Construction Cost Engineer (Project Engineer I)

Gilbane Building Company•High Hill, MO

About The Position

Gilbane is seeking a Construction Cost Engineer - Project Engineer I (Data Center) to support project cost management, change management, forecasting, and financial controls on large-scale mission critical construction projects. Working directly with Project Managers, Superintendents, Cost Managers, and project teams, this position is responsible for supporting the identification, evaluation, tracking, and execution of project change events while helping maintain accurate project financial performance throughout the project lifecycle. Unlike a traditional Project Engineer role focused primarily on field coordination or document control, the Cost Engineer is dedicated to supporting project financial performance through proactive change management, cost validation, forecasting, reporting, and stakeholder coordination. This role serves as a critical partner to both project leadership and field teams in maintaining accurate cost controls and financial accountability.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Building Construction, or related field, or equivalent industry experience.
3-7 years of construction industry experience with increasing responsibility in project engineering, cost engineering, project controls, project management, or related functions.
Strong understanding of commercial construction processes and field operations.
Ability to read and interpret construction drawings and specifications.
Knowledge of project cost tracking, forecasting, and change-management principles.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
Strong technical and communication skills are critical.
Ability to work in a team environment.
Ability to evaluate pricing assumptions and understand financial impacts associated with project changes.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of industry standard software, Microsoft Office (preferred)

Responsibilities

Support identification, tracking, evaluation, and execution of project change events.
Manage change requests from initial identification through pricing review, approval, documentation, and implementation.
Coordinate with Project Managers, Superintendents, subcontractors, and project stakeholders to collect and validate change documentation.
Assist in preparing and packaging owner change order requests and subcontract change orders.
Maintain complete change logs, trend logs, and supporting project documentation.
Track project costs, commitments, forecasts, and potential financial risks.
Support monthly cost forecasting, financial reporting, and project controls activities.
Analyze project cost trends and identify variances requiring management attention.
Review and validate subcontractor pricing, quantity impacts, labor productivity assumptions, and add/deduct cost proposals.
Review drawings, specifications, installed work, and field conditions to determine cost impacts associated with project changes.
Utilize Clearstory and other project management systems to manage change workflows and project cost documentation.
Support GMP development, project budgeting, cost modeling, and financial planning activities.
Generate reports and dashboards supporting project financial performance and forecasting efforts.
Partner with field and project leadership to identify cost exposures, scope gaps, and change-related risks.