Head of Cost Planning and Management

Head of Cost Planning and Management Application Deadline:
6 March 2024Department: DeliveryEmployment Type: Full TimeLocation: Milton KeynesDescription
A little bit about us:East West Rail is a proposed new railway linking communities between Oxford and Cambridge. The area is currently let down by a lack of transport choices, and we have a once in a generation opportunity to fix that – improving prosperity for people and places along the way.
East West Railway Company (that’s us) was created by the Department for Transport (DfT) to oversee the delivery of East West Rail from construction through to wheels in motion, making sure the railway comes together in the right way.
Role Summary:The Head of Cost Planning & Management oversees that accurate and robust cost estimating, management and control processes are in place across the whole life cycle of EWR projects and programmes.
Team dimensions:East West Rail operates a matrix structure. This role sits within the Programme and Project Community in the Cost Planning Professional Home.
Key Responsibilities
Accountable for whole life cycle cost estimation and management for EWR projects and programmes.
Owning and delivering cost estimates for EWR projects and programmes including Control Cost Plans / Estimates and at agreed stage gate and baseline submissions based on the required design and scope input from the EWR programme team.
Managing a team to develop capability, ensure suitable resourcing across projects and assuring quality of output.
Maintain an oversight of project budgets and ensure alignment with organisational and finance goals, escalating to senior Project and Programme stakeholders where risk to these exist and work with stakeholders to address discrepancies.
Manage the development and execution of control measures, analyse cost trends and recommend corrective actions to keep projects on track.
Develop and manage the execution of cost reporting for Senior Stakeholders to ensure accurate reporting of cost status, forecasts and potential risks.
Conduct financial analyses to support decision-making processes, providing insights into cost-saving opportunities and efficiencies.
Conduct regular cost audits to ensure compliance with financial policies and procedures.
Deliver Opportunity, Innovation, Value Management/Engineering and associated Risk services in response to requests from the EWR programme team and key stakeholders for ad-hoc cost planning and management support.
Liaise with the Programme Assurance professional home to ensure that assumptions, change, risk, and opportunity are tracked and managed through the development of the EWR programme.
Supporting the EWR Co. commitment to customer service and the customer journey.
Contribute to continued process improvement to ensure quality cost estimating, management and control processes are in place in EWR.
Actively involved in continued professional development and staying abreast of developments in field.
Build cost management and estimating capability to enable EWR to deliver projects and programmes effectively and to cost.
Build an engaged and high performing team of cost professionals, supporting their professional development and career aspirations.
Work collaboratively with the functional project teams.
Take responsibility of your own health and safety by adopting and working to the EWR Co. Health and Safety principles.
·Act as a role model for EWR Co’s vision and behaviours, working in ways that are aligned with EWR Co’s Ways of Working, as well as encouraging and supporting others to do so too.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
Extensive experience in whole life cycle cost planning for complex infrastructure environments.
A comprehensive knowledge of cost planning and management processes and techniques.
A wide and varied experience of large and complex civil engineering infrastructure projects and / or building projects.
Experience of leading a team of cost professionals.
Relevant experience in the use of cost planning / management computer software systems.
Relevant successful experience in the provision of cost planning and management services in a multi-disciplined project environment.
A thorough understanding of the project management, planning, risk assessment & management, and investment authority processes associated with building and / or civil engineering infrastructure projects.
Excellent analytical, presentation and reporting skills.
Extensive knowledge and experience in the delivery of large-scale public infrastructure projects and programmes preferably in the rail sector.
Extensive experience in applying cost planning and management techniques.
An excellent communicator who is comfortable and proficient when working with individuals at all levels, both within the organisation and across the supply chain.
Education and qualifications:
Degree-educated in Quantity Surveying, Cost and Commercial Management, Engineering, or related discipline
Membership of relevant professional body
Desired: Chartership status
Benefits
What we offer:
Competitive base salary
Up to 12% employer’s pension contribution
36 days holiday a year (including bank holidays) + up to 2 days to buy
Life assurance
Employee Assistance Programme
Perks platform with hundreds of discounts and freebies
On-the-spot and annual awards
Advanced learning and development programmes
Flexible working opportunities
Enhanced family-friendly policies
Exceptional IT tools
EWR Co strives to embrace a flexible working environment, where a degree of flexibility is maintained to accommodate both the needs and preferences of employees and what is required to achieve business objectives. EWR Co will always work with any individual to assess and accommodate an individual’s work life balance and style.Diversity and inclusion:To discover the best solutions, it’s important we embrace diversity of thought. That’s why we aim to ensure our colleagues feel included, engaged, and valued. Inclusiveness is not a buzzword, but a way of being. Our approach to diversity is simple – a workplace where everyone is welcome, and everyone is encouraged to be themselves. It helps fuel our innovation and connects us with the customers and communities we serve.
If you want to connect lives and unlock the future, then we’d love to hear from you
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