Senior Manager – Project Budgeting & Cost Control- Africa

Senior Manager – Project Budgeting & Cost Control

Location: Kinshasa (Africa)

Department: Finance / Project Controls

Reporting To: Group CFO / Project Director

Employment Type: Full-time

Role Purpose

We are looking for an experienced Senior Manager – Project Budgeting & Cost Control with strong exposure to construction / EPC project finance and project-level cost management.

The role will be responsible for establishing project budgets and cost baselines, monitoring actual expenditure against approved budgets, analysing cost variances, forecasting project costs and providing timely financial insights to management.

The ideal candidate must have hands-on experience in construction-related cost control and should understand how project costs are planned, coded, tracked, committed, forecast and reported throughout the project lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

1. Project Budgeting & Cost Planning

• Develop and maintain project budgets and approved cost baselines.
• Prepare detailed budgets covering civil works, materials, labour, equipment, subcontractors, procurement, overheads and other project costs.
• Establish appropriate cost codes, WBS and cost-control structures.
• Work with Project, Engineering, Procurement and Construction teams to develop realistic project cost estimates.
• Review budget assumptions and ensure alignment with project scope, contracts and execution plans.

2. Project Cost Control & Tracking

• Monitor actual, committed and forecast costs against approved project budgets.
• Track project expenditure by cost code, WBS, work package, contractor and project activity.
• Identify cost overruns, under-runs and emerging cost risks.
• Monitor commitments, purchase orders, subcontractor costs and accruals.
• Ensure project costs are correctly allocated and recorded.

3. Variance Analysis & Reporting

• Prepare regular Budget vs. Actual vs. Forecast reports.
• Analyse the reasons behind material cost variances and recommend corrective actions.
• Provide management with early warnings on potential cost overruns and budget risks.
• Prepare monthly project cost reports and management dashboards.
• Present project financial performance to senior management and project stakeholders.

4. Forecasting & Cost-to-Complete

• Prepare regular Estimate at Completion (EAC) and Estimate to Complete (ETC).
• Forecast final project costs based on actual performance, commitments and remaining scope.
• Track project cash flow and expenditure projections.
• Assess the financial impact of scope changes, delays, variations and claims.

5. Construction Cost Management

• Work closely with Construction, Engineering, Procurement and Commercial teams to control project costs.
• Monitor costs related to subcontractors, labour, materials, equipment and site operations.
• Review project variations, change orders and their financial impact.
• Support evaluation of contractor claims and commercial adjustments.
• Identify opportunities for cost optimisation without compromising project quality or timelines.

6. Project Controls & Governance

• Establish effective project cost-control processes and reporting systems.
• Ensure proper approval and control of project expenditure.
• Monitor adherence to approved budgets and delegated authority limits.
• Maintain accurate project cost records and supporting documentation.
• Support internal and external audits relating to project costs.

7. Stakeholder Management

• Partner closely with Project Managers, Construction Managers, Procurement, Contracts, Engineering and Finance teams.
• Provide financial and commercial insights to support project decision-making.
• Escalate significant financial risks and deviations to senior management.
• Present project financial reviews to management on a regular basis.

Desired Experience

• 12–18 years of overall Finance / Project Controls / Cost Management experience.
• Minimum 5–8 years of hands-on project cost-control experience.
• Strong experience in Construction, EPC, Infrastructure, Industrial Projects, Oil & Gas, Mining or similar project environments.
• Proven experience managing project budgets, cost baselines and budget-vs-actual reporting.
• Demonstrated experience working with cost codes, WBS, commitments, accruals, forecasting and project cost reports.
• Experience preparing EAC / ETC and project cash-flow forecasts.
• Experience tracking construction-related costs and identifying cost overruns.
• Experience working closely with Project, Engineering, Procurement and Construction teams.

Essential Skills

• Project Budgeting & Cost Control
• Construction Cost Management
• Budget Baseline Management
• Cost Coding / WBS
• Budget vs. Actual Analysis
• Forecasting & EAC / ETC
• Project Cash Flow
• Variance Analysis
• Cost Reporting & MIS
• Contractor / Subcontractor Cost Tracking
• Change Order / Variation Cost Analysis
• Advanced Excel
• ERP / Project Controls Systems