Cost Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled Project Coordinator Or Cost Coordinator with direct CAWA Contractor experience to manage our Ariba Work Assignment lifecycle. This specialized role requires a professional who can navigate the Southern California Edison (SCE) Ariba estimating system to dissect complex project scopes. You will be responsible for strategically breaking down large, consolidated funding pools into distinct, trackable financial line items while carefully balancing product and material sizing against project constraints.

Key Responsibilities

• Ariba Work Assignment Management: Oversee, input, and track CAWA/CAWA Contractor work assignments and material logistics directly within the Ariba platform.
• Scope Dissection & Analysis: Analyze comprehensive engineering or utility project scopes to extract accurate material, scheduling, and labor requirements.
• Edison Estimating & Budget Allocation: Utilize Edison-specific estimating protocols to break down large lump-sum funding pools into highly detailed, phase-specific budgets.
• Strategic Financial Milestone Planning: Determine exactly when and how to distribute project funds across different phases to maintain cash flow and meet regulatory compliance.
• Product Size Balancing: Evaluate field material specifications, weights, and dimensions to ensure product sizes perfectly balance with project constraints and physical inventory availability.
• Data Reconcilement: Audit field validation data against Ariba system records to quickly identify and correct financial or procurement anomalies.

Qualifications & Skills

• Required Experience: Direct experience as a CAWA, CAWA Contractor, or a closely related role managing Southern California Edison (SCE) material workflows.
• System Expertise: Advanced proficiency with the Ariba platform, specifically utilizing Edison estimating tools and processing work assignments.
• Financial Acumen: Proven ability to dissect project scopes, manipulate large datasets, and execute complex budget breakdowns.
• Material Management: Strong understanding of utility-grade hardware, technical material specifications, and product sizing methodologies.
• Software Skills: High proficiency in Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUPs, pivot tables) and digital project tracking databases.

Job Title: Cost Estimator, Cost Specialist, Project Coordinator, Planning Designer II or III, Planner, Designer, Estimator

Pay and bill along those lines

Experience Level

Intermediate Level

This is a Contract position based out of Ontario, CA.

The pay range for this position is $38.00 - $46.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a fully onsite position in Ontario,CA.

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 4, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on ziprecruiter.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.