At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead financial control for multi-million-pound projects, ensuring smart investment decisions.
- Company: Join Center Parcs, the UK's top choice for short breaks with a vibrant team culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, bonus scheme, company car, and unique perks like discounted holidays.
- Other info: Hybrid role with excellent career growth opportunities and a focus on work-life balance.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on exciting capital projects while developing your career in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in cost engineering or commercial management within complex capital programmes is essential.
The predicted salary is between 65000 - 65000 £ per year.
This is a hybrid role, based in the office two days per week, with the remainder worked from home. The position is based at Head Office (Forest House), with regular travel to villages/sites as required. Free on site parking is available.
Welcome to Center Parcs, the number one choice for short break holidays, employing a team of over 10,000 across Forest House and six separate villages located in the UK and Ireland.
The Cost Manager is the commercial and cost-control lead for Center Parcs' UK and Ireland Capital Investment portfolio, providing robust estimating, forecasting, cost engineering and assurance across major infrastructure, development and refurbishment projects. Working to the standards of highly regulated capital environments, the role establishes auditable cost baselines, drives forecasting accuracy, applies Earned Value Management principles, and provides independent challenge to ensure investment decisions are commercially sound, transparent and deliver maximum value.
What You'll Be Doing
You'll own the financial heartbeat of a multi-million-pound capital investment portfolio, providing expert estimating, cost control, forecasting and commercial insight from concept through to completion. By turning complex project data into clear, actionable intelligence, you'll help leaders make smarter investment decisions, identify risks early, control costs and maximise value across a wide range of development, infrastructure and operational projects.
Key responsibilities include:
- Feasibility Estimating & Investment Decision Support: Lead the development of early-stage cost models, benchmarking and option appraisals that provide confidence in project affordability, highlight commercial risks and opportunities, and enable informed investment decisions across the capital portfolio.
- Project Cost Control & Forecasting: Drive cost certainty and financial control across the capital portfolio through robust forecasting, performance analysis and commercial challenge. Maintain visibility of budgets, commitments, change and contingency, manage and report Earned Value Management, EAC, calculating portfolio CPI, then trending data to identify risks early, safeguard investment value and support proactive decision-making.
- Estimating, Procurement & Commercial Assurance: Partner with Project Managers, Procurement teams and external consultants to provide robust estimating, tender evaluation and commercial support, ensuring projects remain affordable, contractually compliant and commercially controlled, while driving value, challenging costs and strengthening future investment decisions through accurate cost capture and benchmarking.
- Portfolio CAPEX & Performance Management: Provide a consolidated view of capital investment performance across the portfolio, tracking spend, forecast, risk and value against annual and multi-year CAPEX plans. Identify cost pressures, funding opportunities and performance trends, delivering clear insight and decision support that enables effective prioritisation, forecasting accuracy and optimisation of capital investment.
- Cost Governance & Assurance: Drive robust cost governance across the capital portfolio, ensuring consistent forecasting, reporting, change control and cost-data integrity. Provide independent assurance, challenge cost performance and forecasting assumptions, and deliver clear, auditable insights that strengthen financial control and support confident investment decisions.
What you'll need:
- Proven experience in cost engineering, quantity surveying or commercial management experience gained within complex capital programmes, with the capability to control, forecast and assure investment across a diverse, multi-million-pound construction and infrastructure portfolio.
- Ability to develop robust early-stage estimates and cost plans from limited information, using benchmarking, assumptions and risk analysis to assess affordability, inform investment decisions and provide confidence in project viability.
- Experience of project budgeting, forecasting, cost reporting, contingency management and change control, with the ability to provide accurate financial insight and support effective investment decision-making.
About the Benefits
Center Parcs is a fantastic place to work, and the benefits are as impressive as they are unique. Here are just a few:
- Management Bonus Scheme (up to 18%)
- Company Car
- Access to our enhanced pension plan, with 8% from you and 7% contributed by Center Parcs
- Life Assurance
- Private Medical Insurance (available if you enrol in the Enhanced Pension Plan)
- Discounted Center Parcs breaks
- Free use of our leisure facilities
- 20% discount in our restaurant and retail outlets
- Access to Perks at Work Portal - offering a wide range of retail and leisure discounts
- An Employee Assistance Program - providing support on financial, health and legal matters
- Excellent opportunities for career development and progression with the opportunity to gain externally recognised qualifications
Our values
Each colleague at Center Parcs is involved in building better worlds for our guests, colleagues, communities and our environment. Contributing to our purpose means living out our values: We care, we're brave, we're determined and we're naturally us.
Sound like your kind of job? Apply online today - interviews are ongoing. Closing date: 25th September 2026.
Cost Manager - Capital Projects in Newark employer: CenterParcs
At Center Parcs, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture where teamwork and customer service are at the heart of everything we do. As a Retail Assistant at our Sherwood Forest location, you'll enjoy benefits such as free leisure access, discounts, and a supportive team environment that fosters career development and in-role training. Join us to be part of a community that values care, bravery, determination, and authenticity, making every day rewarding and meaningful.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Cost Manager - Capital Projects in Newark
✨Tip Number 1: Tap Into Professional Networks
The finance world loves a good connection, so jump into industry-specific groups on platforms like LinkedIn where you can find discussions on financial controlling. Engaging in these communities can expose you to hidden job leads that aren't openly advertised!
✨Tip Number 2: Attend Finance Events and Conferences
Make it a mission to attend finance-related events and conferences, even virtual ones! This is a golden opportunity to network face-to-face with people from companies like CenterParcs. You never know who might be your next boss or a crucial contact!
✨Tip Number 3: Showcase Your Expertise
Consider writing articles or sharing insights related to financial controlling or industry trends. Publish these on platforms like LinkedIn to establish yourself as a knowledgeable player in the field. This not only increases your visibility but also catches the attention of recruiters from CenterParcs.
✨Tip Number 4: Apply Directly on Company Websites
Since you're going for a full-time gig, don't forget to keep an eye on the careers page of companies you're interested in, like CenterParcs. Many companies prefer candidates who apply through their website as it shows genuine interest and makes your application stand out!
We think you need these skills to ace Cost Manager - Capital Projects in Newark
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Numbers Game:In financial controlling, detail is everything! Make sure your CV showcases your proficiency with numbers—highlight any relevant experience in budgeting, forecasting, or working with financial software. Quantifying your past achievements will make you stand out, so don’t be shy about flaunting those impressive percentages or cost savings you've implemented.
Tailored Cover Letter is Key:Your cover letter is a chance to shine, especially for a full-time role. Use it to express your genuine interest in CenterParcs and the specific impact you hope to make in financial controlling. Mention any relevant qualifications or experiences that align with the company’s goals, and don’t forget to show that you're ready for a long-term commitment!
Certifications Matter:List relevant certifications such as ACCA or CIMA on your CV. These qualifications not only showcase your dedication to the field but also your technical competence in financial principles. If you have any ongoing training or courses, make sure to mention those as well to demonstrate your commitment to continual learning in financial controlling.
Don’t Overlook Soft Skills:While numbers are crucial, so are those soft skills! Financial controllers need strong communication and analytical reasoning abilities. We recommend embedding examples of these skills in your CV and cover letter, like how you’ve successfully delivered financial reports to stakeholders or collaborated with teams to improve processes. Let’s show CenterParcs how you can be a team player!
How to prepare for a job interview at CenterParcs
✨Brush Up on Technical Skills
Make sure you're comfortable with key financial concepts, especially around forecasting, budgeting, and variance analysis. Sometimes, interviewers may throw in technical questions or case studies, so practicing these types of scenarios will help you shine!
✨Showcase Your Financial Acumen
If you've had experience with specific financial software like SAP or Oracle, make it known! Be ready to discuss how you used these tools to improve processes or reporting, as this hands-on knowledge can really set you apart in a full-time role with CenterParcs.
✨Know Your Numbers
In full-time interviews, especially in financial controlling, be prepared for numerical reasoning tests or questions. Brush up on your mental maths and understand how to interpret and analyse financial statements on the spot, as this may come up during the assessment.
✨Connect with Company Goals
Familiarise yourself with CenterParcs's financial objectives and any recent developments. During the interview, try to weave your understanding of their business model and challenges into your answers—this shows your genuine interest and alignment with their goals!
