporting and interfacing with accounting.
- Experienced at leading a small team and interfacing in a matrix functional environment.
- Demonstrated skill in establishing Project Controls activities and directing cost engineering functions, including cost estimating, cost control, and cost analysis.
- Skilled in providing direction, team management, and training of technical and non-technical personnel.
- Demonstrated skill in identifying, analyzing, and solving problems.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience with Power BI or equivalent tools for Cost Reporting preferred.
Work Pattern
- Site-based at Santa Cruz project office and site presence at the mine site on an as-required basis.
- Partial local remote work may be considered upon request.