Cost Controller

The Windfall Project, owned by Gold Fields, is located in northern Québec. By joining our passionate team, committed to creating lasting value beyond mining, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the construction and startup of a world-class mining project, one of the most ambitious in recent decades. 

Gold Fields is a globally diversified gold producer with operations in Australia, South Africa, Ghana, Peru, Canada and Chile. At Gold Fields, we are committed to achieving an inclusive workforce and recognise that the diverse talent of our people will ultimately determine our growth, performance and success.

This is a role that offers you the opportunity to lead high-impact initiatives, collaborate with experts, and contribute to our growth in Québec. You will thrive in a dynamic environment where challenges and an exceptional workplace will support your professional growth.

Join the Gold Fields Windfall builder team! 

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Reporting administratively to the Project Controls Director and functionally to the Deputy Project Controls Director and Owner Cost Lead, the Cost Controller is the Owners' Team cost authority for a designated Project Area (Underground Mining, Process Plant, Tailings & Stockpile Facilities, or Non-Process Infrastructure). The role is accountable for the integrity of budget, commitments, incurred costs, accruals, forecasts, and cost change for the assigned Area, and for the integration of these data into Contruent — the project's approved single source of truth for cost control. The Cost Controller provides functional oversight of the ePCM and ESP Cost Controllers operating within the assigned Area, validates and challenges contractor-submitted cost data, leads the Area's cost reviews, and produces decision-grade variance analysis for the Owner Cost Lead and project leadership. The role is a key driver of the Change Management process within the Area and works in close collaboration with Area Planners, Estimators, Risk, Procurement, Engineering, Construction Management, and Finance. Working from the Montreal project office for the remainder of the design and planning phase, you will have access to a vibrant, modern workspace that will enable a high degree of collaboration with other leaders in the project. Working from the Montreal project office for the remainder of the design and planning phase, you will have access to a vibrant, modern workspace that will enable a high degree of collaboration with other leaders in the project.

Tasks and responsibilities                                        

• Develop, maintain and control the baseline control budget for the assigned Area, mapped to the approved Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS) and Project Coding Structure (PCS), and ensure full traceability from estimate to cost reporting.
• Manage the Area's original budget, current budget, and contingency in Contruent (Owner's single source of truth), and ensure alignment with the ePCM-managed scope of work controlled in ControlShare Cost.
• Allocate budget to control accounts and commitment packages, validate sufficient budget availability prior to commitment, and execute budget transfers in accordance with the Change Management Procedure.
• Maintain accurate cost coding and ensure compliance with the project's Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS)
• Validate the scope included in bid packages against the budget allocation prior to award and refer to the responsible Engineer where scope alignment requires clarification.
• Prepare the Package Cost Analysis Sheet for each Purchase Order, construction contract or service contract prior to award, comparing package budget to commitment value and future commitment items.
• Enter and maintain commitments (POs, construction contracts, service contracts, change orders) at the pay-item level in Contruent, and ensure timely recognition of commitments upon award acknowledgement.
• Perform monthly Purchase Cost Reviews with the procurement agent/expeditor, procurement manager, construction manager, package engineer and field engineer to review contract cost status, amendments and potential contract changes.
• Evaluate incurred costs monthly against the cut-off date, using approved/pending invoices, progress billings, progress reports, expediting reports and contractual terms and conditions.
• Capture pre-payments as incurred cost in the cost control system and coordinate with Finance to ensure they are recorded as a separate asset in the accounting records, in accordance with asset capitalisation rules.
• Prepare monthly accruals for goods/services received but not yet invoiced, in line with the Finance Procedure, and transmit to the Owner Finance department per the reporting calendar.
• Produce the incurred cost and cash-out curves for integration into the project dashboard, and reconcile against invoices, payment certificates and contractor cost reports.
• Maintain a continuously updated Forecast / Estimate at Completion (EAC) for the assigned Area, comprising unallocated budget, commitments, potential changes to commitments, trends, and potential scope changes including growth.
• Develop the Forecast Final Cost (FFC) considering labour, materials, schedule and contract impacts, and update forecasts throughout the project life — not solely at month-end.
• Lead the monthly Forecast Review meeting for the Area, analyse variances against current budget and contingency usage, and prepare detailed justifications for the project management team.
• Produce monthly cost reports for the Area covering Budget vs. Commitments vs. Incurred vs. Forecast, with clear variance commentary, S-curves and trend analysis.
• Identify and flag all new trends and changes within the assigned Area, input new items in the Change Register in Contruent, and collect supporting information for review.
• Execute the trend and change process: log items, attend Trend and Change review meetings, support the joint ePCM/Owner decision (accept / reject / develop further), and integrate accepted items into forecasts or as Project Change Notices (PCNs).
• For accepted scope changes against the FID-approved Project Scope of Facilities, prepare PCN documentation, integrate into the forecast, and obtain Owner formal approval in Aconex prior to modifying the Current Budget.
• Assess cost impacts of contractor-submitted change orders, claims and scope changes, providing independent Owners' Team analysis for the Owner Cost Lead and Prime Contract Manager.
• Provide functional oversight of the ePCM Cost Controller and ESP Cost Controllers within the assigned Area, ensuring their work complies with the Cost Management Procedure and Owner standards.
• Review and validate monthly cost reporting submitted by the ePCM and ESPs, and ensure timely and accurate integration into Contruent as the single source of truth.
• Reconcile ePCM commitments (entered as one-line items in Contruent) with detailed cost data provided in the ePCM Control Status Report.
• Challenge contractor cost data, productivity assumptions and EAC methodology where required, and escalate material discrepancies to the Owner Cost Lead and Deputy Project Controls Director.
• Provide functional oversight of the ePCM Cost Controller and ESP Cost Controllers within the assigned Area, ensuring their work complies with the Cost Management Procedure and Owner standards.
• Review and validate monthly cost reporting submitted by the ePCM and ESPs, and ensure timely and accurate integration into Contruent as the single source of truth.
• Reconcile ePCM commitments (entered as one-line items in Contruent) with detailed cost data provided in the ePCM Control Status Report.
• Challenge contractor cost data, productivity assumptions and EAC methodology where required, and escalate material discrepancies to the Owner Cost Lead and Deputy Project Controls Director.
• Apply the project exchange rates identified in the Basis of Estimate for cost control purposes and flag currency exposure to the Owner Cost Lead; recognise that Forex impact beyond the FS Update Estimate base date is managed by the Owner.
• Maintain auditable cost records, supporting backup and reconciliations in compliance with Gold Fields corporate policies, the Delegation of Authority, and the project information management system.
• Support internal and external audits of cost data, contingency drawdown, and change control for the assigned Area.
• At project close-out for the assigned Area, prepare final cost data, support contract close-out, contribute benchmarking data, and assist with the closeout of cost control systems.
• Uphold and promote all HSE policies and requirements at all times, in both the project office and on site, and ensure HSE-related costs are properly captured and forecasted within the assigned Area.
• Willingness to travel to the Windfall Project site (Eeyou Istchee James Bay, Québec) for site visits, monthly reviews, package reviews and key milestones.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Finance, Accounting, Project Management, or a related technical or commercial discipline. Equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
• AACE Certified Cost Professional (CCP), Certified Cost Technician (CCT), PMI-PMP, or equivalent certification is strongly preferred.
• Membership in a recognised professional body (Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec / CPA / RICS / AACE), where applicable, is an asset.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive cost control experience on major capital projects (mining, process plant, infrastructure or heavy industrial), with at least 3 years as an Area or Lead Cost Controller on a project valued at CAD $250M+.
• Demonstrated experience on EPCM and/or Owners' Team project controls functions in a multi-contractor environment with ESPs and an ePCM.
• Proven track record managing the full cost cycle — budget, commitments, incurred, accruals, forecast, change — on a greenfield mining or process plant project.
• Strong experience in one or more of the project's Areas (Underground Mining, Process Plant, Tailings & Stockpile Facilities, or Non-Process Infrastructure) is strongly preferred.
• Experience interfacing with Finance and accounting functions on accruals, cash-out forecasting, and capitalisation of pre-payments.
• Bilingual in English and French (written and spoken) — mandatory. The role requires daily communication with English-speaking ESPs, the ePCM, Gold Fields corporate stakeholders and international vendors, as well as with French-speaking project teams, Québec authorities, and local contractors.

Technical skills

• Hands-on working knowledge of Contruent (preferred), ControlShare Cost, SAP, Oracle, Ecosys or equivalent enterprise cost control / ERP systems.
• Strong working knowledge of Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS), Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and Project Coding Structure (PCS) — design, mapping and maintenance.
• Solid understanding of Earned Value Management (EVM), CPI/SPI analysis, EAC/ETC methodology and progress-based forecasting.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel (Power Query, pivot tables, advanced formulas, Power Pivot) and PowerPoint for executive reporting; Power BI is a strong asset.
• Working knowledge of Primavera P6 (cost/resource loading, progress data) and the planning–cost interface.
• Familiarity with Aconex (or equivalent document/contract management platform) for change control documentation flow.
• Knowledge of AACE Recommended Practices, PMI cost management standards and Gold Fields global project controls standards.

Basic skills

• Cost Discipline & Numerical Rigour — uncompromising on data integrity, traceability and auditability of every dollar.
• Analytical Thinking — distils large volumes of cost data into clear, accurate variance and forecast narratives for senior leadership.
• Ownership & Accountability — takes full ownership of the cost position of the assigned Area.
• Stakeholder Influence — confidently engages and challenges contractor cost teams, peers and senior management.
• Process Discipline — applies governance, procedures and Delegation of Authority consistently and without shortcuts.
• Collaboration — works seamlessly with Planning, Estimating, Risk, Procurement, Engineering, Construction Management and Finance.
• Communication — clear, structured and credible in both written reports and senior-level verbal presentations.
• Professional Ethics & Integrity — maintains the highest standards of confidentiality, objectivity and professional conduct.
• Resilience — thrives in a high-pressure, fast-moving, multi-stakeholder greenfield project environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present cost status, variances and forecast positions credibly to senior leadership.