Cost Engineer
Always wanted to challenge the obvious and make great things happen? At Goodman we create space for your greatness.
Join our German Development team and play a key role in the commercial management and cost reporting on a portfolio of major data centre projects. You will be embedded in an ambitious, fast-moving environment where attention to detail, analytical thinking and initiative make a real difference.
This role offers exceptional hands-on exposure across some of Europe’s most prominent, large-scale data centre developments. You will work closely with senior stakeholders, contractors, and project teams, gaining real-world experience across the entire development lifecycle — from early feasibility through to delivery.
This is a unique opportunity for a motivated profile to grow hands-on experience in construction cost management, financial reporting, and real estate development at scale.
What will the role involve?
This role is structured around three interconnected responsibility domains, reflecting the expected growth path of the successful candidate. Depending on your experience, you will begin by building a solid foundation in cost reporting, progressively generate insights and support-decision making, and ultimately develop hands-on expertise in construction cost and value management as your confidence and knowledge of the projects deepen.
More concretely, this means you will get the opportunity to:
Cost Reporting & Project Follow-up:
• Assist in tracking and forecasting costs across early stage andconstruction activities on ongoing and prospective data centre projects as well as other construction and asset improvement projects, e.g. logistics or energy/sustainability related projects
• Maintain and update cost reports, dashboards and trackers on a regular basis
• Monitor actual costs versus budget and flag variances with supporting analysis
• Contribute to the preparation of monthly and ad hoc cost reports for internal stakeholders
• Support the cost management team and project management teams in consolidating inputs from technical, procurement and construction teams
• Manage cashflow forecasts in close collaboration with internal teams and external parties
Insight & Decision Support:
• Support the cost management team in coordinating with internal teams including technical, development and finance
• Provide qualitative cost analysis to support decision making processes
• Serve as a reliable point of contact for cost-related data requests within the team
• Interact directly with Goodman’s clients on cost and programme matters, maintaining a professional and responsive relationship throughout the project lifecycle
• Liaise with general contractors and subcontractors on cost-related matters, including review of submissions, follow-up on outstanding items and attendance at commercial or site meetings
• Participate in internal project meetings and contribute to reporting deliverables
• Help drive continuous improvement of cost tracking tools, templates and processes
Construction Cost & Value Management:
• Actively participate in cost-related activities during the construction phase, including:
◦ Review and analysis of contractor proposals, invoices and payment applications, supported by project team
◦ Tracking of change orders, variations and contingency use
◦ Support in preparing cost-to-complete assessments and cash flow forecasts
• Assist in reviewing feasibility studies and investment papers for upcoming development opportunities
• Contribute to the preparation of project cost documentation throughout the project lifecycle
• Liaise with Goodman’s client on construction and change costs concerning jointly with the project team
• Progressively build a deep knowledge of data centre construction costs — including structure, MEP systems, power infrastructure and fit-out — contributing to cost benchmarking, lessons learned, and the continuous improvement of Goodman’s cost intelligence for future data centre projects
Do you recognize yourself?
We are looking for a motivated candidate who is rigorous in their approach and genuinely interested in real estate and infrastructure development, construction and financial analysis. Whether you are a recent graduate or have up to a couple of years of experience, what matters most is your analytical mindset, your commitment, and your desire to grow in a project-driven environment.
• Minimum Bachelor’s degree from an engineering school, business school, or equivalent — ideally with a specialisation or strong interest in construction, finance or real estate
• 3 to 5 years of professional experience — early-career profiles are welcome
• Strong analytical and numerical skills, with a rigorous and structured approach
• Full professional proficiency in both English (written and spoken) — mandatory; Basic German proficiency (written and spoken) preferred
• Comfortable working with MS Excel and MS Office applications; prior exposure to cost or financial modelling is a plus
• Proactive, detail-oriented and able to manage multiple tasks in a dynamic project environment
• Genuine interest in construction, data centre development or real estate and energy related topics — project-driven mindset
Not sure if you fit the profile? Let’s find out together!
But first, let us introduce ourselves a little more:
Goodman Group is a provider of essential infrastructure. We own, develop and manage high quality, sustainable logistics properties and data centers in major global cities, that are critical to the digital economy. Goodman operates in key consumer markets in 15 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. We are the largest property group listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and invest significantly alongside our capital partners in our investment Partnerships. Our Continental European headquarter is based in Belgium and we are active in 7 European countries, including offices in Amsterdam, Brussels, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich, Luxembourg, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan and Paris.
Our culture is based on collaboration, ownership and seizing the opportunity. We take full responsibility for our work, support each other’s success and make room for growth for everyone.
How do we look at the world of tomorrow?
At Goodman we believe we all have a role to play in safeguarding the future for next generations. Therefore, sustainability is the driving force behind everything we do. Not only do we foster a sustainable and inclusive working environment for all our employees but also, throughout all our projects, we are continuously engaged in a process to assess its sustainability. Each aspect of the properties’ lifecycle is scrutinized on its future proofness for decades to come, resulting in a low ecological footprint over time. At Goodman, we believe it’s not enough to talk the talk — we also need to walk the walk.