Cost engineer role overview

Supporting buildings, villas, mixed-use developments, and theme park projects across the Middle East, ensuring accurate cost control and financial monitoring in line with project and contractual requirements. Prepares cost estimates, monitors budgets, and tracks expenditures while evaluating variations, progress payments, and contractor claims in coordination with project teams. Provides cost analysis, reporting, and forecasting support to ensure effective financial management and successful delivery within approved project budgets.

Key responsibilities

• Oversees budgeting, cost control, estimating, and reporting processes.
• Implements and manages cost management software tools.
• Assesses variations in project costs against approved budgets.
• Evaluates the accuracy of cost estimates submitted by design consultants and contractors.
• Prepares and updates cost forecasts to reflect project changes.
• Verifies that cost estimates and expenditures align with contractual agreements and specifications.
• Reviews Bill of Quantities (BOQ) prepared by design consultants and contractors.
• Validates project control budgets and updates them as needed.
• Reviews final cost reports, assets registers, and project close-out documents.
• Ensures compliance with contractual requirements for project closeout.
• Understands and adheres to QHSE policies, manuals, and procedures.
• Implements QHSE practices within their area of responsibility.
• Collaborates with project teams to address cost-related issues.
• Provides expert advice on cost management strategies.
• Contributes to continuous improvement of cost management practices.
• Informs themselves of the relevant quality, environmental, safety, and occupational health policies, manuals, and procedures and ensures continued compliance.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the line manager or supervisor.

Qualifications and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering from an accredited university.
• Minimum 10-15 years’ experience in cost control including having held a similar role for large-scale projects.
• Experience in performing, monitoring, and reviewing cost engineering functions, including cost estimating, cost control, financial reporting systems, and cost analysis, both in the field and the home office.
• Statistical knowledge in the areas of sampling distributions, probability, and hypothesis testing.
• Knowledge of personnel administration and training of technical and non-technical personnel.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, organize, direct, perform, review, and present cost engineering and cost estimating products. This includes planning and scheduling products independently with minimal supervision using a high level of professional judgment and knowledge related to technical planning and scheduling skills and engineering design and construction practices.
• Skilled in verbal and written communication.
• Advanced level of knowledge of engineering, procurement, contracts, construction, and startup work processes.
• Knowledge of engineering and construction management usually acquired over time through specialized instruction or practical experience.
• Experience of working internationally, with preference for GCC experience.

About the company

Hill International, with more than 4,300 professionals in over 100 offices worldwide, provides program management, project management, construction management, project management oversight, advisory, facilities management, and other consulting services to clients in a variety of market sectors. Engineering News-Record magazine recently ranked Hill as one of the largest program management firms in the world.

Hill is exclusively a program, project, and construction management provider, meaning the company has one focus: protecting client interests. Free of any potential conflicts, the entire business is geared towards helping clients achieve their desired outcomes. Hill is dedicated to exceeding expectations throughout the entire construction project lifecycle and adapts to the needs of each assignment to develop tailored approaches and solutions to meet those needs.

Hill International is an equal opportunity employer, veteran, and disabled friendly.

Additional information

This job description is intended to provide an indication of the nature and levels of work, knowledge, skills, abilities, and other essential functions to be carried out as part of fulfilling the role. Various other duties may be required as assigned.