Cost Project Manager

Hays Electrical Services • Houston, TX

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The Cost Project Manager (CPM) owns cost control across Hays Electrical Services' data center and mission-critical build program — from early budget development through final close-out. As our data center portfolio scales, this role brings rigor, transparency, and foresight to the financial side of capital construction, partnering directly with the EVP of the Data Center Team to protect margin, de-risk spend, and keep every project accountable to its numbers.The CPM is the author and owner of the Cost Management Report (CMR) — the primary mechanism for monitoring project budget allocation, adjustments, and change order impacts — and of the Cost Tracking Plan that establishes the financial framework for each assigned project. Project assignments for this role center on large-scale, mission-critical programs (reference: the Quantum Rise project, an approved contract value of $143.4M with a working budget of $126.5M). This is a highly visible role: the CPM's reporting and judgment directly inform decisions made at the executive level.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, Finance, or a related field; experience may be considered in lieu of degree.
• 5–7 years of experience in cost management, project controls, or cost engineering on large-scale construction or capital projects.
• Strong command of cost forecasting, earned value management, and change order/pay application review.
• Proficiency with cost management and scheduling tools (e.g., Procore, e-Builder, Primavera, or comparable platforms) and advanced Excel skills.
• Ability to learn and operate Hays' project systems: Vista (ERP), Miter (job cost reporting), KOJO (procurement), and Trimble (estimating/field data).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills — able to distill complex cost data into a clear narrative for executive stakeholders.
• A track record of working cross-functionally with construction, finance, and procurement teams under tight timelines.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation for regular travel to active construction sites.
• Strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills; able to work independently and as part of a team.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in data centers, mission-critical facilities, or other complex technical/industrial construction.
• Experience with electrical construction cost structures (labor, material, subcontracts, prefab, per diem for traveling workforces).
• CCP, PSP, or similar cost engineering / project controls certification.

Responsibilities

• Develop, manage, and continuously update cost budgets, forecasts, and cash flow projections for data center construction projects, from pre-construction through closeout.
• Produce and publish the Cost Management Report (CMR) on a weekly cadence, covering Overall Budget, Contracts & Subcontracts, Procurement, and Expenses (see Appendices A and B), maintaining a real-time financial posture for the project.
• Track and report project cost performance against budget, identifying variances early and driving corrective action with project teams.
• Maintain the project Cost Tracking Plan (see Appendix C): cost breakdown structure, accountlevel separation, baseline budget, control thresholds, and labor-vs.-schedule burn-rate analytics.
• Review, validate, and process contractor and vendor pay applications, change orders, and cost proposals for accuracy and contract compliance.
• Track all active commitments (contracts, subcontracts, and POs), monthly contract changes, and pending construction change requests — ensuring no unapproved pending work is started and that potential change orders are recognized within the 5-day identification window.
• Manage procurement cost visibility through KOJO (material requisitions, quotes, and purchase orders), reconciling weekly material cost reports and capturing costs that originate outside the platform.
• Reconcile monthly and job-to-date (JTD) expenses across Miter, KOJO, and Vista — including cash and accrued expenses — on a recurring cadence with Accounting, Procurement, and Project Controls.
• Partner with the EVP and project leadership to build executive-level cost reports, dashboards, and risk registers used in capital allocation decisions.
• Lead cost risk analysis across the project lifecycle, flagging exposure from scope changes, schedule slippage, escalation, and market conditions.
• Support contract negotiations and buyout by providing cost benchmarking, estimate validation, and value-engineering recommendations.
• Maintain audit-ready cost documentation and ensure consistent cost coding and reporting standards (phase codes / budget groups) across all active projects.
• Author and refine cost-control standard operating procedures (e.g., salary time-tracking SOP, CMR SOP) and route them through peer review and department-head markup.

Benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
• Generous paid time off and company holidays
• Opportunities for professional growth and development in a supportive, fast-paced environment

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior