Job Title: Senior Project Controls Manager (Cost & Commercial)
Department: Projects
Location: Port Talbot (SA13)
Salary: Competitive – Plus benefits to include car (or allowance), leading pension scheme, Private Health Insurance (Family Cover) plus annual bonus
Closing Date: Sunday 26th April 2026
Are you a strategic leader looking to take command of programme‑wide cost and commercial controls on a megaproject that will reshape the future of steelmaking?
Project Invictus is one of the most ambitious industrial programmes in Europe and represents a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to shape the future of steelmaking in the UK. As Construction Manager, you will play a central role in delivering a groundbreaking megaproject that will transform our operations and support the transition to a more sustainable, modern steel industry.
Reporting to the Head of Project Performance & Controls, the Senior Project Controls Manager (Cost & Commercial) is responsible for leading and assuring programme-wide cost, commercial, and financial controls across a complex portfolio of capital projects.
The role provides strategic ownership of cost estimating, budgeting, forecasting, cashflow, and commercial governance, while ensuring full integration with schedule, risk, change, and performance management. Acting as a senior commercial adviser to Programme and Project leadership, the postholder provides authoritative insight, challenge, and decision support to protect value, manage risk, and drive predictable CAPEX outcomes.
The Senior Project Controls Manager leads and develops the Cost, Commercial and wider Project Controls capability, embedding best practice, strong governance, and a single version of the financial truth across the programme.
The Role
The Senior Project Controls Manager is critical to cost certainty, cashflow control, and value protection across the capital programme. Strong leadership of cost and commercial controls directly underpins investment confidence, governance assurance, and successful project closeout. This includes but not be limited to:
Cost & Commercial Leadership (Primary Bias)
- Establish and own the programme cost management framework, including estimating, budgeting, forecasting, cashflow, and cost control standards.
- Set and maintain the Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS), fully aligned to WBS, OBS, contract structures, and schedule.
- Oversee development of CAPEX estimates, contingencies, and funding profiles across project lifecycle stages.
- Own the cost baseline and ensure disciplined cost change control aligned to programme governance.
- Lead forecasting, trend management, and estimate-at-completion (EAC) processes to provide early warning of cost risk.
- Ensure full visibility of cost drivers, productivity assumptions, and commercial exposure.
Commercial & Contract Management
- Provide senior oversight of commercial strategy, tendering inputs, and contract cost implications.
- Assure contract administration, variations, compensation events, claims, and final accounts.
- Ensure effective integration of cost control with NEC (or equivalent) contract mechanisms.
- Lead cost and commercial risk identification, quantification, and mitigation planning.
- Support dispute avoidance, negotiation, and resolution in collaboration with legal and procurement teams.
Integrated Project Controls & Performance Management
- Ensure integration of cost, schedule, risk, and change control into a coherent project controls environment.
- Oversee implementation and assurance of Earned Value Management (EVM), ensuring alignment between budgeted cost, earned value, and schedule performance.
- Coordinate closely with Planning Leads to ensure cost loaded schedules and time–cost integration.
- Provide insight into resource, productivity, and cashflow impacts across the programme.
Reporting, Insights & Executive Decision Support
- Deliver timely, accurate, and auditable financial and commercial reporting using the Project Management System as a single source of truth.
- Provide senior stakeholders with clear cost narratives, dashboards, trends, and scenarios.
- Identify cost and commercial risks/opportunities and present options with recommended actions.
- Support monthly programme reviews, investment decisions, and funding approvals.
Governance, Assurance & Controls
- Ensure cost and commercial management complies with organisational governance, audit requirements, and external assurance expectations.
- Lead or sponsor cost assurance reviews, controls audits, and baseline integrity checks.
- Ensure consistency of cost data quality across projects and contractors.
- Maintain auditable records supporting stage-gate approvals, business cases, and final investment decisions.
Leadership, Capability & Resource Management
- Lead, coach, and develop Cost Controllers, Quantity Surveyors, and Commercial Specialists.
- Act as functional lead for cost and commercial capability within Project Controls.
- Define competency standards and development pathways.
- Proactively identify capability gaps and implement targeted training or mentoring.
Stakeholder Engagement & Influence
- Act as trusted senior cost and commercial partner to Programme Directors, Project Managers, and Sponsors.
- Engage with contractors and suppliers to ensure transparency, compliance, and performance.
- Influence decisions through clear, evidence-based commercial insight.
- Challenge optimistically to protect value and drive realistic, disciplined outcomes.
What we are looking for
Applicants for this role will be expected to be educated to degree level in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Engineering, or related discipline (or equivalent experience). Holding certifications in APM PMQ, PPQ Qualification, APM EVM Certification, APM PPC Practitioner Certification or equivalents. APM Member or equivalent institution desirable.
- Extensive experience leading cost and commercial management on large, complex CAPEX programmes.
- Strong commercial acumen, including:
- Cost estimating and contingency development
- Budgeting, forecasting, and cashflow control
- Change, claims, and final account management
- Proven experience integrating cost with schedule, risk, and EVM.
- Strong knowledge of NEC (or equivalent) contracts and cost mechanisms.
- Ability to develop and deploy cost systems, tools, and governance frameworks.
- Advanced analytical, reporting, and stakeholder communication skills.
- Demonstrated leadership of professional cost and commercial teams
- Influential senior-level communicator and negotiator
- High attention to detail, accuracy, and data integrity
- Confident in challenge and assurance
- Strong mentoring and coaching capability
What we can offer
Tata Steel UK offers an employee benefits package. For this role, you will benefit from:
- A market competitive salary
- 35 days holidays per annum
- Annual Bonus – subject to business performance
- One of the UK’s leading defined contribution pension schemes (10% employer contribution / 6% employee contribution)
- Annual Pay Review
- Private Healthcare Scheme (Family cover)
We also have an extensive list of lifestyle benefits including an employee assistance programme as well as Employee discount scheme for companies including Vodafone, Jaguar Land Rover and also various local and national retailers and services.
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