Lead Cost Engineer

At Orbia, purpose is what draws us together and drives us every single day. Everywhere we are, we are thinking big and working smart to solve some of the toughest challenges.

This is where your abilities can be developed. Where your ambitions can be realized. Where you can own your part in our transformation. Where you can find a diverse, global community of teammates who are making a difference with you. And where you’ll be taken care of as you take care of bringing purpose to life.

Job Purpose

The Lead Cost Engineer for the Project Control Central Team is responsible for the Cost and Budget Control discipline during FEED and EPC phases. In addition, he will be integrating EPC cost and budgets and all aspects of Value of Work Done (VOWD), Commitment, Cost Forecast, Change Order Controls, Trends programs, monitoring, verification, and reporting. This includes day-to-day activities for the development, maintaining, monitoring, controlling, and integrating of the overall FEED and EPC Cost and Budget including putting in place Trend program and VOWD system, monitoring, verification, and reporting. This is a remote position based out of Houston, TX.

Reporting & Interface

Reports to Senior Manager Project Controls.

Direct reports: None.

Internal

Frequent interaction with Project Managers, department Managers for FEED Phase, EPC-1, EPC-2, Support Team Risk Management. Regular contact with functional support Services, Legal, Supply, and Finance departments.

External

Regular contact with FEED, EPC-1, EPC-2, Contractors, their sub-contractors and vendors during the execution of the project.

Job Context

Understands the key project drivers from a cost perspective, defines roles and responsibilities, develops communication protocols, identifies, develops, and implements project procedures budget control, VOWD, Trend and Change Orders. Coordinates and facilitates all cost issues and development of plans for Project teams.

The prime objective of Cost Control is to improve project performance by anticipating issues, avoiding negative situations, and reducing the frequency of poor outcomes. Embedded robust Cost management practices have been shown to contribute to the consistent delivery of successful projects.

To maintain Stakeholder cost estimate confidence throughout the duration of the project by developing detailed cost planning models, analysis and reports to advise, guide and recommend appropriate changes to processes and procedures to meet business requirements.

Major challenges include (i) operating in a dynamic team environment in a highly visible project with large capital expenditure and significant schedule execution pressures and (ii) delivering accurate and flawless performance in respect to safety, quality, cost and schedule demonstrating multi-tasking, flexibility and initiative to meet evolving business needs.

Key Accountabilities

1. Develop and maintain a set of Project Cost Control procedures, guidelines and flow charts to meet project requirements along with a standard cost reporting process across all project EPC Contracts.
2. Ensure cost data integrity across all Contracts and make sure cost information is accurately compiled and reported to Project Management to provide visibility on overall project cost status and performance.
3. Direct project team and provide guidance and expertise to Project Cost Engineers assigned to each one of the EPCs and ensure common understanding and standardized practice of cost control processes in terms of Value of Work Done (VOWD) reporting, forecast updates, contractors’ change orders, trend and contingency management and expenditures allocation.
4. Support the Senior Manager Project Controls and lead the financial input into Funding Packages submittals, e.g. Advance Commitments (ACs), Full Funding (FF), Supplementary Funding whenever required and recommend budget transfers to ensure that all necessary funding is provided and Project Cost at Completion is aligned with the approved budgets.
5. Development of Forecast cost estimates and preparation of annual Budget taking full consideration of project scope, progress achieved and pending to complete scope.
6. Assist in developing and maintaining Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS) for the overall project consistent with project scope and reporting structures requirements across project EPCs.
7. Facilitate the monitoring of FEED and EPC contractors and project’s cost performance comparing to agreed control plans and recommends corrective plans as required during project execution with the appropriate PLT personnel. Monitor, review and endorse FEED and EPC Contractors deliverables in terms of VOWD reporting, Trend Management and Earned Value Analysis
8. Advise Senior Manager Project Controls and Project Leadership Team of any potential cost issues as early enough to mitigate, provide guidance on corrective actions and measures to mitigate any adverse trends. In conjunction with Senior Manager Project Controls develop and implement corrective actions and recovery plans ensuring these are implemented in a timely manner.
9. Follow up Project Commitments in line with approved budgets and ensure all change orders are dully submitted (with regard to contractual compliance) and are subject to proper Management approval. Provide guidance to Procurement and Contracts teams for commitments’ WBS and CBS allocations.
10. Develop inhouse cost reporting solutions for managing Project Cost ensuring accuracy, integrity and consistency of data.
11. Establish a trend program and monitor project trends in coordination with Contractors
12. Provide support for EPC tenders technical evaluations during Pre-EPC phase by developing Tender Evaluation Plans, facilitating, and coordinating the technical evaluation process, developing Technical Bid Evaluation reports and getting required approvals from project management and project committees.
13. Provide NFE Onshore Project with overall project cost expertise on cost accounting, allocation, planning and control issues and change management ensuring strict compliance with Project Management of Change process is maintained.
14. Advise Project Management Team (PMT) on project costs, reporting and forecasting activities by developing and maintaining project cost monthly reports, analysing cost trends, developing and reviewing cost forecasts ensuring project standards are met.
15. Review project changes to evaluate detail cost impact; responsible for quantifying and incorporating the effect and impact of approved changes in the cost report for stewardship purposes.
16. Review EPC Contractor’s project control procedures (home office and field control procedures) advising with respect to adequacy of project control tools, reports and schedules and ensuring that company requirements are met.
17. Examine and review the Contractor’s procedures for estimating, invoicing asset register build-ups and code of accounts, project controls and make revisions as necessary to meet Company requirements in line with EPC contracts.

Role Requirements

1. Bachelor’s degree Business in related subject or equivalent experience.
2. Minimum of 12 years’ experience in a major project environment within the oil and gas or chemicals industry, with exposure in planning, cost and risk management including project controls, cost and schedule development.
3. Experience of working with Chemical Companies or International Oil Companies will be an advantage.
4. Excellent written and verbal English skills.
5. Strong planning, organisational and prioritising skills.
6. Strong negotiating and influencing skills.
7. Good communication and interpersonal skills.
8. Good computer literacy skills (Primavera P6, Word, Excel and PowerPoint).
9. Hands on working experience in Primavera P6 Version 18 and above.
10. Good knowledge of using Primavera Schedule Risk Analysis software for conducting Schedule Risk Analysis.

If you are excited about this role and your experience and competencies somewhat align with the qualification in the posting, we encourage you to apply. Everywhere you are, you bring your unique skills, talents and perspective to moving your career, the company, people and the planet forward. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles!

We believe that every voice matters; every community deserves respect; and every challenge is an opportunity and united by empathy, we are stronger for our different perspectives. We are dedicated to building a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace that supports the needs of all our employees regardless of their role, location, identity and background.

Where purpose comes to life, it changes lives. This is what working at Orbia is all about.

Orbia is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, age (40 and over), national origin or ancestry, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), veteran status, uniformed service member status, or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.

Dura-Line and Koura have developed and maintain a written Affirmative Action Program (AAP). Orbia's Chief Executive Officer supports the AAP and urges each employee to commit to carrying out the intent of this policy.

Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please reach out to our People Team at [email protected] to receive the application form in a more accessible format, or to arrange an accommodation / adjustment to support your participation throughout the recruitment process.

Applicants and employees of this company are protected under Federal law from discrimination on protected grounds. Follow the link(s) above to find out more:

Know Your Rights

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision Poster