Conceptual Cost Engineer

Overview

Join GlassPoint in Dubai as a Conceptual Cost Engineer and contribute to advancing industrial decarbonization by taking leadership in capital cost estimating for large-scale industrial solar thermal projects from conception to investment decision. This role uniquely combines engineering, project development, supply chain, construction, and commercial insight to transform early technical concepts into credible, transparent, and detailed capital expenditure (CAPEX) estimates.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage capital cost estimates throughout project phases starting from opportunity assessments and Class 5/4 estimates to final investment decision (FID) cost baselines.
• Create credible estimates from early incomplete process and engineering data.
• Develop various estimating approaches such as parametric and benchmark estimates to suit project maturity.
• Produce comprehensive CAPEX estimates including equipment, materials, fabrication, installation, logistics, engineering services, commissioning, and indirect costs.
• Document basis of estimate including assumptions, exclusions, allowances, escalation, contingencies, uncertainties, and risks clearly.
• Collaborate with process and engineering teams to analyze how design decisions impact costs.
• Support economic evaluation of alternative project concepts and identify CAPEX optimisation opportunities.
• Develop assumptions tailored to location-specific factors such as labor rates, productivity, logistics, and duties.
• Work with supply chain and technical sourcing to integrate up-to-date supplier and commodity data.
• Benchmark current estimates against historical projects and market data, ensuring traceability of engineering changes to cost impacts.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is analytically thorough, technically curious, and commercially savvy, capable of producing reliable estimates despite incomplete information while clearly expressing uncertainties. Strong cross-department collaboration skills and a drive to enhance the estimating discipline via data and technology are essential.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Cost Engineering, or equivalent technical field.
• 7 to 12+ years’ experience in capital project estimating, cost engineering, or project controls.
• Proven expertise in developing conceptual and early-stage CAPEX estimates for industrial, energy, infrastructure, or EPC/EPCM projects.
• Experience advancing estimates through phases culminating in FID or similar investment approvals.
• Familiarity with Class 4 and 5 cost estimating methodologies and AACE recommended practices preferred.
• Hands-on knowledge of equipment, construction techniques, procurement, labor productivity, logistics, indirect costs, and project execution expenses.
• Exposure to multi-regional projects and understanding of how location and execution strategies influence project costs.
• Advanced Excel skills with capability in quantitative modeling; experience with recognized capital cost estimating software/databases is advantageous.
• Interest in leveraging data digitalisation, automation, and AI to enhance cost estimating processes.
• Background in renewable energy, process plants, industrial infrastructure, or major EPC projects is highly desirable; direct solar thermal experience not mandatory.

Company Culture and Benefits

• Immediate and significant responsibility with impact from the outset.
• Highly skilled and diverse colleagues fostering an environment of challenge, support, and continuous learning.
• Engaging and complex problems encouraging innovation, collaboration, and curiosity.
• Participation in a global team united by ambitious goals and a shared purpose of driving industrial decarbonization.
• Inclusive culture that respects diversity across gender, identity, ethnicity, religion, disability, age and more, with strict zero tolerance for discrimination or harassment.