Role Overview

We have an outstanding opportunity for an experienced and driven Lead Cost & Estimation Engineer to play a key role in our ongoing success. PDi is a leading engineering and project delivery organisation in the energy sector, we're growing the scale and complexity of both our topsides and subsea projects.

The successful candidate will be part of an energetic, expanding team, and will be expected to work effectively and collaboratively with colleagues in a supportive and progressive environment. Our core company values provide our cultural framework and encourage problem solving, decision making, flexibility and responsibility.

The Lead Cost & Estimation Engineer is responsible for leading cost engineering and estimation activities across the lifecycle of UK oil and gas projects, including capital EPC projects, late-life operations, and decommissioning. The role establishes and manages the cost engineering framework, provides accurate forecasts, budgets, and cash flows, and ensures the Project Manager/Director and Leadership Team and partners have clear visibility of project financial performance and liabilities.

The role also drives continuous improvement through benchmarking, lessons learned, and development of cost estimation tools, ensuring cost data is reliable, transparent, and aligned with industry standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain cost engineering frameworks (WBS, CTR structures, coding systems) for EPC and operational projects.
• Lead the preparation of project estimates, budgets and forecasts, including CAPEX and OPEX.
• Prepare and present cost control reports, forecasts, and variance analysis for project and senior management.
• Integrate cost data with planning and estimating to ensure consistency across project services.
• Develop and maintain project cash flow forecasts, identifying FX exposures where relevant.
• Support financial audits, partner cost recovery processes, and assurance reviews.

Commercial & Regulatory

• Liaise with Finance, Accounting, and Contracts to ensure alignment of financial commitments with project forecasts.
• Provide cost inputs for JV reporting, stewardship returns, and regulatory submissions to OPRED and the NSTA.
• Analyse external market and economic indicators (oil price, vessel rates, FX, steel, labour) and assess their impact on project forecasts.

Benchmarking & Tools Development

• Develop and maintain cost benchmarking databases across project types (EPC, operations, decommissioning).
• Build and enhance cost estimation tools and models to support early-stage project screening and comparative assessments.
• Use benchmarking insights to challenge and improve contractor estimates and internal forecasts.
• Drive continuous improvement by embedding lessons learned from executed projects into new cost models.

Decommissioning

• Prepare and maintain Decommissioning Liability Estimates (DLEs) as per Operator request across wells, topsides, subsea, and site remediation.
• Develop and maintain Asset Retirement Obligation (ARO) estimates in line with UK accounting and tax frameworks as per Operators scope of work.
• Provide cost inputs for Decommissioning Cost Estimates (DCEs) required by OPRED/NSTA.
• Forecast and track actual decommissioning spend against liability provisions, ensuring transparency for corporate reporting and JV partners.
• Conduct risk-based and probabilistic forecasting to account for technical and market uncertainties.
• Support comparative assessments with cost data, evaluating full removal, partial removal, leave-in-situ, and reuse/repurpose options.
• Benchmark decommissioning performance against UKCS and international data to validate forecasts.
• Lead the development of decommissioning cost estimation tools to support portfolio planning and regulator engagement.

Qualifications & Key Skills

• Extensive experience in cost engineering, including EPC projects with exposure to late-life and decommissioning.
• Strong knowledge of UKCS contracting types/models (EPC, EPCI, alliancing, framework agreements).
• Proven experience preparing budgets, forecasts, and liability estimates for oil and gas projects.
• Familiarity with UK decommissioning regulations (OPRED/NSTA) and OSPAR Decision 98/3 desirable.
• Proficiency in ERP/cost systems (SAP, EcoSys, Primavera, or equivalent) and advanced Excel modelling.
• Track record in cost benchmarking and development of cost tools/models. Excellent cost engineering, reporting, and analytical skills across CAPEX, OPEX, and decommissioning.
• Strong leadership and mentoring ability to guide cost teams.
• Knowledge of ARO accounting and decommissioning liability frameworks.
• Commercial awareness of UKCS supply chains and market drivers.
• Ability to communicate cost risks, liabilities, and benchmarking insights clearly to senior management, regulators, and JV partners.
• Highly organised, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple priorities.
• Degree in Finance, Accounting ora related discipline (CIMA, ACCA, ACA, or equivalent preferred) or equivalent experience.

Benefits

• Flexible working, you have the complete autonomy to choose your working pattern (this can be a blend of working from home and in our office/client premises).
• Opportunities to work on exciting, high-profile client projects both locally and internationally.
• Competitive benefits package tailored to suit your lifestyle.
• Ongoing development support is provided to enhance your technical knowledge and professional skills.
• On-the-job training and mentorship will be available to further your career and expertise.

PDi 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: race, colour, age, religion, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, (please note this is not exhaustive) or other characteristics in accordance with the relevant governing laws.