Cost Project Manager

Hays Electrical Services • Houston, TX

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Cost Project Manager (CPM) owns cost control across Hays Electrical Services’ data center and mission-critical construction program, from early budget development through final close-out. The role establishes rigor, transparency, and foresight for project finances, partnering directly with the EVP of the Data Center Team to protect margins, manage spending risk, and keep projects accountable to their budgets. The CPM owns the Cost Management Report (CMR), used to monitor budget allocation, adjustments, and change-order impacts, and the Cost Tracking Plan that defines the financial framework for each assigned project. Assignments focus on large-scale, mission-critical programs, and the CPM’s reporting and judgment inform executive-level decisions.

The role develops and maintains project budgets, forecasts, cash-flow projections, cost reports, and tracking plans. It evaluates cost performance and risks, reviews pay applications and change requests, monitors commitments and procurement costs, and reconciles expenses across company systems. The CPM works with project leadership and executive stakeholders, supports negotiations and buyout, maintains audit-ready documentation and consistent cost standards, and develops cost-control procedures.

The position is full-time and based in Houston, Texas. Regular travel to active construction sites is required. The posting lists competitive salary based on experience and benefits including health, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off, company holidays, and professional growth and development opportunities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, Finance, or a related field; experience may be considered in lieu of a 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 and pay-application review.
• Proficiency with cost management and scheduling tools such as Procore, e-Builder, Primavera, or comparable platforms, and advanced Excel skills.
• Ability to learn and operate Vista, Miter, KOJO, and Trimble.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex cost data clearly to executive stakeholders.
• Experience 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, and ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in data centers, mission-critical facilities, or other complex technical or industrial construction.
• Experience with electrical construction cost structures, including labor, material, subcontracts, prefab, and per diem for traveling workforces.
• CCP, PSP, or similar cost engineering or 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 weekly Cost Management Report covering Overall Budget, Contracts & Subcontracts, Procurement, and Expenses.
• Track and report project cost performance against budget, identify variances early, and drive corrective action with project teams.
• Maintain the project Cost Tracking Plan, including cost breakdown structure, account-level separation, baseline budget, control thresholds, and labor-versus-schedule burn-rate analytics.
• Review, validate, and process contractor and vendor pay applications, change orders, and cost proposals for accuracy and contract compliance.
• Track active contracts, subcontracts, purchase orders, monthly contract changes, and pending construction change requests; ensure unapproved pending work does not start and potential change orders are identified within five days.
• Manage procurement cost visibility through KOJO, reconcile weekly material cost reports, and capture costs originating outside the platform.
• Reconcile monthly and job-to-date expenses across Miter, KOJO, and Vista, including cash and accrued expenses, with Accounting, Procurement, and Project Controls.
• Partner with the EVP and project leadership to develop executive-level cost reports, dashboards, and risk registers for capital allocation decisions.
• Lead cost risk analysis throughout the project lifecycle and flag exposure from scope changes, schedule slippage, escalation, and market conditions.
• Support contract negotiations and buyout with cost benchmarking, estimate validation, and value-engineering recommendations.
• Maintain audit-ready cost documentation and consistent cost coding and reporting standards across active projects.
• Author and refine cost-control standard operating procedures and route them for 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: Mid Level