Associate Director - Cost Management

Who are you? You are an expert Associate Director in Cost Management with a minimum of 15+ years post-graduate experience looking for the next step or are currently undertaking a similar role in a similar environment. As an Associate Director in Cost Management, you will lead the delivery of high‑quality cost management services across all project stages. You will own cost deliverables, provide clear commercial and risk advice, manage change and procurement processes, and interface closely with clients, and project teams. You will also contribute to business development, knowledge management, and the mentoring of junior team members. As an Associate Director in Cost Management, you will be involved in: Strategic Cost Advisory • Serve as a senior advisor to clients on project cost, commercial strategy, governance, procurement, and delivery approaches. • Provide independent recommendations regarding cost management best practices, market trends, procurement strategies, and commercial frameworks. • Advise clients on cost and risk implications associated with various project delivery models, including Progressive Design-Build (PDB), Design-Build, EPC, Alliance, and EPCM. • Facilitate executive discussions regarding project affordability, value optimization, risk allocation, and commercial decision-making. • Provide strategic guidance on industry practices, market trends, and emerging approaches to cost management and project delivery. Pre-Contract Services • Lead the development and review of conceptual, Class 5 through Class 1 estimates. • Oversee quantity-based, parametric, benchmark-driven, and detailed estimating activities. • Prepare detailed cost plans, elemental cost analyses, and budget validations from concept through final investment decision. • Conduct estimate validation, constructability, and cost challenge workshops with project stakeholders. • Assess estimate maturity and alignment with project scope development. • Support business cases, investment approvals, and funding submissions through robust cost development and assurance. Progressive Design-Build & Collaborative Cost Development • Support clients throughout Progressive Design-Build procurement and project development phases. • Lead collaborative estimate development, validation workshops, and open-book cost reviews involving owners, designers, contractors, and key stakeholders. • Establish and facilitate a structured Collaborative Cost Validation Framework to ensure transparency, alignment, and confidence in project budgets throughout design development and project execution. • Facilitate target value design exercises, cost alignment workshops, and commercial discussions between project participants. • Review and challenge assumptions related to quantities, productivity, labour rates, equipment pricing, construction methodologies, risk allowances, contingency levels, escalation, and contractor pricing while maintaining a collaborative and partnership-oriented environment. • Support target price development and validation processes under collaborative contracting arrangements. Cost Management, Forecasting & Financial Controls • Lead the preparation of detailed cost plans, estimates, elemental analyses, and budget validations throughout the project lifecycle, from concept development through project closeout. • Develop and maintain project cost models, cash flow forecasts, cost reports, dashboards, and financial performance metrics. • Monitor project budgets and perform cost forecasting, earned value assessments, and cost-to-complete analyses. • Track contingencies, allowances, escalation provisions, and management reserves to support effective project governance. • Manage contractor and subcontractor cost submissions, estimate updates, pr