Vice President Cost and Risk Control

Webuild is a global leader in the design and construction of large-scale infrastructure projects, with a strong presence across transport, water, energy, and civil infrastructure sectors. With operations spanning multiple continents, the organisation delivers complex, high-value projects that play a critical role in shaping sustainable infrastructure and supporting economic growth.

In Australia, Webuild operates within a Tier 1 contracting environment, delivering major infrastructure programs that require sophisticated project management, financial discipline, and risk control. The organisation applies a highly structured operating model that integrates project delivery with centralised governance frameworks, ensuring consistency, transparency, and alignment across all business units.

A key focus for Webuild is the integration of robust cost control and risk management practices into every stage of the project lifecycle. This approach ensures strong financial performance, early identification and mitigation of risk, and consistent reporting to executive leadership. The Vice President – Risk and Cost Control plays a crucial role in enabling these outcomes, acting as the link between project delivery teams and corporate financial oversight.

The Vice President – Risk and Cost Control is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing all cost management and risk control functions across major infrastructure and construction projects within Webuild in Australia. This role requires a highly experienced engineering professional with a strong background in the construction industry and a proven track record in delivering medium to large-scale projects. The position plays a critical role in ensuring financial discipline, robust forecasting, and alignment with corporate governance, while supporting program delivery objectives.

Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer and working in close alignment with Corporate Risk and Cost Controlling functions, the Vice President will lead the development and execution of cost control strategies that ensure consistency with the Webuild model. The role operates at the intersection of project delivery and corporate finance, providing strategic oversight and assurance across budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance management.

The successful candidate will be responsible for establishing and maintaining rigorous cost control frameworks across all projects, ensuring that budgeting processes are robust, accurate, and aligned with project scope and delivery timelines. This includes overseeing initial project budgets, ongoing cost tracking, and implementing structured methodologies for periodic and monthly forecasting. A strong emphasis is placed on forward-looking financial management, ensuring that risks and opportunities are identified early and proactively managed.

As a project-focused leader, the Vice President will work closely with project directors and delivery teams to ensure cost and risk considerations are fully integrated into decision-making. This includes monitoring financial performance, analysing variances, and providing strategic recommendations to optimise project outcomes. The role also involves ensuring that cost reporting is transparent, timely, and aligned with corporate requirements, enabling effective communication with executive leadership and stakeholders.

A key component of the position is the leadership and coordination of all cost controlling activities across the organisation. The Vice President will ensure that processes, systems, and reporting structures are standardised and consistent with the Webuild operating model, promoting efficiency, accuracy, and comparability across projects. The role requires strong governance capability, ensuring compliance with internal controls and external reporting obligations.

This role requires exceptional leadership, stakeholder management, and analytical capabilities, with the ability to influence at executive level and drive a culture of financial accountability and performance excellence. The Vice President – Risk and Cost Control will play a pivotal role in ensuring the successful financial delivery of major projects while supporting the broader strategic objectives of the organisation.

Role Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across all cost control and risk management functions for major infrastructure and construction projects
• Ensure all cost controlling activities are aligned with, and consistently applied in accordance with, the Webuild operating model
• Lead the development, implementation, and governance of project budgeting processes across the portfolio
• Oversee detailed cost tracking, performance analysis, and financial reporting at both project and program level
• Drive robust forecasting practices, including periodic and monthly forecasting cycles, ensuring accuracy and forward visibility
• Partner closely with Project Directors and delivery teams to embed cost and risk considerations into project decision-making
• Identify financial risks and opportunities early, implementing mitigation strategies to protect project outcomes
• Provide clear, timely, and accurate reporting to the Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Risk and Cost Controlling functions
• Ensure consistency, standardisation, and transparency of cost reporting across all projects
• Monitor project financial performance, including variance analysis, productivity tracking, and cost benchmarking
• Lead and mentor cost control teams, driving a culture of accountability, performance, and continuous improvement
• Support commercial strategy, including contract management, claims, and risk allocation considerations

Candidate Requirements

• Engineering qualification (essential), ideally complemented by commercial or financial expertise
• Extensive experience within the construction industry, particularly in Tier 1 contracting environments
• Proven experience in senior cost control, commercial, or project finance leadership roles within Australia
• Strong track record delivering medium to large-scale infrastructure or construction projects
• Deep understanding of budgeting, cost management, and project forecasting methodologies
• Demonstrated experience managing periodic and monthly forecasting cycles in complex project environments
• Experience working within structured global operating models, preferably aligned to international organisations such as Webuild or similar
• Strong knowledge of risk management frameworks and financial governance practices
• Proven ability to work closely with executive leadership, including CFO-level stakeholders
• Exceptional analytical capability, with the ability to interpret complex financial data and provide strategic insights
• Highly developed stakeholder engagement and influencing skills across project and corporate functions
• Strong leadership capability with experience building and leading high-performing teams

We’re building a diverse workforce

We are committed to building a workforce that reflects the communities in which we work and live, fostering an inclusive environment that accepts every person, embraces their strengths and differences, and provides opportunities for all to achieve their full potential.

We are a certified Employer of Choice for Gender Equality by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, a WORK180 Endorsed Employer for All Women, a signatory of the Veterans’ Employment Commitment, a partner of Pride in Diversity as LGBTQIA+ allies, and an active member of CEOs for Gender Equity. Guided by our Reconciliation Action Plan, we are committed to providing meaningful training and employment opportunities to deliver positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. 

As an employer of choice, we strongly encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including women, veterans, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and candidates with culturally diverse backgrounds.

Apply now to join us!

Once we receive your application, it will be reviewed for shortlisting. Should your application be shortlisted we will contact you.

Please note: We reserve the right to commence the shortlisting process for this role immediately and the right to remove the advertisement before the closing date. Agency submissions will not be considered for this position.