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Senior cost engineer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Charles Purdum,

Chris P. Caddell

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical senior cost engineer skills. We ranked the top skills for senior cost engineers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 9.0% of senior cost engineer resumes contained cost engineering as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a senior cost engineer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 senior cost engineer skills for your resume and career

1. Cost Engineering

Here's how senior cost engineers use cost engineering:

Reviewed provisions related to cost engineering and material control to develop supporting data for contract negotiations.
Served as primary liaison between cost engineering specialists and engineering design groups.

2. Construction Management

Here's how senior cost engineers use construction management:

Performed construction management services and oversight of twelve different sub-contractors who provided construction and start-up aspects of the project.
Defined and implemented scheduling and project control systems for construction management and program management engagements.

3. Cost Analysis

Cost analysis, also known as cost-benefit analysis, refers to analyzing how a company's money is used, whether this is expenses of the company itself or the cost of the current production method. This method also takes the number of products sold into consideration to determine whether the manufacturing process is benefiting or harming the company's profits.

Here's how senior cost engineers use cost analysis:

Developed Cost Analysis Requirements Document (CARD) and cost/benefits analysis.
Perform cost analysis and technical reviews on subcontractor's proposals, and submit reports for award of contract.

4. Cost Models

Cost models are simple formulas, equations, or functions that help quantify, measure, and estimate the time, effort, and economic outcomes of executing a project.

Here's how senior cost engineers use cost models:

Established the Integrated Master Program and sub-Project schedule/cost models and schedule update and monitoring processes and procedures.
Developed an internal cost estimating software training packages tailored for various levels of users to improve cost modeling skills.

5. Cost Estimates

Here's how senior cost engineers use cost estimates:

Performed bottom-up, parametric and analogy cost estimates, budgeting and forecasting for construction projects with various levels of complexity.
Provided technical engineering support and cost estimates on new and existing business.

6. Project Controls

Project control is a vital part of the operations of a business or organization. It covers all plans, strategies, resources, and tools required for the control and management of a project's operation.

Here's how senior cost engineers use project controls:

Review and update project controls procedure documents to ensure comprehensive infrastructure for new and existing project management teams.
Collaborated with business unit, project controller & accounting departments to ensure accurate financial controls.

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7. Cost Data

Cost data refer to the information collected about operating expenses, which is then used to determine the price of products, the gross margin of a company, and how an asset of the company is valued. Using the cost data collected over a number of years allows a company to project the company's future income and, based on this income, future operating decisions.

Here's how senior cost engineers use cost data:

Developed cost database to enable faster estimates for future projects using a factoring methodology.
Consolidated cost data from foreign platforms into common cost estimating model.

8. Product Cost

Here's how senior cost engineers use product cost:

Cut development time: created new product costing system to support rapid design & market profiling.
Work with design engineering to develop product cost to meet market expectations.

9. DOD

Definition of Done (DoD) is a set of deliverables that are needed to devise software. These deliverables are valuable to the system and can be exemplified by writing code, coding comments, unit testing, integration testing, design documents, release notes, and so on.

Here's how senior cost engineers use dod:

Developed and implemented purchasing and inventory policies and procedures to meet DOD guidelines.
Provided front-end requirements generation and system design for DOD database and integrated web application CADE (Cost Assessment Data Enterprise).

10. Construction Cost

Here's how senior cost engineers use construction cost:

Analyzed and evaluated cost/schedule information and incorporated forecast construction cost into Oracle database.

11. Cost Savings

Here's how senior cost engineers use cost savings:

Lead meetings with engineering to discuss estimates and define cost savings opportunities.
Improved budget preparation process between plant personnel and supporting departments resulting in increased efficiency, redundancy elimination and measurable cost savings.

12. Construction Projects

A construction project is an organized process of constructing, redeveloping, renovating, or otherwise improving a building, or structure. The project phase begins usually as a broad criterion that is then made with the help of a brief, feasibility analysis, funding, and planning. The majority of construction projects are one-time jobs.

Here's how senior cost engineers use construction projects:

Cost Estimator, TajikSelStroi (Construction Company), Dushanbe, Tajikistan Analyzed profit and loss statements for construction projects.
Prepared monthly cost reports for construction projects as a means of tracking their performance.

13. Project Cost

Project cost is the overall cost for planning, developing, executing, managing, and completing a project. Project cost needs to be estimated and projected in the project planning phase. Cost management strategy includes estimating project requirements, scheduling, budget allocation, and project design.

Here's how senior cost engineers use project cost:

Instituted automated cost reporting techniques, streamlining overall project costs and reducing reporting time significantly.
Maintain project cost procedures and provide input to other relevant project documentation.

14. Contract Negotiations

When a contract is negotiated, an agreement is reached on a series of legally binding terms before it is signed and made official. Two or more parties agree on the terms of their relationship. When negotiating a contract, the focus is usually on risk and return.

Here's how senior cost engineers use contract negotiations:

Supported Purchasing in contract negotiations with suppliers to insure the company is receiving the best possible pricing.
Estimated multi discipline task changes for contract negotiations.

15. Cost Control

Cost control is a process in which actual costs are recorded and incorporated into a format that allows comparison with project budgets to regulate and control operating costs within an organization. The goal of cost control is to manage project delivery within the approved budget and reduce expenses to increase profits.

Here's how senior cost engineers use cost control:

Reviewed and audited contractor cost control procedures and performed quality assurance on contractor cost management performance.
Performed cost control analysis and engineering services for capital projects.

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What skills help Senior Cost Engineers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What senior cost engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Charles Purdum

Professor of Practice and Director of Industry Relations, Pennsylvania State University

Certification, certification, certifications! Lean or Six Sigma green belt (e.g., ASQ.com), project management (e.g., PMI.com), and leadership skills.

What type of skills will young senior cost engineers need?

Chris P. Caddell

Board President, AACEI

I anticipate the basic technical skills will largely be the same as today. However, I expect graduates will need greater familiarity with configuring software. This skill will be moving from an IT-exclusive capability to a useful skill that new graduates will need. From a softer skills perspective, young graduates will need to be self-motivated, self-aware, and outspoken. As our world moves to more remote working, graduates will need to be self-motivated because there may be no one (physically) there to push them. They will need to be self-aware of when they are struggling and need help. And they will need to be outspoken about asking for help when they need it and making sure they make their voices heard.

What technical skills for a senior cost engineer stand out to employers?

Tracy Farrell

Adjunct Instructor, Clarkson University

Technical skills that employers are seeking include "real" computer skills like Microsoft Office Suite tools, proper communication skills via email and website development and postings, developing proper document format that is appropriate to send to stakeholders (i.e., letter formatting, report writing, email formatting); strong communication skills that include speaking professionally and respectfully to stakeholders as well as writing professionally (i.e., making eye contact when speaking, proper handshake, respectful dialogue including questioning); project management - knowing how to organize work and develop a timeline that includes who will be responsible for what and follow through; data analysis - being able to not only present data in an organized and understandable manner; but, be able to interpret data correctly offering the justification behind what they are interpreting and why.

Respectfully, today's graduates do not understand that being able to text and use social media does not prepare them for "real" computer skills. Many students that I have in high school and in college do not have proper writing skills, document formatting skills, or document management skills to know how to save documents properly and where to save to.

Do you want to know more?

List of senior cost engineer skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a senior cost engineer resume and required skills for a senior cost engineer to have include:

Cost Engineering
Construction Management
Cost Analysis
Cost Models
Cost Estimates
Project Controls
Cost Data
Product Cost
DOD
Construction Cost
Cost Savings
Construction Projects
Project Cost
Contract Negotiations
Cost Control

SR
Primavera
RFP
WBS
P6
Cash Flow
Financial Data
HVAC
Cost Performance
Project Scope
Variance Analysis
Work Breakdown Structure
Margin Analysis
EPC
BOM

Risk Analysis
Baseline Schedule
Earned Value Management
Cost System
Project Budget
Capital Projects
Critical Path
Management System
Business Analysis
Treatment Plant
DOE
Control Systems
Price Analysis
Scope Changes
Cpm

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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