Cost Planning Lead - Transport Hubs
Posted date [2026-07-08]
(ID: 47613)
 |
Founded in 1944, Parsons Corporation, a digitally enabled solutions provider, is focused on creating the future of the defense, intelligence, and critical infrastructure markets. From Earth to outer space, we deliver tomorrow’s solutions today. Equipped with the capabilities required to take on any defense, intelligence, or critical infrastructure challenge, our agile, innovative, and disruptive approach enables us to deliver solutions at the speed of relevance.
Our people are our greatest asset. We strive to be an employer of choice that engages employees in the community and creates rewarding career paths to cultivate a resilient workforce that is ready for the future.... |
Job Description and Requirements
Cost Planning Lead - Transport HubsJob Snapshot
Role: Cost Planning Lead - Transport Hubs
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Industry: Transportation-Trucking-Railroad
Function: Cost Estimating
Experience: 15+ years in cost planning and cost management for major infrastructure projects
Job Type: Full-time
Position Overview
Cost Planning Lead - Transport Hubs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is a Transportation-Trucking-Railroad hiring opportunity for a senior cost planning professional who can lead cost strategy, estimating, commercial viability, value management, risk allowances, and cost assurance for complex multi-modal transport hub programs. The role supports major railway stations, metro interchanges, rail interfaces, bus terminals, park-and-ride facilities, roads, bridges, utilities, public realm, and urban mobility assets from early concept through detailed design and delivery.
Job Details
Country: Saudi Arabia
City: Riyadh
Industry: Transportation-Trucking-Railroad
Function: Cost Estimating
Salary: 45000-65000
Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in the job city; please confirm the final offer with
the employer.
Gender: Any
Candidate Nationality: Any
Job Type: Full-time
Role Context
The Cost Planning Lead - Transport Hubs will provide senior commercial and cost planning leadership for complex infrastructure assets where early cost certainty, market intelligence, disciplined estimating, and value-for-money decisions are critical to successful program delivery. The position helps clients and project leadership make informed investment, scope, design, procurement, and funding decisions by building robust cost models, challenging cost drivers, leading value engineering, managing contingency strategies, and ensuring cost plans remain auditable, realistic, and aligned with project maturity.
Key Responsibilities
* Set cost planning strategy, standards, methods, and governance procedures for transport hub projects and related infrastructure programs.
* Provide early strategic cost advice to clients, project teams, and internal stakeholders to support investment decisions, business cases, option selection, and funding discussions.
* Lead development of benchmark cost databases, cost intelligence, key performance indicators, and reference rates for transport hubs and urban mobility assets.
* Own preparation, review, validation, and sign-off of cost plans across concept, schematic, detailed design, IFC, procurement, and delivery stages.
* Develop order-of-magnitude estimates, elemental cost plans, detailed estimates, and bills-of-quantities-based cost models.
* Prepare cost plans for station and hub buildings, rail and metro infrastructure, rail systems, interchange facilities, roads, bridges, tunnels, utilities, public realm, parking, and associated developments.
* Ensure all cost models are based on auditable assumptions, current market data, productivity norms, design maturity, project risks, and delivery constraints.
* Drive cost-conscious design development with architecture, engineering, planning, operations, project controls, procurement, and delivery teams.
* Manage design-to-budget processes and challenge scope creep, cost escalation, inefficient design choices, and avoidable cost drivers.
* Facilitate value engineering and value management workshops to identify, evaluate, and prioritize savings while protecting safety, service quality, lifecycle value, and operational performance.
* Lead cost risk analysis, including quantitative risk assessments and Monte Carlo simulations where applicable.
* Define contingency strategies and allowances linked to risk registers, project maturity, scope definition, market exposure, and delivery complexity.
* Promote whole-life cost and total cost of ownership assessments, including operations, maintenance, renewals, energy use, asset replacement, and long-term performance.
* Maintain updated intelligence on construction market conditions, supply chain capacity, inflation, commodity movement, contractor appetite, labor trends, and key cost drivers.
* Support procurement strategy development, including package structuring, contracting models, procurement timing, commercial frameworks, and rail or hub works packaging.
* Review and challenge contractor bids, consultant submissions, pricing structures, rates, assumptions, exclusions, qualifications, and commercial risks.
* Establish cost planning governance frameworks, procedures, audit routines, reporting standards, and assurance checks for transport hub programs.
* Present cost plans, forecasts, cost movements, value-for-money analysis, and commercial recommendations to steering committees, executive leadership, clients, and external stakeholders.
* Lead internal reviews, independent cost checks, and audits to confirm accuracy, consistency, transparency, and compliance with client and corporate requirements.
* Act as the primary senior cost planning interface with clients, government entities, joint venture partners, consultants, and commercial stakeholders.
* Manage expectations around budgets, affordability, scope priorities, value trade-offs, funding allocations, and commercial decision-making.
* Support negotiations and approvals related to budgets, cost baselines, change impacts, funding requests, and major commercial adjustments.
* Lead and mentor cost planners, quantity surveyors, estimators, and junior commercial staff across transport hub and infrastructure cost planning workstreams.
* Develop team capability in cost planning tools, parametric estimating, benchmark databases, BIM 5D, cost analytics, and digital cost management methods.
* Promote high performance, ethical commercial practice, collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement across the cost planning function.
Ideal Profile
* Bachelor’s degree in Quantity Surveying, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Commercial Management, or a related discipline.
* Minimum 15 years of experience in cost planning, cost estimating, cost management, or commercial management within major infrastructure projects.
* Significant experience with transport hubs and related assets such as major railway stations, metro stations, interchanges, airport terminals, landside transport nodes, bus terminals, BRT hubs, park-and-ride facilities, and multi-modal interchanges.
* Proven record leading cost planning from concept through design development, procurement support, delivery, and cost assurance for complex multidisciplinary projects.
* Strong understanding of construction methods, MEP systems, rail systems, station architecture, civil infrastructure, utilities, public realm, and transport interface requirements.
* Advanced proficiency in cost planning software and Microsoft Excel.
* Experience with BIM-integrated cost tools, BIM 5D, cost databases, and parametric estimating methods is highly valuable.
* Strong commercial acumen with good understanding of project finance, business cases, affordability reviews, value-for-money frameworks, and investment decision support.
* Excellent analytical ability with the confidence to translate complex technical scope into clear cost implications and commercial recommendations.
* Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders, clients, design teams, and governance boards.
* Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects under pressure while maintaining accuracy, reporting quality, and deadline discipline.
* Master’s degree in Project Management, Infrastructure Finance, Construction Economics, or a related discipline is an advantage.
* Professional membership or chartered status with RICS, AIQS, AACE, or an equivalent body is preferred.
* Experience with public sector clients, PPP models, concession arrangements, or large program environments is desirable.
* Regional experience in the GCC, Middle East, Europe, Asia, or comparable infrastructure markets would be valuable.
Skills Set
* Cost planning
* Cost estimating
* Transport hub cost planning
* Infrastructure cost management
* Quantity surveying
* Commercial management
* Cost strategy
* Cost planning governance
* Benchmark cost databases
* Key performance indicators
* Order-of-magnitude estimating
* Elemental cost planning
* Bills of quantities
* BOQ estimating
* Station cost planning
* Metro interchange cost planning
* Rail infrastructure costing
* Bus terminal costing
* Park-and-ride costing
* Public realm costing
* Utilities cost planning
* Roads and bridges estimating
* Tunnel cost estimating
* Design-to-budget
* Scope management
* Value engineering
* Value management
* Cost-saving options
* Whole-life costing
* Total cost of ownership
* Cost risk analysis
* Quantitative risk assessment
* Monte Carlo simulation
* Contingency planning
* Risk registers
* Construction market intelligence
* Inflation analysis
* Supply chain analysis
* Procurement strategy support
* Contracting strategy support
* Bid review
* Rate validation
* Pricing structure review
* Cost assurance
* Cost audits
* Forecasting
* Value-for-money analysis
* Executive cost reporting
* Budget approvals
* Funding allocation support
* BIM 5D
* Parametric estimating
* Cost databases
* MS Excel
* RICS
* AIQS
* AACE
* PPP
* Concession models
* Team leadership
Why Join Us
This Cost Planning Lead - Transport Hubs role in Riyadh offers the opportunity to shape cost certainty and commercial decision-making for high-value transportation assets that support future mobility and urban development. The position provides senior exposure to complex station environments, multi-modal hubs, rail interfaces, procurement strategy, value management, market analysis, and executive-level cost governance. It is a strong fit for a cost planning leader who wants to influence infrastructure affordability, improve value for money, and support major transport development in Saudi Arabia’s active Transportation-Trucking-Railroad sector.
About the Company
Parsons Corporation is a global engineering, construction, and program management company supporting major transportation, rail, infrastructure, urban development, environmental, and technology-led projects. In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Parsons supports complex transport and mobility programs through cost planning leadership, commercial governance, design coordination, procurement support, stakeholder engagement, risk management, and client-focused delivery across large-scale infrastructure environments.
Gender: Any
Candidate Nationality: Any
Job Type: Full-time
Role Context
The Cost Planning Lead - Transport Hubs will provide senior commercial and cost planning leadership for complex infrastructure assets where early cost certainty, market intelligence, disciplined estimating, and value-for-money decisions are critical to successful program delivery. The position helps clients and project leadership make informed investment, scope, design, procurement, and funding decisions by building robust cost models, challenging cost drivers, leading value engineering, managing contingency strategies, and ensuring cost plans remain auditable, realistic, and aligned with project maturity.
Key Responsibilities
* Set cost planning strategy, standards, methods, and governance procedures for transport hub projects and related infrastructure programs.
* Provide early strategic cost advice to clients, project teams, and internal stakeholders to support investment decisions, business cases, option selection, and funding discussions.
* Lead development of benchmark cost databases, cost intelligence, key performance indicators, and reference rates for transport hubs and urban mobility assets.
* Own preparation, review, validation, and sign-off of cost plans across concept, schematic, detailed design, IFC, procurement, and delivery stages.
* Develop order-of-magnitude estimates, elemental cost plans, detailed estimates, and bills-of-quantities-based cost models.
* Prepare cost plans for station and hub buildings, rail and metro infrastructure, rail systems, interchange facilities, roads, bridges, tunnels, utilities, public realm, parking, and associated developments.
* Ensure all cost models are based on auditable assumptions, current market data, productivity norms, design maturity, project risks, and delivery constraints.
* Drive cost-conscious design development with architecture, engineering, planning, operations, project controls, procurement, and delivery teams.
* Manage design-to-budget processes and challenge scope creep, cost escalation, inefficient design choices, and avoidable cost drivers.
* Facilitate value engineering and value management workshops to identify, evaluate, and prioritize savings while protecting safety, service quality, lifecycle value, and operational performance.
* Lead cost risk analysis, including quantitative risk assessments and Monte Carlo simulations where applicable.
* Define contingency strategies and allowances linked to risk registers, project maturity, scope definition, market exposure, and delivery complexity.
* Promote whole-life cost and total cost of ownership assessments, including operations, maintenance, renewals, energy use, asset replacement, and long-term performance.
* Maintain updated intelligence on construction market conditions, supply chain capacity, inflation, commodity movement, contractor appetite, labor trends, and key cost drivers.
* Support procurement strategy development, including package structuring, contracting models, procurement timing, commercial frameworks, and rail or hub works packaging.
* Review and challenge contractor bids, consultant submissions, pricing structures, rates, assumptions, exclusions, qualifications, and commercial risks.
* Establish cost planning governance frameworks, procedures, audit routines, reporting standards, and assurance checks for transport hub programs.
* Present cost plans, forecasts, cost movements, value-for-money analysis, and commercial recommendations to steering committees, executive leadership, clients, and external stakeholders.
* Lead internal reviews, independent cost checks, and audits to confirm accuracy, consistency, transparency, and compliance with client and corporate requirements.
* Act as the primary senior cost planning interface with clients, government entities, joint venture partners, consultants, and commercial stakeholders.
* Manage expectations around budgets, affordability, scope priorities, value trade-offs, funding allocations, and commercial decision-making.
* Support negotiations and approvals related to budgets, cost baselines, change impacts, funding requests, and major commercial adjustments.
* Lead and mentor cost planners, quantity surveyors, estimators, and junior commercial staff across transport hub and infrastructure cost planning workstreams.
* Develop team capability in cost planning tools, parametric estimating, benchmark databases, BIM 5D, cost analytics, and digital cost management methods.
* Promote high performance, ethical commercial practice, collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement across the cost planning function.
Ideal Profile
* Bachelor’s degree in Quantity Surveying, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Commercial Management, or a related discipline.
* Minimum 15 years of experience in cost planning, cost estimating, cost management, or commercial management within major infrastructure projects.
* Significant experience with transport hubs and related assets such as major railway stations, metro stations, interchanges, airport terminals, landside transport nodes, bus terminals, BRT hubs, park-and-ride facilities, and multi-modal interchanges.
* Proven record leading cost planning from concept through design development, procurement support, delivery, and cost assurance for complex multidisciplinary projects.
* Strong understanding of construction methods, MEP systems, rail systems, station architecture, civil infrastructure, utilities, public realm, and transport interface requirements.
* Advanced proficiency in cost planning software and Microsoft Excel.
* Experience with BIM-integrated cost tools, BIM 5D, cost databases, and parametric estimating methods is highly valuable.
* Strong commercial acumen with good understanding of project finance, business cases, affordability reviews, value-for-money frameworks, and investment decision support.
* Excellent analytical ability with the confidence to translate complex technical scope into clear cost implications and commercial recommendations.
* Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders, clients, design teams, and governance boards.
* Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects under pressure while maintaining accuracy, reporting quality, and deadline discipline.
* Master’s degree in Project Management, Infrastructure Finance, Construction Economics, or a related discipline is an advantage.
* Professional membership or chartered status with RICS, AIQS, AACE, or an equivalent body is preferred.
* Experience with public sector clients, PPP models, concession arrangements, or large program environments is desirable.
* Regional experience in the GCC, Middle East, Europe, Asia, or comparable infrastructure markets would be valuable.
Skills Set
* Cost planning
* Cost estimating
* Transport hub cost planning
* Infrastructure cost management
* Quantity surveying
* Commercial management
* Cost strategy
* Cost planning governance
* Benchmark cost databases
* Key performance indicators
* Order-of-magnitude estimating
* Elemental cost planning
* Bills of quantities
* BOQ estimating
* Station cost planning
* Metro interchange cost planning
* Rail infrastructure costing
* Bus terminal costing
* Park-and-ride costing
* Public realm costing
* Utilities cost planning
* Roads and bridges estimating
* Tunnel cost estimating
* Design-to-budget
* Scope management
* Value engineering
* Value management
* Cost-saving options
* Whole-life costing
* Total cost of ownership
* Cost risk analysis
* Quantitative risk assessment
* Monte Carlo simulation
* Contingency planning
* Risk registers
* Construction market intelligence
* Inflation analysis
* Supply chain analysis
* Procurement strategy support
* Contracting strategy support
* Bid review
* Rate validation
* Pricing structure review
* Cost assurance
* Cost audits
* Forecasting
* Value-for-money analysis
* Executive cost reporting
* Budget approvals
* Funding allocation support
* BIM 5D
* Parametric estimating
* Cost databases
* MS Excel
* RICS
* AIQS
* AACE
* PPP
* Concession models
* Team leadership
Why Join Us
This Cost Planning Lead - Transport Hubs role in Riyadh offers the opportunity to shape cost certainty and commercial decision-making for high-value transportation assets that support future mobility and urban development. The position provides senior exposure to complex station environments, multi-modal hubs, rail interfaces, procurement strategy, value management, market analysis, and executive-level cost governance. It is a strong fit for a cost planning leader who wants to influence infrastructure affordability, improve value for money, and support major transport development in Saudi Arabia’s active Transportation-Trucking-Railroad sector.
About the Company
Parsons Corporation is a global engineering, construction, and program management company supporting major transportation, rail, infrastructure, urban development, environmental, and technology-led projects. In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Parsons supports complex transport and mobility programs through cost planning leadership, commercial governance, design coordination, procurement support, stakeholder engagement, risk management, and client-focused delivery across large-scale infrastructure environments.
