Project Cost Controller

Job Purpose

The Job location is Almaty, Kazakhstan.

To coordinate with the Proposal & Estimation, Accounts & Finance, Procurement, Sales/Marketing, and Project Execution departments to consolidate project-related commercial and financial information, establish project budgets, monitor actual expenditure, evaluate project profitability, and ensure a structured handover of projects to the execution team.

The role is responsible for developing a standardized project cost control and commercial reporting system to support management in effective project planning, cost monitoring, and profitability analysis.

Key Responsibilities

A. Project Proposal & Commercial Coordination

Coordinate with the Sales/Marketing and Proposal & Estimation teams to obtain project enquiries, quotations, technical and commercial proposals, and order-related information.

Review approved proposals and consolidate the estimated project cost, selling price, expected revenue, and anticipated profit margin.

Coordinate with relevant departments to ensure that all commercial and cost-related inputs are available before project handover.

Prepare a project commercial summary based on the approved proposal and purchase order/contract.

B. Project Budgeting & Cost Control

Develop project budgets based on approved proposals, estimates, and contract values.

Establish a baseline budget covering material, bought-out items, fabrication, machining, labour, subcontracting, inspection, testing, logistics, and other applicable project costs.

Track budgeted cost versus actual cost and identify cost variances.

Monitor project expenditure, commitments, and remaining budget throughout the project lifecycle.

Prepare project-wise cost reports highlighting budget, actual expenditure, cost-to-complete, forecast final cost, and expected profitability.

Identify potential cost overruns and communicate deviations to management for timely corrective action.

C. Procurement Coordination

Coordinate with Procurement to obtain material requisitions, purchase orders, supplier quotations, and procurement cost details.

Consolidate material and bought-out item costs against the approved project budget.

Track purchase commitments, material costs, delivery status, and potential cost variations.

Coordinate with Accounts and Procurement to reconcile purchase orders, supplier invoices, and actual procurement expenditure.

D. Accounts & Finance Coordination

Coordinate with Accounts & Finance to obtain project-wise actual expenditure, supplier invoices, subcontractor costs, labour costs, and other relevant financial information.

Monitor project revenue, customer invoicing, receipts, outstanding payments, and project-related expenses in coordination with Accounts.

Reconcile estimated costs with actual booked costs and identify discrepancies.

Prepare project-wise financial summaries and profitability reports for management review.

E. Project Handover & Documentation

Develop a standardized Project Commercial Handover Format for transferring projects from the Sales/Proposal stage to Project Execution.

Ensure that all relevant commercial and cost information is consolidated before project handover.

Coordinate with the Project Manager and execution team to explain the approved budget, cost assumptions, scope of work, commercial commitments, and cost-sensitive items.

Maintain project-wise records of approved proposals, budgets, purchase orders, cost sheets, and commercial revisions.

Ensure proper documentation and traceability of project cost information.

F. Management Reporting & Profitability Analysis

Prepare periodic project cost control reports for the Director and senior management.

Monitor expected profit, actual profitability, gross margin, and forecast profit for each project.

Compare the original budget with actual expenditure and forecast final cost.

Highlight financial risks, unplanned expenditure, scope changes, and opportunities for cost savings.

Develop and maintain Excel-based dashboards and standardized reporting formats for management decision-making.

Project Cost Control Parameters

The candidate should be capable of preparing and maintaining the following project-wise information

• ParameterDescriptionContract ValueApproved project selling priceBudgeted CostEstimated total project costActual CostCost booked to dateCommitted CostApproved purchase orders and other commitments not yet fully bookedCost to CompleteForecast cost required to finish the projectForecast Final CostExpected total cost at completionExpected ProfitContract value less forecast final costProfit Margin (%)Expected profit as a percentage of contract valueCost VarianceDifference between budgeted and actual/forecast costRevenue & ReceivablesInvoicing, collections, and outstanding customer payments

Note: The reporting format should clearly distinguish actual costs, committed costs, and forecast costs to avoid double counting.

Educational Qualification

B.E./B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.

Additional qualifications or certifications in Finance, Cost Accounting, Project Management, or Commercial Management will be an advantage.

Candidates with an engineering degree and strong practical experience in project costing, commercial coordination, and financial reporting are preferred.

Required Experience

5–8 years of relevant experience in project coordination, project cost control, commercial operations, or project financial reporting.

Experience in the Oil & Gas, heat exchanger manufacturing, pressure vessel, heavy fabrication, or engineering project industry is preferred.

Practical experience coordinating with Accounts & Finance, Procurement, Proposal & Estimation, Sales/Marketing, and Project Execution teams.

Experience in project budgeting, cost tracking, variance analysis, and profitability reporting.

Technical Skills

Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including PivotTables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, SUMIFS, and reporting dash