A cost manager plans a budget and ensures cost-effective operations for a project or a company’s overall business model. Your job duties include using financial information to create a streamlined operations model and auditing current projects to see if they are cost-effective. A career as a cost manager requires you have some formal qualifications and education, typically at least a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related subject, and certification as a certified public accountant (CPA). Requirements for senior management positions may be more demanding, requiring five or more years of experience.