Project Controls and Cost Lead - Mechanical Engineering Contractor - Cork / Europe

Office/Project Location: Cork / Mainland Europe (Project Dependent)

Employment Type: Full time

Work Location: Office & Site Visits

Pay: Salary €80k - €100k

Experience: 8+ years' experience in project controls, cost engineering, or commercial management

Visa: EU passport or Stamp 4 visa required

Our client is a premier Irish mechanical engineering contractor specializing in high-purity piping, modular fabrication, and large-scale industrial project delivery across Europe.

The Project Controls & Cost Lead is responsible for establishing, maintaining, and reporting all project controls functions across major mechanical construction projects in Ireland and Mainland Europe.

They will oversee cost control, earned value progress measurement, schedule management, change control, and performance reporting to ensure project delivery within budget and schedule targets.

Lead the project cost control function from project award through to final account settlement

Develop and maintain project budgets, detailed cost plans, and monthly cash flow forecasts

Monitor actual costs against baseline budgets, identifying cost variances, risks, and value engineering opportunities

Validate labour productivity, resource utilization, and Earned Value Management (EVM) metrics

Work with Quantity Surveying teams to ensure accurate valuation of works, scope variations, and compensation events

Monitor progress against Primavera P6 baseline programmes, tracking critical path activities and schedule risks

Implement formal change control procedures, evaluating cost and schedule impacts prior to scope approval

Maintain project risk and opportunity registers, quantifying financial and programme impacts

Develop reporting dashboards, KPI frameworks, and executive progress reports for clients and internal leadership

Interface directly with Operations, Procurement, Engineering, and Client Management teams across international job sites

Requirements

Degree in Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Project Controls, or equivalent

8+ years' experience in project controls, cost engineering, or commercial project delivery

Proven background delivering mechanical, piping, life sciences, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, or heavy industrial projects

Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel and proficiency with project controls tools (e.g., Primavera P6, Power BI, SAP, Deltek, or EcoSys)

In-depth knowledge of earned value analysis, schedule variance, cost forecasting, and productivity tracking

Superior analytical, communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills

Package

Salary €80k - €100k depending on experience

Travel / European rotation allowances (where applicable on overseas projects)

Pension scheme

Healthcare cover

Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and structured career growth opportunities

Contact

Laura McKenna is the consultant managing this position.

If you are a Project Controls Lead interested in roles in Cork or Europe you can contact Laura by e-mail laura@jobcontax.com or phone +353-1-9696684 for a confidential chat.

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