Cost Efficiency and Avoidance Lead in Slough

Venesky Brown Recruitment are looking for a suitable candidate to join the Sizewell C team in this exciting and unique embedded contractor role. This position will be based in the London office with hybrid working available.

Project Overview:

Come and join the expanding Sizewell C (SZC) team and work on one of the most exciting and largest megaprojects in the UK, whilst being at the forefront of the UK’s climate change agenda and energy policy. Following on from the success of Hinkley Point C (HPC), the SZC Project is a nuclear new build project in Suffolk, which has obtained planning approval and Government financing support. The project has started construction and when completed, it will provide dependable electricity to 6 million homes for 60 years, which along with renewables, will support Britain to achieve Net Zero by 2050.

Job Purpose / Overview:

SZC Project Controls will serve as a centre of excellence, managing and strategically using delivery performance management information. Our team will enable successful delivery of SZC Project through proactive Project Controls that drives forward-looking solutions to continuously improve performance.

As the Cost Efficiency and Avoidance Lead you will play a key role for ensuring there is a proactive approach to reducing cost and capturing areas where SZC has avoided expenditure through best-in-class delivery. The post holder will ensure a Cost Efficiency and Avoidance (CE&A) framework is established including procedures, processes, reports, training and systems. They will liaise with other teams and functions across SZC to ensure there is a common understanding of how the CE&A framework fits in with existing processes such as traditional Cost Management, Risk & Opportunity Management, Finance Initiatives, HR organisational reviews and the Construction Performance Programme.

The aim of the CE&A framework is to reduce cost and capture areas where SZC has avoided expenditure through best-in-class delivery. The CE&A activities will be present across the whole SZC organisation and within our supply chain. It will focus on setting annual and lifecycle targets for achieving savings through both Cost Efficiencies and Cost Avoidance. These targets will be supported by a process for identifying, quantifying, monitoring implementation and reporting of potential and achieved savings.

The definitions of Cost Efficiencies and Avoidance are detailed below:

• Cost Efficiencies are business strategies that strive to reduce the cost of creating a product or performing an activity without compromising quality. Determining cost efficiencies requires comparing the benefits of the output to the costs of the input.
• Cost Avoidance is when businesses take action to reduce the amount of money they might spend. This could involve spending smaller amounts of money now to avoid incurring larger costs in the future. Although this may appear to be elevated spending, it actually reduces overall costs long term.

As this role is not a typical cost control deliverable, we would like to encourage a broad spectrum of candidates to apply that can use their experience and expertise to ensure the successful delivery of the Cost Efficiency and Avoidance (CE&A) framework to reduce the costs of SZC. We envisage the role would suit candidates with previous experience as Project Controls Managers, Directors of Cost Management, Estimate Leads, Project Managers or Lean Practitioners. They will have experience of working with Project Controls and Delivery Leaders and will be comfortable to run Cost Efficiency and Avoidance (CE&A) assurance workshops and reviews with multi discipline teams. Ideally they will be a people leader with experience of using their leadership skills to build a highly valued service within Programme Controls on SZC.

Principal Accountabilities:

• Strategic leadership of the Cost Efficiency and Avoidance (CE&A) framework
• Establishment of a Cost Efficiency and Avoidance (CE&A) framework and embedment within SZC
• Accountable for the process, methods and systems to identify, quantify, monitor and reporting of potential and achieved savings.
• Lead on the development and roll out of awareness and practitioner training across SZC for the Cost Efficiency and Avoidance (CE&A) framework.
• Interface with other teams and functions across SZC to ensure there is a common understanding of how the CE&A framework fits in with existing processes such as traditional Cost Management, Risk & Opportunity Management, Finance Initiatives, HR organisational reviews and the Construction Performance Programme.
• Ensure SZC is viewed by the Construction Industry as an exemplar in Project Controls through knowledge sharing, networking, and delivering white papers and presentations to the sector.

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

Essential

• All items detailed above in the Job Purpose and accountabilities section.
• Degree or equivalent qualification in business analysis, accounting, finance, construction, engineering or project management, or related technical field.
• A track record of implementing procedures, processes, and systems on large and complex infrastructure projects.
• Deliverables focused and an accomplished problem solver, rising to meet any challenge.
• Workshop facilitation experience
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.

Desirable

• Lean Six Sigma or equivalent qualification and experience.
• Previous experience in assurance activities within Project Controls.
• Active membership of AACE, PMI, APM or similar association with association certifications.
• Understanding of various contract types, in particular the NEC suite and FIDIC.
• Professionally qualified with chartered or equivalent status.
• Experience of working within any of the Project Controls Functions of cost control, estimating, scheduling, change management and risk management.
• Experience in the Nuclear sector.