PMC Lead Cost Estimation Engineer

About the Role
This is an exciting opportunity for a Lead Cost Estimation Engineer with extensive experience leading and overseeing all cost estimation activities within the Project Management Consultancy (PMC) team for the company or similar projects for high-profile clients.

Job Objective
To ensure the development, review, validation, and management of accurate, comprehensive, and competitive project cost estimates for the company projects, covering all phases from conceptual design and feasibility through FEED, detailed engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning. The role aims to provide effective cost control inputs, identify cost optimization opportunities, assess cost risks and uncertainties, and support informed decision-making to achieve project cost objectives while ensuring compliance with the company requirements, approved project procedures, and international cost engineering practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coordinate, and manage all cost estimation activities within the PMC organization for the company projects across various project phases.
• Review and validate cost estimates prepared by EPC contractors, engineering consultants, and other project stakeholders to ensure accuracy, completeness, consistency, and compliance with project requirements.
• Develop and maintain project cost estimates, including CAPEX, engineering, procurement, construction, installation, commissioning, indirect costs, contingency, and escalation.
• Ensure estimates are developed in accordance with the company standards, project specifications, approved procedures, and recognized international cost engineering practices.
• Review project scope, design basis, engineering deliverables, material take-offs, bills of quantities, equipment lists, and other technical inputs to establish reliable cost estimates.
• Establish and maintain appropriate estimating methodologies, norms, productivity rates, cost databases, benchmarks, and historical cost information.
• Prepare and review cost estimates at different project stages, including conceptual, feasibility, budgetary, preliminary, definitive, and detailed estimates.
• Assess contractor and subcontractor cost proposals, pricing breakdowns, resource rates, quotations, and commercial assumptions.
• Coordinate with engineering, procurement, construction, planning, project controls, and contracts teams to ensure consistency of technical and commercial inputs in cost estimates.
• Conduct cost benchmarking against similar the company and international oil and gas projects to validate estimate assumptions and identify cost improvement opportunities.
• Perform cost risk assessments, sensitivity analysis, contingency evaluations, and escalation assessments to establish realistic project cost provisions.
• Identify potential cost-saving opportunities, value engineering initiatives, alternative technical solutions, and cost optimization measures without compromising safety, quality, or project requirements.
• Monitor changes in project scope, design development, market conditions, and procurement strategies and assess their impact on project cost estimates.
• Provide independent cost assurance and challenge estimates submitted by EPC contractors and other project stakeholders.
• Prepare and present cost estimate reports, basis of estimates, cost breakdown structures, assumptions, exclusions, qualifications, and supporting documentation for management and the company review.
• Support project sanctioning, budget approval, funding reviews, tendering, contract negotiations, and project cost benchmarking activities.
• Ensure appropriate alignment between cost estimates, project schedules, procurement strategies, construction methodologies, and execution plans.
• Lead and mentor cost estimation engineers and specialists, ensuring the quality and timely delivery of estimation activities.
• Participate in project review meetings, technical evaluations, risk workshops, value engineering sessions, and cost optimization meetings.
• Ensure all estimating deliverables are properly documented, reviewed, controlled, and submitted within agreed project schedules.
• Provide professional cost engineering advice to the PMC Project Manager and the company stakeholders on estimate maturity, cost exposure, uncertainties, and potential financial risks.

Qualifications
What makes you remarkable?
At the company, we are committed to equal opportunities and welcome all talented individuals to consider joining our team. So even if you don't match every statement below but feel you have some of the experience, knowledge or skills needed for this role, we encourage you to apply. It will take all of us working together to deliver solutions to the world’s most critical challenges.

Expected:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, preferably in Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, Chemical, or a related discipline, from a recognized university.
• Minimum 15 years of relevant experience in cost estimation and cost engineering within the oil and gas, petrochemical, or energy industries.
• At least 5 years of experience in a lead or senior cost estimation engineering position, preferably within a PMC or consultancy environment.
• Proven experience working on major upstream, downstream, offshore, onshore, pipeline, refinery, gas processing, or petrochemical projects.
• Demonstrated experience in preparing, reviewing, validating, and benchmarking CAPEX estimates across conceptual, FEED, and EPC project phases.
• Strong working knowledge of the company standards, specifications, project procedures, and cost estimation requirements is highly desirable.
• Extensive knowledge of cost estimation methodologies, including factored, parametric, unit-rate, quantity-based, and detailed bottom-up estimating techniques.
• Sound understanding of engineering, procurement, construction, installation, commissioning, and project execution methodologies.
• Proven experience in reviewing EPC contractor estimates, commercial proposals, cost breakdowns, and supporting estimation documentation.
• Strong knowledge of cost databases, market rates, productivity norms, material pricing, equipment costs, indirect costs, contingency, and escalation factors.
• Familiarity with cost estimation and project controls software and tools, including Microsoft Excel and relevant estimating applications.
• Strong analytical, numerical, problem-solving, reporting, and presentation skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to interface effectively with the company representatives, PMC teams, EPC contractors, and other project stakeholders.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, manage competing priorities, and deliver high-quality estimation outputs within demanding project schedules.
• Professional certification such as AACE Certified Cost Professional (CCP) or equivalent is an advantage.

What We Can Offer

• Meaningful and interesting projects: Delivered to high-profile clients across the Energy Sector
• Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: We are an organization actively committed to diversity and inclusion across our business
• Competitive remuneration package: With regular reviews to ensure we are rewarding at the right level in line with the market
• Medical Insurance: Ensures inpatient and outpatient medical care is available should you require treatment
• Group Life and Personal Accident Insurance: The company provides Life Assurance cover
• End of Service Gratuity: In line with UAE Labor Law, all employees are eligible for an End of Service benefit
• The Employee Share Plan: Gives you the opportunity to purchase shares and receive a match from the company
• Long Service Award: Celebrating Long Service provides an opportunity for the business to demonstrate their appreciation of the hard work, dedication and many years of service of our employees at 5-year service milestones
• Commitment to continued professional development: Tailored development plans to support your individual needs and interests
• Global connections: Join experts around the world who are at the leading edge of our industry, shaping the standards of our profession
• Energy Transition Academy: Join a community of experts to share knowledge and gain exposure to various existing and emerging energy systems – delivered by experts in their field.