Senior Cost Analyst

Title: Senior Project Cost Analyst

Duration: 12 months of Contract (Possible Extension)

Location: Detroit, MI

Shift: Hybrid

Job Description:

• Senior Project Cost Analyst Manages the financial aspects of complex projects across all phases, including planning, execution, and close-out. Develops and maintains accurate financial forecasts, tracking project progress, validating costs, and managing monthly accruals to ensure alignment with project scope and objectives.
• Provides oversight of larger portfolios, collaborates with cross-functional teams, drives process improvements, provides actionable insights, and mentors less experienced team members, emphasizing expertise in cost analysis, resource optimization, and financial leadership. Serves as the mentor for associate project cost analysts.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead and coordinate efforts with project teams, and cross-functional teams, including controllers, estimators, logistics, supply chain, and governance, to ensure successful execution of project cost management strategies across a broad portfolio of projects.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for contracted field staff, field personnel, and vendors, providing oversight, resolving complex issues, and ensuring project milestones are achieved efficiently. Conduct site visits to validate progress and address escalated concerns.
• Utilize robust knowledge of construction methodologies and project management gating systems to guide teams through project phases, ensuring alignment with organizational standards and best practices.
• Lead detailed budget tracking, resource planning, and operational execution, including crew coordination and material management, identifying opportunities for cost optimization and risk mitigation.
• Lead the review and approval process and gating requests, ensuring compliance with spend controls and strategic alignment with project goals.
• Ensure the timely closure of Internal Orders (IOs) and maintain accountability for the accuracy and compliance of financial reporting processes.
• Develop and refine detailed financial forecasts, provide comprehensive variance analyses and actionable insights to inform executive decision-making and ensure project performance alignment.
• Establish and maintain processes for monitoring key performance metrics, delivering high-impact reports, and conducting in-depth analyses to support project management and field operations.
• Lead efforts to forecast and optimize labor requirements, material procurement, inventory management, and contractor crew scheduling to ensure efficient project execution and cost-effectiveness.
• Manage escalations by overseeing the most complex projects, serving as a key point of contact for stakeholders, and providing expertise in SAP systems, credit memos, and tax memos.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, Project Management or Construction Management with 6 years of job relevant experience in construction management, project management, financial analysis, accounting, scheduling, or estimating.

Preferred

• MBA, CPA, and/or Masters in Accounting, Finance, Project Management, Construction Management.
• Experience within project controls (scheduling and estimating
• Professional certification in cost control (Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering or equivalent).
• Working knowledge of financial analysis, project and risk management.
• Analyze complex financial data and develop optimal recommendations and solutions to senior leadership.
• Collaborate within a 'team' and/or 'matrixed' structure, supporting multiple clients, procedures & policy.

Other Requirements

• Proficiency in Excel and SAP is sufficient to apply/support senior project cost analysts and leadership.
• Experience in operating system software utilized by the Corporation (e.g. Maximo, SAP R/3, SRM, BW)
• Ability to apply project planning & implementation and/or continuous improvement principles (typically acquired through several years of experience in these areas) to affect tangible, positive outcomes.
• Ability to present financial results and analysis to all levels of the business unit.