Cost Manager

Job Description

Job Description

About Us
Clayco is a full-service, turnkey real estate development, master planning, architecture, engineering, and construction firm that safely delivers clients across North America the highest quality solutions on time, on budget, and above and beyond expectations. With $8.1 billion in revenue for 2025, Clayco specializes in the "art and science of building," providing fast track, efficient solutions for mission critical, industrial, life sciences, power & energy, aviation, commercial, institutional, residential and sports & entertainment related building projects.

About Consolidated Distribution Company (CDC)
Clayco's Consolidated Distribution Company (CDC) uses its extensive relationships to securecompetitive pricing and product availability. By negotiating with top brands and manufacturers, CDC provides cost-effective solutions for construction equipment, materials, and finishes. It excels in managing complex projects through strategic sourcing and mass purchasing, offering integrated design, and purchasing power for both internal and external clients.

The Role We Want You For

The Cost Manager provides accurate, timely job-level cost data and analysis to support the Project Team's accountability for job profitability and cost management. This role ensures the financial foundation for informed decision-making by Operations, Accounting, and FP&A. Operations owns job performance; Cost Manager ensures they have the cost visibility and data quality to manage it. The role reports to the Business Unit Leader / President, with oversight and support from the VP of FP&A to maintain consistent cost management practices and standards across the business.

The Specifics of the Role

• Serves as the primary financial analyst supporting Operations accountability for job performance and profitability.
• Owns accuracy and timeliness of cost data and reporting; validates data quality without absorbing operational ownership.
• Translates field cost reality into forecasts and analysis that Accounting and FP&A can build on without re-checking.
• Anticipates cost and billing risk; escalates early with context and analysis.
• Holds cost code and cost reporting standards consistently across portfolio.
• Builds trust with Operations by explaining variances and supporting their decision-making, not just flagging issues.
• Balances support for Operations and Accounting without absorbing accountability that belongs to the field.
• Applies sound judgment on when a variance is routine versus material enough to escalate to leadership.

Job Cost Forecasting & Data Support

• Develop and maintain monthly Estimate at Completion (EAC) forecasts by job, including labor, material, and other direct costs; support Operations' forecast accuracy and decision-making.
• Validate fully-loaded labor cost methodology (wage + tax + WC + benefits) and baseline; flag underestimation issues to Project Team and leadership.
• Conduct monthly cost reviews with Operations teams to validate forecasts, identify cost drivers, and support their variance explanations.
• Validate labor allocation and cost code accuracy; flag misallocations and unbudgeted charges to Project Team for correction.

Job Profitability & Variance Analysis

• Analyze and explain job profit/margin variance each month; provide cost drivers and operational context to support Operations' accountability for performance.
• Investigate and document billing variances (actual vs. projected); provide analysis to Accounting and FP&A.
• Escalate material cost and billing variances (>5% or >$250K) to Director and BU Leadership with context and recommended actions.
• Track contingency and management reserve usage; report balances and draws to support leadership's approval decisions.

Cost Controls & Systems

• Own job-level cost code structure and standardization; serve as single point of contact for new cost code requests and approvals.
• Configure and maintain Procore cost management modules for job setup; coordinate with Accounting on GL mapping.
• Support labor productivity tracking; validate production rates and flag variance from estimate.
• Validate cost data integrity and flag discrepancies (timing differences, duplications, exclusions) for Accounting and Operations resolution.

Month-End Close & Reporting

• Provide job profit and margin analysis for PCL reporting (feeds FP&A's PCL document compilation).
• Support Accounting's GL-to-job reconciliation by validating job subledger data and flagging variances.
• Prepare contingency and reserve position summary for leadership review and draw approval.
• Ensure all cost data supporting PCL reporting is accurate, complete, and audit-ready by close deadline.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Support Schedule of Values (SOV) reconciliation; flag misalignments between billing projections and SOVs.
• Coordinate with Preconstruction on pre-bid cost tracking and cost code capitalization discipline.
• Partner with Contracts on subcontract cost implications and financial risk assessment.
• Serve as financial bridge between Operations, Accounting, and FP&A on job-level cost matters.

Requirements

• 7+ years in construction accounting, project controls, or cost management in a self-performing construction environment.
• Proficiency in construction management software (Procore, Touchplan) and ERP systems (JDE, SAP).
• Strong financial acumen: ability to build cost models, analyze budget vs. actual, and interpret profitability data.
• Excellent communication skills; ability to translate cost data into clear explanations for field teams and finance leadership.
• Experience with GL-to-subledger reconciliation and month-end close processes.
• Knowledge of revenue recognition (ASC 606), job costing, and percentage-of-completion methodology.
• Experience mentoring or training project teams on cost processes and systems.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment with strong accountability culture.

Some Things You Should Know

• Our clients and projects are nationwide – Travel will be required.
• No other builder can offer the collaborative design-build approach that Clayco does.
• We work on creative, complex, award-winning, high-profile jobs.
• The pace is fast!

Why Clayco?

• 2025 Best Places to Work – St. Louis Business Journal, Los Angeles Business Journal, and Phoenix Business Journal.
• 2025 ENR Top 400 – Top Data Center Contractor (Top 3).
• 2025 ENR Top 100 Design-Build Firms – Design-Build Contractor (Top 5).
• 2025 ENR Top 100 Green Contractors – Green Contractor (Top 3).

Benefits

• Discretionary Annual Bonus: Subject to company and individual performance.
• Comprehensive Benefits Package Including: Medical, dental and vision plans, 401k, generous PTO and paid company holidays, employee assistance program, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, disability coverage, learning & development programs and more!

Compensation

• The salary range for this position considers a wide range of factors in making compensation decisions including but not limited to: Education, qualifications, skills, training, experience, certifications, internal equity, and location. Compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.