Cost Controller

Assignment Description

This position supports the Cost Controller function on the assigned Project.  Cost control includes development of the Project’s original budgets, using the final cost estimates time-phased against the schedule baseline, maintenance of the control budget, estimation of accruals, tracking of commitments, and monitoring the impacts of changes and performance trends to forecast the project expenditure over time, ultimately resulting in corrective or preventative actions to ensure on-budget delivery of the project’s objectives.  The cost control function manages large volumes of data, continuously validating contractual compliance, rigorously applying escalation forecasts and foreign exchange considerations.  The function is responsible for structured and reliable reporting of Project cost to the project team and other internal functions and external stakeholders and ensures complete management of total project cost in accordance with corporate accounting requirements and other applicable standards.  Cost may be managed within one or more implementation Contractors but the Albemarle team is responsible for the aggregation and reporting of the project cost and the management of contingency drawdown and will maintain necessary records to explain actual cost or forecast variances versus the original budget. 

Location

Perth or Bunbury

Key Responsibilities

• Supports Albemarle’s Project in the execution of overall cost control and general project control duties as may be necessary in the delivery of the work.
• Ensures application of appropriate Project Control processes, aligned with Albemarle Corporate Project Controls Standards, on the Project in support of the project’s cost management requirements.
• Supports the cost estimating efforts, as needed, in the creation of development case estimates, and project sanction budgets.
• Develops and maintains the Project’s Work Breakdown Structures (WBS).
• Ensures compliance with Albemarle Corporate Standards for cost control and reporting processes associated with the project work scope.
• Develops and maintains the Project Owner’s cost including staffing and 3rd Party support for the cost forecasting process.
• Coordinates input for and maintains the project’s Cost Management System (CMS) including overall cost report and associated logs (trend & change, contingency, etc.).
• Prepares the cost engineering input to the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and overall Albemarle budgeting and reporting processes. 
• Responsible to produce the overall Project cost report inclusive of budgets, actuals, commitments, accruals, trends, variances and final forecasts assessment on all Project cost activities.
• Assists and coordinates with procurement on the processing of project invoices and commercial change management and claims.  Identifies any discrepancies in Contractor payment and works to resolve any issues to timely payment for goods or services received. 
• Interfaces with the Albemarle Finance, Accounting and Supply Chain Management teams on all project matters associated with cost engineering activities, invoice processing and commitment management & forecasting.
• Works with Contractor personnel on cost engineering, reporting and invoicing activities per agreed contract terms and scope of work.
• Participates in Project cost & schedule risk assessment (CSRA) workshops, assisting with the modelling of the Project’s cost outcome and facilitate the ongoing implementation of a project-wide change and contingency management process.
• Supports the review and evaluation of project cost related information of the tender submissions for each project phase.

Work Experience / Technical Skill Requirements

• 5 or more years of progressive experience in varying cost control capacities on large capital projects ($150M+).
• Extensive experience in all aspects of cost control or engineering during detailed engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning phases of a large capital project.                  
• Expert, hands-on knowledge of SAP including project costing modules.
• Excellent communication skills with a demonstrated ability to understand technical information and communicate progress to both technical and management level personnel.
• Exceptional reporting and presentation skills with good attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to work with project teams to influence and achieve desired results.
• Worked in a cost plus environment and managing the forecasts accordingly
• Proficiency in project controls tools and work processes: Earned Value, MS Office (spreadsheets, word processing, presentations, graphics) and Project Controls software (Primavera, etc.).

Education / Qualification Requirements

• B.S. Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Industrial Engineering, Business Management or related technical field.

Location

Perth or Bunbury

Duration:  12 months