Head of Cost Engineering

As Head of Cost Engineering, you hold functional responsibility for the Cost Engineering and Estimation discipline within Royal IHC. You define, develop and safeguard the standards, methodologies and best practices for cost estimation, pricing and cost reporting across the organisation. You act as the content owner and recognised professional authority within the field of Cost Engineering, ensuring transparency, consistency and high quality throughout the organisation.

Cost Engineers are organisationally embedded within the PMG organisation and report hierarchically within that line. In this role, you do not provide direct line management. Instead, you lead the discipline through functional leadership, expertise and influence, operating via a dotted-line structure to drive consistency and continuous development. You report directly to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Your responsibilities:

• Define, develop and maintain Cost Engineering and Estimation standards, methodologies and norms across Royal IHC.
• Safeguard the quality, consistency and transparency of cost estimates, cost models and pre- and post-calculations.
• Develop and manage templates, tools and reporting formats to support cost control and analysis.
• Act as a functional sparring partner for management, PMG and project teams on complex cost, risk and scenario analyses.
• Initiate and support knowledge development, training and professional growth within the Cost Engineering community.
• Monitor market developments and industry best practices and translate these into improvements for Royal IHC.
• Build and maintain strong internal and external professional networks.

Your profile:

• Completed HBO or academic degree, preferably in a technical or business-related field.
• At least 10 years of experience in Cost Engineering, Cost Estimation or Cost Control, ideally within an EPC or project-driven engineering environment.
• Strong expertise in cost engineering methodologies, tools and systems.
• Proven experience operating in a matrix organisation and influencing without hierarchical authority.
• Analytically strong, structured, and able to translate complex information into clear and actionable insights.
• A convincing communicator with recognised functional authority and professional credibility.

What we offer:

• A key expert role in the further professionalisation of Cost Engineering within Royal IHC.
• A challenging, international project environment with high technical complexity.
• Competitive employment conditions and ample opportunities for professional and personal development.
• Plenty of time off: 40 vacation days for a full-time position, with the option to buy or sell additional leave.
• A profit-sharing scheme that lets you share in Royal IHC’s success.
• Flexible working: A home office allowance of €2.45 per day + a one-time payment of €750 to set up your workspace.
• Travel allowance of €0.21 per kilometer for the days you commute to the office.
• A solid pension plan through PME.
• Health and energy: Unlimited access to our in-house gym (in exchange for the sustainable employability day).
• Royal IHC takes care of things you’d rather not worry about, but that are still important—such as disability insurance, partner pension, and the option to have additional healthcare costs reimbursed through our Social Fund.

About Royal IHC

Royal IHC is a leading supplier of maritime technology and expert craftsmanship. Driven by innovation, our dedicated experts provide a competitive edge to our worldwide customers in the dredging, offshore, mining and defence industries. We deliver reliable, integrated solutions that improve operational efficiency and create a platform for a more sustainable performance.