Cost Applications Specialist

Why Black and Veatch

Black & Veatch allows you to lend your talent and perspective to humanity’s biggest challenges in a flexible environment where you are empowered to grow and explore new possibilities. We offer competitive compensation; 401K match and benefits that start day 1. 
 
Our hybrid environment allows you to balance your work and personal life. At Black & Veatch, you own your career with purpose and meaning. You are empowered to grow and explore new possibilities at every step of your career journey. Bring your big ideas knowing you are safe to be who you are and speak up with concerns or questions and put your diverse talents and perspectives to use.

The Opportunity

As the Cost Applications Specialist, you will have the opportunity to:

• Be the functional lead for cost related functionalities and activity within Oracle Projects (PPM) module. Including import schedules, timesheet costing, cost balancing, HCM process review, and cross-functional coordination with HR and Payroll.
• Act as liaison between end users and technical staff while driving system enhancements, compliance alignment, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Work under minimal supervision

Key Responsibilities

Production Support 

• Leads maintenance of functional setup for moderately complex organization and accounting changes. 
• Balances and monitors all cost source values received in Project Cost, ensuring completeness and accuracy. 
• Troubleshoots and resolves moderately complex issues with financial data interfaces between systems, including balancing of financial data that flows between systems. 
• Identifies root causes, recommends prevention strategies, and proactively addresses recurring issues. 
• Provides daily functional support to end users, including training and module-specific assistance. 
• Responsible for system configuration maintenance. 

Cost Management & Month-End Responsibilities 

• Conducts month-end close cost balancing activities, ensuring discrepancies are identified and resolved ahead of period closure. 
• Works to catch cost anomalies before Week 1 reporting, preventing downstream impacts. 
• Leads error resolution and investigation in collaboration with wider Financial Applications team related to:  
  •     Accounting errors  
  •     Timesheet errors 
  •     Payroll project costs 
  •     Unprocessed or rejected costs 
• Oversees burden schedule management and validates correct application of burdening rules. 

System / Software Enhancements 

• Leads system enhancements related specifically to cost treatment, ensuring alignment with accounting and project controls requirements. 
• Collects and documents high-level system change and enhancement requests. 
• Works with internal clients to identify business needs and translate them into functional requirements. 
• Participates in or writes project management plans for moderately complex initiatives, including tracking issues, requirements, schedules, communication, training, documentation, and implementation. 
• Acts as a lead and participates in executing project plans, enhancements, implementations, migrations, and upgrade-related activities. 
• Updates user documentation and training materials. 
• Assesses testing needs, builds test scenarios, conducts testing, and documents results. 

HCM & Process Review 

• Play a key role in HCM project in developing new processes relating to labor and payroll related cost calculations 
• Conducts process analysis and improvement reviews covering existing and new HCM processes. 
• Partners with HR and Payroll as a key contact for compliance and process changes impacting financial applications. 
• Identifies and assesses improvement opportunities and champions continuous improvement efforts. 
• Supports change management activities associated with process and system improvements. 

Communication & Collaboration 

• Serves as primary contact for HR, Payroll, and other internal stakeholders regarding labor compliance, process changes, and labor cost treatment impacts. 
• Manages escalated support cases requiring cross-functional coordination. 
• May maintain SharePoint sites and provide guidance for module-related content and communications. 

Reporting & Analysis 

• Provides complex data and ad hoc reports to users as needed. 
• Supports analysis for cost balancing, discrepancy identification, and month-end close. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in Project Accounting or Corporate/Statutory Accounting is preferred
  Microsoft Office Suite; Advanced Excel 
• Financial systems knowledge (Advanced) 
• Financial processes and information systems (Intermediate–Advanced) 
• Customer Focus, Planning, Problem Solving, Decision Quality, Written Communication, Business Acumen, and Comfort Around Higher Management. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in business-related field or information technology, or equivalent experience
• Typically 7+ years related experience
• All applicants must be able to complete pre-employment onboarding requirements (if selected) which may include any/all of the following: criminal/civil background check, drug screen, and motor vehicle records search, in compliance with any applicable laws and regulations.

Work Environment/Physical Demands

• Extensive keyboarding, limited travel; moderate overtime
• Typical office environment
• Hybrid or flexible work options may be offered after the first 90 days of employment based upon manager discretion, job performance and work assignments.

Salary Plan

Job Grade