Cost Engineer Consultant – Contracts Assurance at Independent Project Monitoring Company (IPMC) Limited

Independent Project Monitoring Company (IPMC) Limited - We are a leading Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) consulting firm committed to helping organizations embed sustainability, ethical practices, and strong governance into their core operations. Our multidisciplinary team partners with clients across industries—including finance, manufacturing, technology, and consumer goods—to deliver measurable impact and long-term value.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Cost Engineer Consultant – Contracts Assurance

Location: Ikoyi, Lagos 
Employment Type: Full-time
Reporting To: Engineering Contracts Assurance Manager / Project Director

Role Purpose

• The Cost Engineer Consultant provides independent cost assurance and financial oversight of engineering and construction contracts to ensure that all contractor claims, invoices, and cost-related submissions are accurate, justified, contractually compliant, and aligned with project progress.
• The role is critical to the certification of contractor payments, ensuring that payments reflect actual work done, approved rates, and contractual provisions, while safeguarding the client against overpayment, cost inflation, and commercial risks.
• The Cost Engineer acts as a key member of the independent monitoring team, working closely with discipline engineers (civil, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation) and quantity surveyors to validate quantities, progress, and cost claims.

Key Responsibilities
Contractor Invoice Review and Certification:

• Review contractor interim payment applications (IPAs) and invoices.
• Verify that claimed quantities align with:
  • Approved drawings
  • Site progress
  • Measured work quantities.
• Ensure all claims comply with:
  • Contract terms
  • Agreed rates
  • Approved variations.
• Recommend certified payment amounts for client approval.

Quantity and Cost Verification:

• Work with Quantity Surveyors and discipline engineers to validate:
  • Measured quantities
  • Completed work percentages
  • Material usage.
• Cross-check contractor submissions against:
  • Bills of Quantities (BOQ)
  • Schedules of rates
  • Cost breakdown structures.
• . Identify discrepancies, over-measurement, or duplicate claims.

Contract Compliance and Commercial Review:

• Interpret contract provisions relating to:
  • Payment terms
  • Variation orders
  • Provisional sums
  • Escalation clauses.
• Ensure contractor claims comply with contractual requirements.
• Review supporting documentation for completeness and validity.

Variation and Change Order Assessment:

• Evaluate contractor variation claims and change orders.
• Verify:
  • Technical justification
  • Quantity impact
  • Cost implications.
• Provide independent assessment of fair and reasonable valuation.
• Track and maintain records of all approved variations.

Cost Monitoring and Reporting:

• Monitor project costs against:
  • Approved budgets
  • Contract values
  • Committed costs.
• Prepare periodic reports including:
  • Cost status
  • Forecast vs actual expenditure
  • Potential cost overruns
  • Savings opportunities.
• Highlight financial risks and recommend mitigation strategies.

Progress and Earned Value Assessment:

• Evaluate contractor progress in relation to cost claims.
• Apply earned value principles where applicable to assess:
  • Value of work done
  • Cost performance
  • Schedule performance.
• Ensure payments are aligned with actual progress on site.

Risk Identification and Cost Control:

• Identify commercial risks such as:
  • Inflated claims
  • Scope creep
  • Unapproved variations
  • Contract ambiguities.
• Recommend corrective actions to protect client financial interests.
• Support implementation of cost control mechanisms.

Dispute and Claims Support:

• Provide support in resolving:
  • Payment disputes
  • Variation disagreements
  • Contractor claims.
• Assist in preparing technical and financial evaluations for dispute resolution.

Stakeholder Coordination:

• Collaborate with:
  • Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, and Instrumentation Consultants
  • Quantity Surveyors
  • Contract Managers
  • Project Director.
• Participate in:
  • Progress meetings
  • Commercial review sessions
  • Contract evaluation discussions.

Compliance and Governance:

• Ensure all cost-related activities comply with:
  • Project governance frameworks
  • Audit requirements
  • Client financial controls.
• Maintain accurate and auditable records of:
  • Certifications
  • Evaluations
  • Approvals.

Qualifications

• Education:
  • Bachelor's degree in:
  • Quantity Surveying
  • Engineering (Civil, Mechanical, or related)
  • Construction Management or equivalent.

Professional Certification (Preferred):

• Membership of relevant professional bodies such as:
  • RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors)
  • NIQS (Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors)
  • COREN (for engineering background).
• PMP or equivalent is an advantage.

Experience:

• 10-20 years of experience in cost engineering, quantity surveying, or contract
• Administration.
• Strong experience in:
  • Contractor payment certification
  • BoQ-based projects
  • Cost control and financial monitoring.

Experience in:

• Infrastructure projects
• Industrial plants
• Oil C gas / energy projects
• Large construction projects.

Key Technical Competencies:
Cost Engineering:

• Cost estimation and cost control
• Budgeting and forecasting
• Earned Value Management (EVM)

Contract Knowledge:

• Understanding of standard forms of contracts (e.g., FIDIC)
• Variation and claims management
• Commercial evaluation of contractor submissions

Measurement and Quantification:

• BoQ interpretation
• Quantity take-offs
• Measurement standards and methodologies

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their Applications and CV to: recruitment@ipmc-ng.com using the Job Title as the subject of the email.