Cost Engineer Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Cost engineer roles qualify as specialty occupations under H-1B visa and E-3 visas, requiring a bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management, or a related field. Employers in construction, energy, and defense regularly sponsor, and the absence of a lottery makes the E-3 a faster path for Australian nationals.
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Get Access To All JobsCompany Description
Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over 22,000 people in more than 60 countries.
Working with our clients across real estate, infrastructure, energy and natural resources, we transform together delivering outcomes that improve people’s lives. Working in partnership makes it possible to deliver the world’s most impactful projects and programmes as we turn challenge into opportunity and complexity into success.
Our capabilities include programme, project, cost, asset and commercial management, controls and performance, procurement and supply chain, net zero and digital solutions.
We are majority-owned by CBRE Group, Inc., the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, with our partners holding a significant minority interest. Turner & Townsend and CBRE work together to provide clients with the premier programme, project and cost management offering in markets around the world.
Job Description
Turner & Townsend is seeking a Senior Cost Engineer to support our Oil & Gas Pipeline client. This role requires a highly experienced, analytical, and strategic professional responsible for leading cost control activities, financial forecasting, budget management, and project performance reporting across a portfolio of capital projects. The Senior Cost Engineer will provide critical financial insights to project teams and leadership, ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of all cost-related reporting while driving continuous improvement in cost management processes.
This individual will collaborate closely with project managers, finance teams, procurement, contractors, and key stakeholders to support decision-making, identify risks and opportunities, and ensure effective financial governance throughout the project lifecycle.
Responsibilities:
- Lead project and portfolio cost control activities, ensuring alignment with approved budgets, forecasts, and company financial objectives.
- Develop, manage, and maintain detailed project cost forecasts, cash flow projections, and variance analyses.
- Monitor and analyze project financial performance, identifying trends, risks, opportunities, and corrective actions.
- Prepare and present monthly cost reports, forecasts, and executive-level financial summaries to project teams and senior leadership.
- Review and reconcile actual expenditures against forecasts and budgets, providing detailed explanations for variances.
- Lead the preparation and analysis of project reporting metrics including VOWD, earned value, cash flow analysis, commitment tracking, PO headroom, and vendor invoice management.
- Oversee invoice validation, cost allocation, and reconciliation activities within SAP.
- Support project change management processes by evaluating cost impacts and maintaining accurate forecasting of approved and pending changes.
- Collaborate with project managers, procurement teams, contractors, and finance partners to ensure cost accuracy and financial compliance.
- Drive process improvements, standardization initiatives, and best practices related to cost engineering and project controls.
- Mentor and provide guidance to junior cost engineers and project controls personnel as required.
- Support internal and external audits and ensure compliance with SOX controls, corporate governance requirements, and established financial procedures.
- Assist with annual budgeting, long-range planning, and project funding requirements.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field.
- A minimum of 6 years of post-graduate experience in cost engineering, project controls, financial analysis, cost management, or a related role, preferably within Oil & Gas, Pipeline, Energy, Industrial, or large capital projects environments.
- Demonstrated experience managing project budgets, forecasts, cost reporting, and financial performance for complex, multi-million-dollar projects or portfolios.
- Advanced analytical, organizational, and project management skills with the ability to interpret complex financial data and provide actionable recommendations.
- Strong understanding of project controls methodologies, including budgeting, forecasting, cost forecasting, change management, and variance analysis.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to effectively communicate financial and project performance information to project teams, senior leadership, and executive stakeholders.
- Experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional collaboration among project management, finance, procurement, and contractor teams.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel; experience with SAP and ECOSYS is required.
- Experience with Power BI or other data visualization and business intelligence tools is highly preferred.
- Ability to mentor junior team members and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives within project controls and cost management functions.
Additional Information
On-site presence and requirements may change depending on our client's needs.
Our inspired people share our vision and mission. We provide a great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change.
We want our people to succeed both in work and life. To support this we promote a healthy, productive and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance.
Turner & Townsend is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
It is strictly against Turner & Townsend policy for candidates to pay any fee in relation to our recruitment process. No recruitment agency working with Turner & Townsend will ask candidates to pay a fee at any time.
Any unsolicited resumes/CVs submitted through our website or to Turner & Townsend personal e-mail accounts, are considered property of Turner & Townsend and are not subject to payment of agency fees. In order to be an authorised Recruitment Agency/Search Firm for Turner & Townsend, there must be a formal written agreement in place and the agency must be invited, by the Recruitment Team, to submit candidates for review.
Company Description
Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over 22,000 people in more than 60 countries.
Working with our clients across real estate, infrastructure, energy and natural resources, we transform together delivering outcomes that improve people’s lives. Working in partnership makes it possible to deliver the world’s most impactful projects and programmes as we turn challenge into opportunity and complexity into success.
Our capabilities include programme, project, cost, asset and commercial management, controls and performance, procurement and supply chain, net zero and digital solutions.
We are majority-owned by CBRE Group, Inc., the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, with our partners holding a significant minority interest. Turner & Townsend and CBRE work together to provide clients with the premier programme, project and cost management offering in markets around the world.
Job Description
Turner & Townsend is seeking a Senior Cost Engineer to support our Oil & Gas Pipeline client. This role requires a highly experienced, analytical, and strategic professional responsible for leading cost control activities, financial forecasting, budget management, and project performance reporting across a portfolio of capital projects. The Senior Cost Engineer will provide critical financial insights to project teams and leadership, ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of all cost-related reporting while driving continuous improvement in cost management processes.
This individual will collaborate closely with project managers, finance teams, procurement, contractors, and key stakeholders to support decision-making, identify risks and opportunities, and ensure effective financial governance throughout the project lifecycle.
Responsibilities:
- Lead project and portfolio cost control activities, ensuring alignment with approved budgets, forecasts, and company financial objectives.
- Develop, manage, and maintain detailed project cost forecasts, cash flow projections, and variance analyses.
- Monitor and analyze project financial performance, identifying trends, risks, opportunities, and corrective actions.
- Prepare and present monthly cost reports, forecasts, and executive-level financial summaries to project teams and senior leadership.
- Review and reconcile actual expenditures against forecasts and budgets, providing detailed explanations for variances.
- Lead the preparation and analysis of project reporting metrics including VOWD, earned value, cash flow analysis, commitment tracking, PO headroom, and vendor invoice management.
- Oversee invoice validation, cost allocation, and reconciliation activities within SAP.
- Support project change management processes by evaluating cost impacts and maintaining accurate forecasting of approved and pending changes.
- Collaborate with project managers, procurement teams, contractors, and finance partners to ensure cost accuracy and financial compliance.
- Drive process improvements, standardization initiatives, and best practices related to cost engineering and project controls.
- Mentor and provide guidance to junior cost engineers and project controls personnel as required.
- Support internal and external audits and ensure compliance with SOX controls, corporate governance requirements, and established financial procedures.
- Assist with annual budgeting, long-range planning, and project funding requirements.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field.
- A minimum of 6 years of post-graduate experience in cost engineering, project controls, financial analysis, cost management, or a related role, preferably within Oil & Gas, Pipeline, Energy, Industrial, or large capital projects environments.
- Demonstrated experience managing project budgets, forecasts, cost reporting, and financial performance for complex, multi-million-dollar projects or portfolios.
- Advanced analytical, organizational, and project management skills with the ability to interpret complex financial data and provide actionable recommendations.
- Strong understanding of project controls methodologies, including budgeting, forecasting, cost forecasting, change management, and variance analysis.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to effectively communicate financial and project performance information to project teams, senior leadership, and executive stakeholders.
- Experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional collaboration among project management, finance, procurement, and contractor teams.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel; experience with SAP and ECOSYS is required.
- Experience with Power BI or other data visualization and business intelligence tools is highly preferred.
- Ability to mentor junior team members and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives within project controls and cost management functions.
Additional Information
On-site presence and requirements may change depending on our client's needs.
Our inspired people share our vision and mission. We provide a great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change.
We want our people to succeed both in work and life. To support this we promote a healthy, productive and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance.
Turner & Townsend is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
It is strictly against Turner & Townsend policy for candidates to pay any fee in relation to our recruitment process. No recruitment agency working with Turner & Townsend will ask candidates to pay a fee at any time.
Any unsolicited resumes/CVs submitted through our website or to Turner & Townsend personal e-mail accounts, are considered property of Turner & Townsend and are not subject to payment of agency fees. In order to be an authorised Recruitment Agency/Search Firm for Turner & Townsend, there must be a formal written agreement in place and the agency must be invited, by the Recruitment Team, to submit candidates for review.
See all 42+ Cost Engineer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Cost Engineer roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a Cost Engineer
Frame your credential for specialty occupation
Cost engineering sits at the intersection of engineering and project finance, so your degree must tie directly to the role. A civil engineering or construction management degree strengthens your petition more than a general business credential when USCIS reviews specialty occupation.
Target industries with active LCA filings
Construction, oil and gas, defense contracting, and utilities file Labor Condition Applications for cost engineers far more consistently than general staffing firms. Focus your applications on project-based employers where cost control is a core function, not a secondary responsibility.
Verify prevailing wage tier before negotiating
Use the OFLC Wage Search to find the prevailing wage for your specific location and experience level before you discuss salary. Your offer must meet or exceed that figure for the LCA to be certified, and knowing it in advance prevents a last-minute renegotiation.
Use Migrate Mate to find verified sponsors
Search Migrate Mate's job board to identify employers with verified LCA filing history for cost engineering roles. This cuts out the guesswork of cold-applying to companies that have never filed for a sponsored position in your field.
Clarify your project assignment structure early
Cost engineers are often placed at client sites, which can trigger H-1B worksite compliance requirements. Ask the employer whether you'll be assigned to a single location or rotated across projects, since multi-site roles require additional LCA documentation covering each worksite.
Get the LCA certified before your start date
The LCA must be certified by DOL before the employer files your I-129 petition with USCIS. Confirm your employer has begun the LCA process at least 60 days before your intended start date, since late filings can push back your authorization timeline significantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a cost engineer role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes, cost engineering qualifies when the position genuinely requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a directly related field such as civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or construction management. If the job description accepts any degree or substitutes experience freely for the degree requirement, USCIS may issue a Request for Evidence. Having a detailed job description that ties specific duties to engineering principles strengthens the petition.
Which visa types are available to foreign cost engineers seeking U.S. sponsorship?
H-1B is the most common path and applies to all nationalities, though it requires passing an annual lottery. Australian citizens can pursue the E-3, which has a 10,500-annual cap that has never been exhausted and no lottery, making it a more predictable option. Canadian and Mexican nationals may qualify under TN visa if the role fits the USMCA engineer category. PERM-based green card sponsorship is also available for permanent positions.
What degree background do cost engineer visa petitions typically require?
Most successful petitions cite a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, or construction management. Some employers also accept degrees in quantity surveying or project management, though these face more scrutiny from USCIS. O*NET classifies cost engineering work under engineering occupations, which supports the specialty occupation argument when the degree is directly tied to the job's core duties.
How do I find employers who actively sponsor cost engineers?
Migrate Mate lists employers with verified sponsorship history for engineering and construction roles, so you can focus your search on companies that have already navigated the filing process for positions like yours. This saves significant time compared to applying broadly and discovering sponsorship reluctance after an interview.
Can a cost engineer on an H-1B change employers mid-project?
Yes. Because cost engineers often work on fixed-term projects, employer changes are common. Under H-1B portability rules, you can begin work with a new employer once the new I-129 petition is filed with USCIS, without waiting for approval, as long as you're maintaining valid H-1B status. The new employer must file a fresh petition, including a new LCA certified for the new worksite location.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Cost Engineer jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.