Location
Central London with expected on-site or office presence 2-3 days a week in London or Warwick.

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Negotiable

About the Role
Mace combines construction expertise with consultancy to unlock potential in every person or project and redefine the boundaries of ambition. As a Cost Lead within Energy & Utilities, you will be responsible for cost leadership by managing cost engineering and control activities, ensuring consistent application of project governance, processes, and standards. You will develop and maintain accurate cost estimates, budgets, forecasts, and cash-flow profiles aligned with project scope and schedule. Monitoring actual costs, commitments, and accruals against the approved baseline, you will provide variance, trend, and root cause analysis. Your role includes producing timely and accurate cost reports and performance updates for project teams, leadership, and key stakeholders. You will ensure effective alignment between the Work Breakdown Structure, Cost Breakdown Structure, schedule, and cost management systems, supporting the implementation of Earned Value Management to assess and communicate project cost and schedule performance.

You will work closely with the Risk team to identify cost risks and opportunities, interpret Quantitative Cost Risk Analysis outputs, and maintain appropriate contingency forecasts. Leading cost impact assessments for proposed changes, including funding requests, baseline updates, contingency drawdowns, and revised forecasts, you will provide cost leadership and assurance during project baseline development and re-baselining activities. Maintaining project information within approved cost management systems, you will ensure accuracy, traceability, and a complete audit trail.

Investigating cost anomalies or process gaps, you will ensure procedures, templates, and records remain accurate and compliant. You will provide specialist advice, challenge, and guidance to Project Managers, delivery teams, and internal and external stakeholders. A key part of your role will be to improve and automate cost management and reporting processes, reducing reliance on manual spreadsheets where appropriate.

Please note: Candidates must have the right to work in the UK without Visa sponsorship.

Experience
Extensive experience in the successful delivery phase of projects and programmes within a regulated infrastructure environment, ideally Energy and Utilities. Deep property or infrastructure project management expertise. Proven leadership and management experience of large, diverse teams. Experience managing relationships with key senior stakeholders.

About you
Strong commercial and financial acumen. Ability to provide specialist advice and guidance. Knowledge of how carbon and sustainability considerations will influence project outlooks. Commitment to safety, client focus, integrity, and continuous improvement aligned with Mace’s values. Right to work in the UK without Visa sponsorship.

Qualifications
Membership of RICS, CIOB, APM, ICE or equivalent demonstrable professional or personal development.