Cost Manager
About The Position
The Cost Manager leads the development of all early-stage cost estimates to support high-level decision-making for Microsoft's Puget Sound portfolio. Responsibilities include creating and managing ROMs and estimates to inform capital and operational expenditure planning, as well as project initiation decisions. The role involves designing and maintaining cost estimating systems, and providing rapid, high-quality budgeting solutions for development teams. Additionally, the Cost Manager supports ongoing project cost activities throughout the lifecycle and conducts program-level cost benchmarking using internal and external data to provide trends and actionable insights.
Requirements
- 5-7 years of experience in cost management, quantity surveying, project controls, or construction finance.
- Proven experience developing conceptual and schematic-level budgets for large-scale capital projects.
- Proficiency in SharePoint, SAP, Excel, Power BI and financial tracking platforms such as Tango.
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage cross-functional stakeholders, and uphold cost governance.
- Strong communication and documentation skills, with an eye for detail and risk management.
- B.S. Degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, Quantity surveying.
Responsibilities
- Work with Project Managers to develop all early-stage feasibility studies, ROMs and cost estimates for Puget Sound portfolio projects, providing detailed cost data and analysis to support decisions.
- Provide cost and commercial review of project budgets, estimates, contractor proposals, and change orders to identify cost risks, inconsistencies, and value opportunities.
- Assist in preparing and reviewing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) by providing accurate cost inputs. Ensure cost estimates and schedules are comprehensive and align with project requirements.
- Create and Manage ROM and estimating tools to ensure consistency, accuracy, and scalability in cost modeling.
- Administer project controls including project acceptance, change order approvals, and operational closeout.
- Manage and enforce the use of standardized project templates (ROMs. Estimates, Charter, Project Acceptance, Closeout.
- Monitor documentation compliance across platforms such as SharePoint and Tango.
- Oversee workflows for ROMs, estimates, bidding/award, change orders, payment application reviews, retention release,
- Ensure complete and accurate document retention across all project phases.
- Perform regular audits to ensure alignment between Tango, SharePoint, and financial trackers.
- Coordinate bi-weekly cost reviews and monthly reconciliations, tracking estimates, approved budgets, commitments, forecasts, and actual costs to identify variances and improve future estimating accuracy.
- Utilize project cost data from Tango to develop benchmarks, identify cost trends, and continually improve ROM and estimate accuracy.
- Generate and distribute account level reports and performance dashboards as required weekly, monthly, quarterly.
- Coordinate cost-related newsletter content and provide cost commentary to support business summaries.
- Create and manage a cost benchmarking program for internal projects and external comparison projects in the Puget sound region.
Benefits
- health, vision, and dental insurance
- flexible spending accounts
- health savings accounts
- retirement savings plans
- life, and disability insurance programs
- paid and unpaid time away from work
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
