HS2 (High Speed 2)
Head of Cost - Line of Route
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Grade 21 - internal promotions will be aligned to the pay policy.
The Head of Cost - Delivery will be responsible for baseline management, forecast and cost capture for the portfolio. In addition:
- Provide overall leadership across the portfolio and contracts.
- Accountable for implementation of cost management policies, processes and standards, and ensuring these are effectively executed across the portfolio.
- Support development of industry best practice tools, policies and processes by sharing with Cost Director and core cost team.
- Provide delivery leadership and direction to a team of Senior Cost Managers and Cost managers across multiple locations.
- Assure and challenge data and information provided by supply chain.
- Analyse and report cost performance in monthly programme reviews.
We have opportunities for Head of Cost for Systems, Stations and Line of Route
Location: The role s can be based in Birmingham or London, with expectation for a minimum of three days per week office attendance.
About the role:
- Accountable for the deployment of the Cost Management Plan and other functional management plans, in line with the business needs of the wider HS2 Ltd organisation.
- Provide leadership to support the portfolio cost baseline and the development of performance reports to articulate current cost performance, including Earned Value, forecast costs and cost pressures, to internal and external stakeholders.
- Accountable for review and analysis of actual costs and ensuring the data accurately reflects the supply chain’s current performance for onward reporting.
- Ensure team adherence to the Performance Measurement Cycle for Baseline Management, Change Control, capture of actual costs, and supply chain data upload and assurance.
- Maintain the unlet scope, baseline and cost forecasts, ensuring early visibility of trends and emerging issues, and that these are highlighted and acted upon accordingly, allowing the Cost Director, Delivery Directors and Executive team to make decisions based on real-time intelligence.
- Ensure alignment and integration with other Project Controls functions, including Risk, Planning, Change and Reporting, as well as wider functions such as Commercial and Finance.
- Support the continual improvement of cost management standards, policies and processes. Ensure lessons learned are captured and shared with the team and implement governance processes and review policies to ensure they remain aligned with strategic functional objectives.
- Maintain a high-performing team and drive performance standards through effective leadership and robust management processes. Manage the team by setting individual objectives, conducting performance reviews/appraisals, and providing ongoing support and development.
- Accountable for reviewing and assuring period end cost information to support reporting and management requirements providing insights and analysis to enables interventions.
- Actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.
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About you:
Skills:
- Cost and Performance Management skills in large complex Programme.
- Ability to establish and maintain constructive working relationships with stakeholders at all levels across the organisation, improving processes and guidance to support project delivery.
- Ability to manage stakeholders and information flow in a matrix environment, with ability to work across business areas and provide specialist advice where needed.
- Experience and practical technical capability in the management and control of cost management systems (e.g. Contruent (Prism), Ecosys, etc.).
- Ability to always maintain a self-challenging team with problem-solving abilities and attention to detail.
- Ability to innovate and champion best practice within data, people, processes and systems.
- Ability to provide support, develop a large team, providing clarity, direction and motivation.
- Interpersonal skills, including tact and influence, with ability to be assertive without causing unnecessary conflict and to communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders.
- Ability to analyse and interpret data and ability to produce accurate, timely and informative reports in multiple formats targeted to the needs of the audience.
- Ability to manage both internal and external stakeholders and present persuasive / alternative view points.
Knowledge:
- Understanding of Project Controls, Commercial and Finance processes with a view of how these operate within complex organisations.
- Knowledge and commercial awareness of multiple construction contract types and their respective benefits to client organisations.
- Knowledge of the core Project Controls disciplines, including; Schedule Management, Change Management and Risk Management.
- Specialist level of knowledge of cost baseline development and maintenance of cost baselines on a major programme.
- Knowledge of the Project and Commercial Management principles including understanding of cost delivery, schedule targets.
- Understanding of NEC contracts, amendments, early warning notices and the work flows of communications between contractor and client.
Type of experience:
- Reporting at senior level and advising senior stakeholders around cost performance and complex issues and appropriate resolution.
- Experience in the core project controls functions, including; baseline maintenance, cost performance, change management, risk management, performance reporting and document control.
- Collaboration: Collaborating across boundaries, to establish reciprocal relationships and alliances across the organisation.
- Experience of managing and producing performance reports that summaries cost performance at a programme level, including: Budgets, Earned Value Management (EVM) and forecasts on major projects.
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The post-holder is expected to behave at all times in a manner consistent with the HS2 values of Safety, Leadership, Integrity and Respect. It is expected that you will actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.
We ask for a variety of detail in your online application, however we perform the first assessment of suitability for a role based solely on the information in your CV. In a further development of our efforts to create a more diverse workforce, your CV will be anonymised and personal information will be removed during the first stage of the application review. This removes bias from the process and makes it even more important that you attach an updated word version of your CV for each new application ensuring you include evidence directly related to the criteria in the job advert. Watch this video on how we remove bias in the recruitment process: Removing bias in the recruitment process - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWs5gdAY1Vg]
Any applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
High Speed 2 (HS2 Ltd) will be the UK’s new high speed rail network. As well as improving capacity, the new scheme will shorten journey times between a number of Britain’s major population centres, boost the economy and create thousands of jobs.
HS2 Ltd will create a skills legacy and develop a diverse range of talent. We aim to be a leader in EDI practice by creating a safe & inclusive working environment for all our staff - living our values of Safety, Respect, Integrity and Leadership.
In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.
HS2 Ltd is also a safety-critical organisation. Employees are required to ensure reasonable care of their own and others’ health and safety by taking personal responsibility for working to our ‘Safe at Heart’ programme principles and following safe working procedures at all times.
HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential.
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