Program Manager (Project Costing)

Role Purpose

Lead the planning, execution, and delivery of strategic programs with a strong emphasis on cost engineering, estimation, budgeting, and financial control across the program lifecycle. Own the integrity of program cost data, ensure value-for-money outcomes, and protect the organization from cost overruns and scope leakage.

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership

• Direct end-to-end delivery of multi-project programs aligned with strategic objectives.
• Define program scope, deliverables, milestones, and governance structures.
• Manage cross-functional teams, vendors, and stakeholders across the program lifecycle.
• Report program status, risks, and decisions to executive leadership and steering committees.

Cost Engineering and Control

• Build and own program-level cost baselines, including bottom-up estimates, contingencies, and reserves.
• Apply cost estimating techniques such as parametric, analogous, and bottom-up methods.
• Track Earned Value Management (EVM) metrics: CPI, SPI, EAC, ETC, and VAC.
• Lead cost forecasting, variance analysis, and corrective action planning.
• Validate vendor pricing, change orders, and claims against benchmark data.
• Build cost breakdown structures (CBS) aligned with the work breakdown structure (WBS).

Procurement and Vendor Cost Management

• Partner with Procurement on RFP cost evaluation, should-cost modeling, and negotiation strategy.
• Review contract pricing structures (lump sum, T&M, unit rate) and assess commercial risk.
• Approve invoices, progress payments, and milestone-based releases.

Risk and Governance

• Maintain a quantitative risk register with cost-impact and probability scoring.
• Run Monte Carlo simulations on cost and schedule where required.
• Ensure compliance with internal financial controls and audit requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Finance, or related field.
• Master's degree (MBA, MSc Project Management, or MSc Cost Engineering) preferred.
• 8 to 12 years of program or project management experience, with a minimum of 5 years in cost engineering, cost control, or estimation.
• Proven delivery of programs valued at SAR 50M+ or equivalent.

Required Certifications

• PMP (Project Management Professional) by PMI, mandatory.
• One of the following, mandatory: CCP (Certified Cost Professional) by AACE, or CCEA (Certified Cost Engineer/Analyst), or ICEAA Certified.
• Preferred: PMI-SP, PMI-RMP, or PgMP.