Cost Manager – Onsite (Saudi National Only)

Role Overview

Cost Manager – Onsite position at Decima International, a professional services company providing project management and controls services to clients in the United States and the Middle East. This role is based onsite and restricted to Saudi nationals only.

Company Overview

Decima International is a professional services company providing project management and controls services to clients in the United States and the Middle East. The company's mission is to become the premier professional services provider across all industry sectors it serves. Decima International's approach is built on treating each client engagement as a partnership, creating an environment that attracts talented professionals and allows them to flourish, and regulating growth to maintain excellence in service standards.

Role Purpose

Lead cost management and quantity surveying activities for a major data center project. The role will oversee project measurement and cost control, ensure budget compliance, manage variation assessments, and provide accurate and timely cost reporting to project leadership. The successful candidate will lead the cost-control team, perform final reviews and sign-offs of cost reports and commercial assessments, and report directly to the PMC Lead / Site Director.

Key Responsibilities

Cost Control & Budget Management

• Lead and manage project cost control and quantity surveying activities throughout the project lifecycle.
• Develop, maintain, and monitor project budgets, cost plans, forecasts, and cash flow.
• Monitor project expenditure against approved budgets and identify potential cost overruns.
• Prepare regular cost forecasts, estimates at completion, and variance analyses.
• Maintain accurate records of commitments, expenditures, forecasts, and approved changes.

Measurement & Verification

• Perform measurement and quantity verification for construction works.
• Conduct cost benchmarking and provide recommendations to support value-for-money decisions.

Contractor & Commercial Assessment

• Review contractor cost submissions, valuations, payment applications, and supporting documentation.
• Review, assess, and validate variations, change orders, and contractor claims.
• Support tender evaluations, commercial assessments, and contractor negotiations as required.

Reporting & Analysis

• Perform final review, sign-off, and escalation of project cost reports.
• Prepare monthly cost reports, dashboards, and executive-level summaries for the PMC Lead / Site Director.
• Evaluate the cost impact of design changes, scope changes, and project risks.
• Identify cost risks and opportunities and recommend appropriate mitigation measures.

Change Management

• Support change management and ensure approved variations are accurately reflected in project cost reporting.

Stakeholder Coordination & Leadership

• Coordinate closely with project controls, commercial, procurement, engineering, construction, and commissioning teams.
• Provide accurate and timely commercial and cost advice to project leadership and the Owner.
• Monitor contingency usage and advise project leadership on potential financial exposure.
• Manage, guide, and review the work of the project cost-control team.
• Ensure compliance with project commercial procedures, contractual requirements, and cost-control standards.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Engineering, Commercial Management, or a related discipline.

Professional Experience

• Minimum 10+ years of overall professional experience in cost management, quantity surveying, or commercial management.
• Minimum 8 years of relevant cost management experience on major construction or capital projects.
• Minimum 6 years of experience in a senior or comparable cost-control capacity.
• Strong experience in measurement, quantity surveying, cost planning, and cost control.
• Proven experience managing project budgets, forecasts, commitments, and cost reports.
• Strong experience reviewing contractor valuations, payment applications, variations, and change orders.
• Experience conducting variation assessments and evaluating commercial impacts.

Certifications

• Relevant professional certification or accreditation required.
• RICS qualification, such as MRICS, or equivalent professional accreditation (preferred).
• AACE Certified Cost Professional (CCP) certification (preferred).

Sector Experience (Preferred)

• Experience delivering hyperscale data centers or other mission-critical facilities.
• Experience working on large-scale construction, infrastructure, or capital projects.
• Experience within a Project Management Consultancy (PMC) environment.

Skills & Competencies

Technical Knowledge

• Strong understanding of construction contracts, cost management principles, and project controls.
• Strong knowledge of quantity surveying and commercial management practices.
• Familiarity with FIDIC or similar international forms of contract.
• Strong knowledge of cost benchmarking, value engineering, and lifecycle cost analysis.

Analytical & Financial Skills

• Ability to identify cost risks, analyze variances, and provide clear recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical and numerical skills.

Systems & Tools

• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Proficiency in cost management and project controls systems.
• Proficiency in cost reporting and dashboard tools.
• Proficiency in quantity surveying and measurement tools.

Soft Skills

• Strong leadership and team management capabilities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to prepare and present clear cost reports to senior project and client leadership.

Experience with Processes

• Experience managing contractor claims, variations, and change-control processes.

Additional Information

• Position Type: Full-time onsite.
• Reporting To: PMC Lead / Site Director.
• Industry Focus: Data Centers / Mission-Critical Construction.
• Decima International is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to the safety and well-being of all. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), age, medical condition, marital or domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression and transgender status, mental disability or physical disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, citizenship, low-income status or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable law.