Cost Manager L&P at HS2 Ltd in London, England, GB

This role is responsible for supporting the Head of Cost and Estimating at a programme and contract level. This includes supporting the management of budgets, actual costs, forecasts and Earned Value Management (EVM) to support the successful delivery of HS2.

Location: The role is based in our London office at The Podium, Euston and requires a minimum of three days per week office attendance**.**

Salary: Base salary: £50,119 pa to c.£58,000 pa depending on skills and experience. In addition, we offer flexible benefits fund of 20% which is paid on top base salary and is fully pensionable, as well as a range of competitive benefits - check them out in the Benefits section on our website.

This role is responsible for supporting the Head of Cost and Estimating at a programme and contract level. This includes supporting the management of budgets, actual costs, forecasts and Earned Value Management (EVM) to support the successful delivery of HS2.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential. In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

About the role:

• To be accountable for supporting on the analysis and verification of contract level cost performance and ensure the data accurately reflects the current programme performance for onwards reporting.
• Managing estimating and cost planning activities to include taking ownership of monthly cost reporting and cost variance analyses.
• To be responsible for supporting on the validation of cost performance data submitted by delivery teams to the programme team as part of communicating overall programme performance.
• To be responsible for assisting with the development of contract level performance reports to communicate current performance to the programme team, including Earned Value Management (EVM), forecasted costs and Estimate at Completion (EAC) pressures and other KPIs.
• To be responsible for ensuring that the cost performance team are aligned to the current business processes and ways of working from a delivery perspective.
• To be accountable for supporting the Senior Cost Manager to ensure adherence with cost performance processes and procedures across the respective programme and also for storing and maintaining data and documents accurately within the corporate systems.
• To be accountable for providing technical support and advice to the Project Controls Managers on cost performance to support the successful delivery of the HS2 project.
• To be responsible for facilitating continuous improvement of the Cost Performance function within the Phase One programme and ensure that lessons learnt are captured and presented back to the team.
• To be responsible for ensuring that the Delivery Teams are working to the current governance processes and review policies in order to ensure they are in line with strategic business objectives.
• Actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work.

About you:

• Stakeholder management - ability to manage stakeholders within a matrix environment, including the facilitation of stakeholder meetings and information flow.
• Able to solve problems with attention to detail. Ability to prepare, review & update project budgets.
• Communication skills – clear communicator with the ability to deliver clear presentations which engage and influence colleagues and external stakeholders.
• Data analysis – able to analyse and interpret data and produce accurate, timely and informative reports in multiple formats adapted to the needs of the audience.
• Possess strong IT skills particularly Advanced Excel skills. Able to use other Microsoft applications (e.g. Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, etc.).

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of Project Controls, Commercial and Finance processes and how these operate.
• Knowledge of property industry is desirable but not essential.
• Knowledge of the core Project Controls disciplines, including Schedule Management, Change Management and Risk Management.
• Knowledge of baseline development and maintenance of baselines on a major programme is desirable but not essential.

Type of experience:

• Experience in cost management, project control or finance role within a major project.
• Experience in the core project controls functions, including; baseline maintenance, schedule management, cost performance, change management, risk management, performance reporting and document control or equivalent finance experience.
• Experience in managing and producing performance reports that summarise cost performance, including: budgets, Earned Value Management (EVM) and forecasts on major projects or experience in finance budget and forecast management.
• Experienced in the management and use of core cost management systems (e.g. Prism, Ecosys, etc.).

The post-holder is expected to behave at all times in a manner consistent with the HS2 values of Safety, Leadership, Integrity and Respect. It is expected that you will actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

We ask for a variety of detail in your online application, however we perform the first assessment of suitability for a role based solely on the information in your CV. In a further development of our efforts to create a more diverse workforce, your CV will be anonymised and personal information will be removed during the first stage of the application review. This removes bias from the process and makes it even more important that you attach an updated word version of your CV for each new application ensuring you include evidence directly related to the criteria in the job advert. Watch this video on how we remove bias in the recruitment process: Removing bias in the recruitment process - YouTube

Any applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

About the Company

High Speed 2 (HS2 Ltd) will be the UK’s new high speed rail network. As well as improving capacity, the new scheme will shorten journey times between a number of Britain’s major population centres, boost the economy and create thousands of jobs.

HS2 Ltd will create a skills legacy and develop a diverse range of talent. We aim to be a leader in EDI practice by creating a safe & inclusive working environment for all our staff - living our values of Safety, Respect, Integrity and Leadership.

In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

HS2 Ltd is also a safety-critical organisation. Employees are required to ensure reasonable care of their own and others’ health and safety by taking personal responsibility for working to our ‘Safe at Heart’ programme principles and following safe working procedures at all times.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential.