About the Role
Be a part of our team as a Project Finance Controller in Dubai, UAE.
The Project Cost Controller is responsible for providing end-to-end cost, commercial, and financial control across complex engineering, infrastructure, or electromechanical projects. This role acts as a key interface between Project Management, Engineering, Procurement, Planning, Construction, Commercial Management, and Finance to ensure accurate visibility of project cost, revenue, cash flow, risk, and profitability throughout the full project lifecycle. This is a techno-commercial role requiring strong cost control discipline, contractual awareness, financial planning capability, and the ability to translate technical project progress into reliable financial forecasts and management reporting.
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Key Accountabilities
The Project Cost Controller will establish and maintain the project cost structure, budgets, commitments, actual costs, and forecasts. The role is responsible for monitoring cost performance, identifying variances, recommending corrective actions, and maintaining full cost transparency from contract award through project completion.
- Prepare and maintain project budgets, cost reports, cost-to-complete forecasts, cash flow forecasts, and margin projections.
- Monitor planned, committed, and actual costs against approved budgets and highlight deviations early.
- Maintain accurate Estimate to Complete and Estimate at Completion by validating inputs from project, engineering, procurement, planning, and site teams.
- Support revenue recognition, customer billing, payment applications, certification tracking, and invoicing milestone management.
- Review supplier and subcontractor payment applications, verify progress, and ensure payments are aligned with contractual obligations.
- Support commercial and contract management activities, including variations, claims, contractual entitlement, records, and Extension of Time cost impacts.
- Prepare periodic management reports covering cost performance, revenue, margin, cash flow, budget versus actuals, commitments, risks, and opportunities.
- Act as the financial and commercial interface across the project organization to ensure one aligned and reliable project forecast.
Qualifications and Experience
- Degree in Quantity Surveying, Cost Engineering, Construction Management, Engineering, Finance, Business, or a related discipline.
- 7–10 years of experience in project cost control, quantity surveying, commercial control, or project finance within large engineering, EPC, construction, infrastructure, or electromechanical projects.
- Experience in airport systems, industrial automation, or complex infrastructure projects is highly desirable.
- Strong understanding of FIDIC or equivalent construction contracts, variation management, claims support, and commercial mechanisms.
- Professional certification such as RICS, AACE, CPA, CMA, or equivalent is an advantage.
Technical Competencies
The ideal candidate should demonstrate practical experience across project cost control, commercial administration, forecasting, progress measurement, and performance reporting, with the ability to convert project execution data into reliable financial insight.
- Developing and maintaining Cost Breakdown Structures, Work Breakdown Structures, Bills of Quantities, and activity-based cost models to support structured project cost control.
- Preparing and managing budgets, cost forecasts, Estimate to Complete, Estimate at Completion, revenue forecasts, and cash flow forecasts.
- Monitoring budget performance, commitments, actual costs, progress measurement, and variance trends to support timely corrective actions.
- Applying Earned Value Management principles and project performance indicators where required to assess cost and schedule performance.
- Supporting change management, contract administration, risk and opportunity management, and commercial reporting throughout the project lifecycle.
Systems and Tools
Required experience includes advanced Microsoft Excel and ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, or equivalent. Exposure to Power BI, Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, CostX, Candy, Aconex, or similar platforms is advantageous.
Personal Attributes
The role requires a structured, analytical, and proactive professional who combines commercial awareness with strong financial discipline. The candidate should be confident working with engineers, project managers, commercial teams, and finance stakeholders, and must be able to challenge assumptions using facts, data, and project evidence.
- Strong analytical mindset with attention to detail and accuracy.
- Ability to understand technical execution and convert project progress into financial impact.
- Clear communication skills across project, commercial, and finance functions.
- Independent, proactive, and comfortable working in a complex project environment.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace and encourage all qualified candidates to apply.
