Senior Cost Controller
Wood · Chennai
Cost Management
- Develop and maintain project cost budgets in accordance with the Project Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and the Basis of Estimate
- Liaise with procurement, finance, and time-capture functions to ensure accurate and timely capture of all cost elements — procurement, materials, subcontracts, and labour
- Monitor and review cost commitments and expenditure through all phases of project lifecycle
- Liaise with project management and planning to ensure accuracy of cost phasing and forecasting
- Review and evaluate project cost performance reports and forecast updates
- Review and analyse cost impact of manpower forecasts
- Review and issue project change orders and variations in accordance with change notifications
- Assess and communicate cost and schedule impact of change notifications
- Monitor overall project cost performance and contingency drawdown
- Lead the project cost close-out process
- Act as Cost Focal Point for all assigned project scopes
Reporting & Governance
- Ensure project budgets, costs, and reports are documented, auditable, and issued in a controlled manner
- Review and evaluate project cost performance reports in accordance with project reporting requirements
- Attend project and client periodic meetings and present cost performance status as required
- Ensure reports are accurate, timely, and issued in accordance with the contract reporting calendar
- Ensure original and current budgets correspond to approved estimates and scope changes throughout the project lifecycle
- Participate in contract and corporate risk analysis sessions and audits
PMBS & Efficiency
- Support the achievement of the contract PMBS efficiency target (target: PMBS below 50% of Engineering cost)
- Actively contribute to simplification of cost reporting structures and reduction of unnecessary reporting overhead
- Contribute to the development of fit-for-purpose cost controls for the Fast Track delivery model
Team & Capability Development
- Supervise, guide, and manage the Cost team — delegating work, reviewing outputs, and supporting development
- Play a key role in mentoring and career development of cost personnel within the GEC
- Lead and participate in Project Controls compliance and continuous improvement reviews
- Contribute to the recruiting and retention of project controls talent within the GEC Hub
CONTRACT-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
Location & Mobility
- Based at the Wood GEC office in Chennai, India — this is the primary place of work
- Willingness and ability to undertake periodic overseas travel, primarily to the UK (Aberdeen), for project governance, knowledge transfer, customer engagement, and team alignment purposes
- Estimated overseas travel: low frequency (approximately 2–4 trips per year depending on project phase)
International & Multicultural Experience
- Demonstrated experience working in multicultural environments — experience working or collaborating with teams in Europe (particularly the UK) is strongly preferred
- Proven ability to operate effectively across cultural, organizational, and time-zone boundaries
- Experience of UK North Sea or comparable European offshore oil and gas operations is advantageous
Brownfield Experience
- Preference for candidates with previous brownfield offshore modification or brownfield EPC project experience
- Familiarity with the particular challenges of brownfield scope definition, execution in operating environments, and interface management with asset operations teams
Transition & Uncertainty Leadership
- Demonstrable ability to lead teams through periods of significant change, transition, and operating model evolution
- Comfortable operating with managed uncertainty — able to keep teams focused, motivated, and delivering during periods when processes, structures, or accountabilities are still maturing
- Experience of operating model transitions, onboarding programmes, or significant organizational change is advantageous
Workload Flexibility
- Ability to manage varied and changing workloads across multiple concurrent scopes of differing scale and complexity
- Comfortable moving between strategic planning, hands-on delivery support, and team leadership as the situation requires
Networking & Talent Development
- Strong professional networking capability — able to identify, attract, and retain talent within the GEC and the wider Wood organization
- Active approach to building an internal talent pipeline, mentoring junior team members, and contributing to the development of the GEC as a center of excellence
- Contribution to the wider recruiting effort for the GEC Hub build-out is expected
Wood is a global leader in consulting, engineering and operations for the energy and materials sectors. With 33,000 people in around 50 countries, Wood supports clients across the full asset lifecycle, delivering safe, predictable outcomes while enabling resilient operations and a lower carbon future. Wood forms the Energy & Materials pillar of Sidara - a global partnership uniting leading multidisciplinary engineering, design, and project management companies. www.woodgroup.com
Diversity Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer that recognises the value of a diverse workforce. All suitably qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment on the basis of objective criteria and without regard to the following (which is a non-exhaustive list): race, colour, age, religion, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or other characteristics in accordance with the relevant governing laws.
Accountable for the development, maintenance, and reporting of project cost budgets across assigned bp North Sea scopes delivered from the GEC Hub. Responsible for the tracking of actual and forecasted costs, generation of accurate cost reports, and delivery of cost management services that meet contractual requirements and Wood policies.
This role sits within the GEC Hub Project Controls team and plays a key part in the delivery of Wood's transformed operating model for the bp North Sea contract — including the achievement of PMBS efficiency targets, support for Fast Track delivery, and the progressive development of direct GEC-to-bpTSI cost reporting interfaces.