Senior Cost Control Engineer

About the Company

We are a real estate developer delivering luxury branded residences across the UAE. Our portfolio includes villas and apartments with premium amenities such as beach clubs, golf courses and high-end finishes. Our upcoming pipeline consists of multi-billion-dirham projects, and we are looking for a Senior Cost Control Engineer to protect the financial performance of these developments from design through handover.

The Role

As Senior Cost Control Engineer, you will be the main source of reliable cost information on our projects. You will track, forecast and report project costs across a large, complex portfolio, and you will give senior leadership, including the CEO, clear, accurate and timely insight into project status, financial exposure and risks. This is a high-visibility position for someone who is comfortable presenting numbers with confidence and challenging assumptions when needed.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, manage and maintain project cost control systems, budgets and cost baselines for mega-scale developments
• Prepare monthly cost reports, cash flow forecasts and cost-to-complete projections
• Produce concise executive dashboards and status reports for the CEO and senior management, highlighting key risks, variances and decisions required
• Monitor committed costs, actual costs and forecast final cost against approved budgets
• Track and analyse variation orders, change requests and claims, and assess their impact on budget and programme
• Review contractor and consultant payment applications and reconcile them against contracts, progress and budget
• Work with the Quantity Surveying, Procurement, Design and Project Management teams to ensure cost alignment through all project stages
• Support value engineering exercises and cost-saving initiatives without compromising luxury quality standards
• Review tender evaluations, contract awards and buyout savings
• Carry out cost benchmarking and trend analysis across projects
• Identify cost risks early and recommend mitigation strategies
• Maintain a full audit trail of cost data, assumptions and approvals
• Improve cost control processes, tools and reporting standards across the organisation

Requirements

Education and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management or a related field
• Minimum 5 years of cost control experience with large construction or development companies in the UAE
• Proven experience on mega projects (multi-billion value) is essential
• Experience on luxury residential developments (villas, apartments, branded residences) with high-end finishes
• Exposure to complex amenities such as beach clubs, golf courses, hospitality or large-scale infrastructure is strongly preferred
• Demonstrated experience preparing reports for, and presenting directly to, C-level executives
• Professional certification such as PMP, CCP/CCT (AACE), RICS or MRICS
• Experience with master-planned communities and phased developments

Technical skills

• Strong knowledge of cost control methodologies, forecasting and earned value management
• Solid understanding of UAE construction contracts (FIDIC) and variation and claims processes
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with dashboards and data visualisation (Power BI preferred)
• Proficiency in cost management and planning tools such as Primavera P6, Oracle, SAP or equivalent
• Strong analytical ability with high attention to detail

Soft skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to turn complex data into clear insights
• Confidence, credibility and integrity when engaging with senior leadership
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects under pressure
• Proactive, ownership-driven mindset

Benefits

• The opportunity to work on landmark, multi-billion luxury developments
• Direct exposure to executive leadership
• A competitive salary and benefits package
• A dynamic, growing organization with strong career progression