Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Data Center Construction

Job Description

Job Description

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 act as the key day‑to‑day client interface on a major mission‑critical data center program. These projects demand strong commercial leadership, disciplined cost control, and the capability to support complex infrastructure and site‑development works throughout construction.

The ideal candidate is confident in a client‑facing environment, self‑motivated, and comfortable working both independently and as part of an integrated team. In this senior role, you will focus on cost control, change management, valuations, and commercial governance during the construction phase, providing clear direction and oversight as projects move through delivery.

You will operate as a trusted advisor to the client, working closely with contractors, consultants, and internal teams across complex infrastructure, site‑development, and multi‑phase campus environments. The role requires setting the standard for best‑practice commercial management while consistently representing Turner & Townsend’s purpose, values, and vision.

Responsibilities

• Lead all construction and post‑contract cost management activities across large, complex data center and infrastructure projects.
• Act as the primary commercial point of contact for the client during construction delivery.
• Establish and maintain robust commercial governance, cost control, and change‑management processes.
• Lead the evaluation, negotiation, and agreement of change orders throughout construction.
• Review contractor and subcontractor pricing to ensure entitlement, accuracy, and value for money.
• Manage interim valuations, payment recommendations, and cost certifications with accuracy and timeliness.
• Oversee contingency drawdown, commitment tracking, and cost‑to‑complete forecasting.
• Maintain detailed cost reports, cash flow forecasts, and commercial dashboards for multi‑building or multi‑phase campuses.
• Monitor cost variances, analyze trends, and proactively identify commercial risks and opportunities.
• Support value engineering and cost optimization initiatives during construction, without compromising program or quality.
• Prepare funding data, executive cost summaries, and commercial briefings for senior client stakeholders.
• Administer contracts from a cost and commercial perspective, supporting correct interpretation and application of contractual mechanisms.
• Lead final account negotiations and ensure timely, fair, and defensible commercial close‑out.
• Compile final cost data and built‑cost benchmarks to support future phases or portfolio planning.
• Work closely with project management, design, and construction teams to resolve commercial and coordination issues typical of major campus developments.
• Mentor and coach junior cost managers and quantity surveyors, fostering technical excellence and professional growth.
• Contribute to lessons‑learned sessions, handover documentation, and internal best‑practice development.
• Utilize internal systems to manage commission financials, margin performance, resource forecasting, and reporting.
• Apply Turner & Townsend’s delivery methodologies and Business Management Systems consistently.
• Act as a role model for collaboration, integrity, and client service.
• SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable.

Qualifications

 

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• A minimum of 6+ years of post‑contract cost management or quantity surveying experience, with a strong construction delivery track record.
• Proven experience leading commercial management on medium to large, complex construction projects, preferably within mission‑critical, data center, industrial, or infrastructure environments.
• Strong background in construction consultancy or client‑side cost management roles.
• Deep understanding of construction contracts, valuation procedures, change control, and final account negotiation.
• Knowledge of procurement strategies, value management, and cost assurance during construction.
• RICS accreditation or active progress toward chartership preferred.
• Confident communicator with strong client‑facing presence and the ability to lead commercial discussions at senior levels.

Additional Information

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

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.