Senior Cost Manager

Target Salary: $180,000-$220,000

Position Overview

Seeking a Senior Cost Manager to provide financial and cost control oversight on major construction projects from preconstruction through closeout. This role partners closely with Project Management, Operations, and Accounting to improve forecasting, manage risk, and protect project profitability.

This is a senior-level opportunity to play a key role in project financial performance, forecasting, risk management, and executive decision-making across significant construction projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Cost Controls & Forecasting: Maintain project budgets, commitments, change orders, and cost reports; prepare monthly forecasts, Anticipated Cost Reports (ACRs), and variance analyses.
• Financial Analysis: Monitor project performance, identify cost overruns and savings opportunities, and assess the financial impact of productivity, procurement, schedule, and scope changes.
• Change Management: Lead owner, subcontractor, consultant, and vendor change orders, including scope, pricing, contractual validity, and schedule impacts.
• Risk & Contingency: Monitor contingency, buyout savings, pending changes, claims, and other financial risks; develop mitigation strategies with project leadership.
• Contract Administration: Review subcontract agreements, scopes, commitments, requisitions, and payment applications. Support contract modifications, claims, and financial negotiations.
• Executive Reporting: Prepare and present weekly and monthly reporting on project forecasts, risk, contingency, changes, and overall financial performance.
• Closeout: Reconcile final costs and commitments, analyze project performance, and maintain historical cost data for future benchmarking.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Finance, Accounting, Architecture, or related field.
• 10-15 years of experience in cost management, project controls, construction financial management, or cost controls.
• Experience supporting construction projects valued at $25M-$250M+.
• Strong knowledge of GMP contracts, cost forecasting, cost-to-complete analysis, change orders, construction accounting, subcontract administration, procurement, and risk management.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Strong analytical, communication, negotiation, and decision-making abilities.
• General Contractor or Construction Manager experience preferred.
• Experience with high-density residential, affordable housing, mixed-use, hospitality, or commercial construction preferred.
• New York City construction experience strongly preferred.
• Experience with Procore preferred; Sage 300/Timberline, CMiC, Bluebeam, Primavera P6, and Power BI a plus.
• CCM, PMP, CCP, or other relevant certifications preferred.

The above salary range represents Cobalt's good faith and reasonable estimate of the possible base compensation range at the time of posting and is one part of the total rewards package this client provides to employees.

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