Job Description

Project Cost and Budget Manager

This hybrid role focuses on managing project cost and budget activities within enterprise business systems to ensure financial control transparency and compliance across initiatives. The professional will optimize cost structures monitor budget performance and collaborate with project stakeholders using EBS project collaboration capabilities. The work involves detailed analysis reporting and process improvement to support sustainable business growth.

Responsibilities

• Manage end to end project cost tracking activities using enterprise business systems to ensure accurate allocation of expenses across initiatives and maintain clear visibility into financial performance for internal stakeholders.
• Oversee budget planning cycles for multiple concurrent projects by consolidating financial inputs validating estimates against historical data and aligning projected spend with approved funding thresholds.
• Provide detailed variance analysis on project cost and budget performance by comparing actuals to forecasts and budgets to identify trends highlight risks and recommend corrective actions to relevant teams.
• Coordinate with project managers and finance partners to refine cost baselines and budget breakdowns ensuring that financial plans are realistic measurable and aligned with overall portfolio priorities.
• Monitor compliance with internal financial governance by reviewing cost entries validating charging structures and ensuring that project expenditures follow established policies and audit expectations.
• Optimize resource and cost utilization through analytical review of spending patterns and by proposing adjustments that improve efficiency while safeguarding delivery quality and timelines.
• Maintain and enhance EBS project collaboration usage by configuring project cost views sharing budget updates and enabling transparent communication of financial status across dispersed teams in the hybrid work environment.
• Prepare periodic financial reports and dashboards that summarize key cost indicators budget consumption and forecast updates to support data driven decisions by senior stakeholders.
• Collaborate with cross functional groups to resolve cost discrepancies and data quality issues in the project financial records by investigating root causes and implementing sustainable remediation measures.
• Support change control processes by assessing the financial impact of scope variations on project budgets and by updating cost forecasts to reflect new assumptions and constraints.
• Document standard operating procedures for project cost and budget management tasks to promote consistent execution across the team and facilitate onboarding of new colleagues.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives by recommending enhancements to EBS cost and collaboration workflows that reduce manual effort and improve accuracy of financial information.
• Engage in proactive risk identification by analyzing financial indicators to detect potential overruns or underutilization early and by advising project stakeholders on mitigation options.

Qualifications

• Apply strong experience in project cost and budget management to interpret complex financial data and to translate insights into practical guidance for project delivery teams.
• Utilize deep familiarity with EBS project collaboration functionality to configure cost related views and share timely financial updates within hybrid and distributed working setups.
• Demonstrate advanced proficiency in spreadsheet analysis and enterprise reporting tools to build structured models for forecasting project costs and tracking budget adherence.
• Employ solid understanding of project management fundamentals to integrate financial planning with scheduling and scope considerations for technology and business initiatives.
• Use effective communication and stakeholder engagement skills to explain financial findings in an accessible manner and to influence adoption of recommended actions.
• Draw on experience within large multinational environments to navigate complex approval processes and align financial practices with global standards and local regulatory expectations.
• Apply strong attention to detail and analytical mindset to validate transaction level data and ensure accuracy of project cost records before reporting to leadership teams.

Things to know before you apply

• Work authorization: Cognizant will only consider applicants for this position who are legally authorized to work in Canada without requiring employer sponsorship, now or at any time in the future.
• Accommodations: If you have a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening or submit an application, please email CareersNA2@cognizant.com with your request and contact information.
• AI in hiring: We use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help us screen and assess applications more efficiently. Our team performs additional human review and ultimately decides who moves forward in our hiring process.
• Open position: Unless otherwise stated, this job posting is for an open position on our team.
• Language proficiency: We ask that all candidates have basic English proficiency for company-wide communications purposes. For roles based in Quebec, professional English proficiency is required, as you'll deliver services to and collaborate with stakeholders outside the province who may not speak French.
• Inclusion: Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. Your application and candidacy will not be considered based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, provincial or local laws.

Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is an AI Builder and technology services provider, bridging the gap between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for our clients. Our deep industry, process and engineering expertise enables us to build an organization's unique context into technology systems that amplify human potential, drive tangible outcomes and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world.

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