Head of Cost

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Job Description

Base salary: £84,300 pa to c.£105,400 pa depending on skills and experience. In addition, we offer flexible benefits fund of 20% which is paid on top base salary and is fully pensionable, as well as a range of competitive benefits - check them out in the Benefits section on our website.

About The Role

• Support the development of the 'Cost Performance Strategy', in line with the business needs of the wider HS2 Ltd organisation.
• Provide technical leadership and advice in support of the overall programme cost baseline and the development of programme performance reports to articulate current performance; incl. Earned Value Management (EVM), forecasted costs and EAC pressures.
• Interaction with senior HS2 leadership, DfT and other third-party stakeholders to provide and maintain overall confidence in HS2's ability to deliver within the prescribed approved budget.
• Maintain the unlet scope, budget, cost forecasts ensuring early visibility of trends are being highlighted and acted upon accordingly, allowing HS2 Ltd Delivery
• Oversight teams and executive to make decisions based upon real time intelligence
• Maintain a high performing team, drive performance standards through expert communication and effective use of management processes
• Provide the leadership and direction of the LOD1 assurance activity for Cost Management, ensuring that consistency, best practice & lessons learned are being upheld
• Ensure both the analysis and assurance (LoD1) of programme cost performance against forecast is being undertaken across the organisation.
• Support the continual improvement of the cost management standards, policies, and processes (incl. validation of cost performance data submitted by supply chain, EVM etc.) by obtaining and collating feedback from the Cost Management Team and working alongside the Project Controls Senior Management.
• Provides overall specialist cost advice in support of freedom of information requests and responses to other industry requests.
• Maintains functional workforce planning, resourcing & recruitment across the Cost Management function through the various iterations of business maturity ensuring that key stakeholders are adequately supported whist maintaining an efficient organisational structure.
• It is expected that you will actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

About You

Skills:

• Cost and Performance Management skills in large, complex projects
• Ability to establish and maintain constructive working relationships with stakeholders at all levels across the organisation, improving processes and guidance to support project delivery
• Ability to manage stakeholders and information flow in a matrix environment, with ability to work across business areas and provide specialist advice where needed.
• Experience and practical technical capability in the management and control of cost management systems (e.g. Prism, Ecosys, etc.).
• Ability to maintain a self-challenging team with problem-solving abilities and attention to detail at all times
• Ability to provide support, develop a large team, providing clarity, direction and motivation.
• Interpersonal skills, including tact and influence, with ability to be assertive without causing unnecessary conflict and to communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders.
• Ability to analyse and interpret data and ability to produce accurate, timely and informative reports in multiple formats targeted to the needs of the audience.
• Ability to manage both internal and external stakeholders and present persuasive / alternative view points

Knowledge:

• Understanding of Project Controls, Commercial and Finance processes with a view of how these operate within complex organisations
• Knowledge and commercial awareness of multiple construction contract types and their respective benefits to client organisations
• Knowledge of the core Project Controls disciplines, including; Schedule Management, Change Management and Risk Management.
• Specialist level of knowledge of cost baseline development and maintenance of cost baselines on a major programme.
• Knowledge of the Project and Commercial Management principles including understanding of cost delivery, schedule targets.
• Understanding of NEC contracts, amendments, early warning notices and the work flows of communications between contractor and client.

Type of experience:

• Reporting at senior level and advising senior stakeholders around cost performance and complex issues and appropriate resolution
• Experience in the core project controls functions, including; baseline maintenance, cost performance, change management, risk management, performance reporting and document control
• Experience of managing and producing performance reports that summaries cost performance at a programme level, including: Budgets, Earned Value Management (EVM) and forecasts on major projects

As HS2 Ltd do not hold a sponsorship license from the Home Office, we are not able to provide sponsorship to any applicant. Applicants must already have the Right to Work in the UK at the time of application and our process involves a Right to Work validation prior to the interview stage. Note, there are certain types of time-bound visas that we cannot accept.

Any offers made to applicants will be subject to satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks which include Nationality & Immigration Status, employment references, DBS, Financial and Education checks.

We ask for a variety of detail in your online application, however we perform the first assessment of suitability for a role based solely on the information in your CV. In a further development of our efforts to create a more diverse workforce, your CV will be anonymised and personal information will be removed during the first stage of the application review. This removes bias from the process and makes it even more important that you attach an updated word version of your CV for each new application ensuring you include evidence directly related to the criteria in the job advert.

Watch this video on how we remove bias in the recruitment process: Removing bias in the recruitment process (youtube.com)

Any applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

About Us

High Speed 2 (HS2 Ltd) will be the UK's new high speed rail network. As well as improving capacity, the new scheme will shorten journey times between a number of Britain's major population centres, boost the economy and create thousands of jobs.

HS2 Ltd will create a skills legacy and develop a diverse range of talent. We aim to be a leader in EDI practice by creating a safe & inclusive working environment for all our staff - living our values of Safety, Respect, Integrity and Leadership.

In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

HS2 Ltd is also a safety-critical organisation. Employees are required to ensure reasonable care of their own and others' health and safety by taking personal responsibility for working to our 'Safe at Heart' programme principles and following safe working procedures at all times.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential.