Cost Controls Manager

About the Positions 

We’re seeking Cost Controls Managers to support large, heavy-civil infrastructure programs—including highways, roads, bridges, transit (including rail and bus), and airport projects delivered through both traditional and alternative methods. These roles require close collaboration with project teams to monitor financial performance, maintain budget discipline, and drive cost efficiency—ultimately supporting the on-time, on-budget delivery of complex infrastructure projects.  

This posting is for future roles and not for a specific opportunity that is available right now. We accept applications and conduct interviews in advance of upcoming hiring needs. When a candidate is selected, their profile is activated in our talent pool for this specialty area. We notify our talent pool candidates first whenever we have a project need. This posting targets the greater Puget Sound Region (Seattle/Bellevue/Tacoma/Olympia) in Washington state.   

Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:  

• Develop and maintain integrated cost-management plans—budget baselines, work-package structures, coding standards, and change-control workflows. 
• Produce rolling forecasts, cash-flow curves, and earned-value metrics; highlight variances and recommend corrective actions. 
• Coordinate with project controls, scheduling, estimating, and legal teams to quantify impacts, ensure alignment among cost, schedule, and risk registers, and recommend commercial risk mitigation actions.  
• Lead monthly cost reviews with owner leadership, prepping dashboards, trend analyses, and scenario models. 
• Validate contractor cost reports, payment applications, and contingency drawdowns against contract requirements and progress data. 
• Support funding agency reporting (e.g., FTA, FRA, FAA, etc.) and external audits; ensure audit trails meet federal and state compliance standards. 
• Champion continuous improvement by standardizing templates, automating data pipelines, and mentoring project staff in cost-control best practices. 
• Contribute to claims defense and forensic analyses by supplying time-phased cost data and change order histories. 

Attributes 

• Sharp analytical thinker who turns raw data into concise, persuasive narratives for executive audiences. 
• Detail-oriented guardian of fiscal discipline who sees the “big picture” of scope, schedule, and commercial risk. 
• Collaborative, low-ego communicator who is comfortable guiding multidiscipline teams. 
• Adaptable mindset suited to fast-moving, politically visible mega projects. 

Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, finance, business, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.   
• 10+ years of hands-on cost management or program controls experience on large (>$500M), complex, heavy-civil infrastructure projects. 
• Experience with alternative delivery methods (e.g., DB, CM/GC, P3) and associated risk-allocation mechanisms.  
• Demonstrated success building and managing detailed budgets, change-order logs, and cost forecasts. 
• Proficiency in financial modeling and reporting. 
• Experience interfacing with industry standard scheduling systems, cost systems, and contract platforms to ensure alignment (e.g., Primavera P6, PMWeb, Prism, Aconex, Unifier, e-Builder, etc.). 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite/Office 365 (e.g., Outlook, Teams, Word, PowerPoint, etc.).