Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Data Center Construction

Company Description

Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over 22,000 people in more than 60 countries.

Working with our clients across real estate, infrastructure, energy and natural resources, we transform together delivering outcomes that improve people’s lives. Working in partnership makes it possible to deliver the world’s most impactful projects and programs as we turn challenge into opportunity and complexity into success.

Our capabilities include program, project, cost, asset and commercial management, controls and performance, procurement and supply chain, net zero and digital solutions.

We are majority-owned by CBRE Group, Inc., the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, with our partners holding a significant minority interest. Turner & Townsend and CBRE work together to provide clients with the premier program, project and cost management offering in markets around the world.

Job Description

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Manager / Senior Quantity Surveyor to join our New York City team. This individual will act as the key day-to-day client interface, ensuring client objectives are achieved through the delivery of value-added cost management services across large-scale, mission-critical construction projects, including data center developments.

To be successful in this role, you must have excellent communication skills and be comfortable operating in a client-facing environment. The ideal candidate will be self-motivated, driven, and able to work both independently and as part of a team. In this role, you will provide leadership and direction while embedding and promoting the purpose, values, and vision of Turner & Townsend.

Responsibilities:

• Estimating and negotiating change orders throughout the construction lifecycle on complex and fast-paced projects.

• Provide estimate and cost planning, including producing and presenting the final cost plan across multiple project phases and work packages.

• Review and participate with the design services team and general contractor in the development of cost estimates, ensuring alignment with project scope and technical requirements.

• Reconcile changes and assist the general contractor to ensure that their data is accurate and reflective of current project conditions.

• Communicate or meet with the general contractor and owner or project manager to gather status information and prepare cost estimate updates.

• Prepare written comments to the general contractor’s submissions, including executive summaries for client review.

• Coordinate all sources of cost information for cost discussions, including suppliers, subcontractors, and design teams.

• Inform and help drive engineering and design priorities based on cost impact, constructability, and schedule considerations.

• Work proactively with minimal supervision to resolve cost and scheduling challenges on dynamic, schedule-driven projects.

• Manage cost checks and carry out valuations on larger projects, ensuring timely and accurate cost verification.

• Participate effectively in post-contract cost variances and change control processes across multiple contracts and scopes.

• Manage cost impact, contingency management, and commitment tracking logs throughout the project lifecycle.

• Prepare funding data presentations and coordinate value engineering sessions with key stakeholders.

• Develop cost plans and estimates through the design phase, delivering updated cost plans at key design milestones.

• Provide commercial input into design optioneering and value engineering exercises to support efficient project delivery.

• Review contractor and subcontractor pricing and lead negotiations on behalf of the client to drive competitive and fair contract outcomes.

• Perform quantity surveying, cost controls, and change management activities throughout all stages of the project lifecycle.

• Ensure that post-contract cost variances and change control processes are managed effectively and consistently.

• Ensure that cost auditing and valuation work is managed effectively, with a robust approach to cost validation.

• Produce monthly cost reports for presentation to the client, highlighting key risks, trends, and opportunities.

• Ensure that final accounts are negotiated and agreed upon in a timely and structured manner.

• Compile built cost data for benchmarking purposes across similar large-scale and mission-critical projects.

• Identify, coach, and mentor team members to support development and high performance.

• Demonstrate strong leadership and service delivery in line with the conditions of appointment.

• Financial Management – Utilize internal systems to track margin, fee, and resource forecasts for each commission.

• Implement and maintain internal Business Management Systems and delivery methodologies to ensure consistent best practice.

• Act as a role model, supporting a collaborative, high-performing culture that delivers strong outcomes for clients and stakeholders.

• SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable.

Qualifications

• ​​​​​​Bachelor’s degree in construction management, cost management, quantity surveying, engineering or related field.

• Minimum 5–7 years of relevant experience working in a cost management role in the construction industry, with exposure to data center, mission-critical, or highly serviced projects preferred.

• RICS accredited or working towards it is preferred.

• Experience leading cost management on medium to large-scale construction projects, ideally within mission-critical, industrial, or highly technical environments such as data centers.

• Construction consultancy experience is strongly preferred.

• Good knowledge of construction industry technical matters, including procurement routes, value management, and value engineering.

• Excellent communication skills.

Additional Information

*On-site presence and requirements may change depending on our client's needs.

The base salary range for this role is $140K-$160K USD. This range reflects the company's good faith estimate of the base salary for this position at the time of the posting. Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, skills, qualifications, and internal equity. In addition to base salary, employees may be eligible for bonuses and a comprehensive benefits package.

Our inspired people share our vision and mission. We provide a great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change.

We want our people to succeed both in work and life. To support this we promote a healthy, productive and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance.

Turner & Townsend is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

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All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

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It is strictly against Turner & Townsend policy for candidates to pay any fee in relation to our recruitment process. No recruitment agency working with Turner & Townsend will ask candidates to pay a fee at any time.

Any unsolicited resumes/CVs submitted through our website or to Turner & Townsend personal e-mail accounts, are considered property of Turner & Townsend and are not subject to payment of agency fees. In order to be an authorised Recruitment Agency/Search Firm for Turner & Townsend, there must be a formal written agreement in place and the agency must be invited, by the Recruitment Team, to submit candidates for review.