Senior Cost Manager

Job Description

About the Role

As Senior Cost Manager, you'll play a key role in cost management across a growing data center portfolio - supporting budgeting and estimating through construction and final account. You'll work closely with project managers, A/E design teams, GCs, and other delivery leads to keep projects on-budget and every decision grounded in credible numbers.

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• Support cost planning across project phases - from concept and pre-design through construction documents and GMP negotiation
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• Develop detailed estimates for civil, structural, MEP, HV/LV power, cooling, fuel systems, and shell construction
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• Maintain real-time cost forecasts across active projects; track actuals vs. budget and surface variances early
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• Review change orders: assess scope validity, commercial accuracy, and contract entitlement ahead of approval recommendations
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• Prepare executive-level cost reports - clear, scannable, exception-based
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• Manage contingency tracking and cost risk registers across project phases
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• Support value engineering exercises with design and construction teams to optimize cost without compromising scope or schedule
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• Support GC and subcontractor procurement: bid leveling, scope gap analysis, and contract negotiation input
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• Contribute to contract structure and commercial risk discussions across delivery models
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• Help maintain a unit cost benchmark database covering key DC cost categories - from $/MW to equipment and trade breakdowns
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• Contribute to precon planning on new sites, including order-of-magnitude estimates to support site selection and investment decisions
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Qualifications

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• Experience in cost management, quantity surveying, or construction estimating
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• Hands-on experience on data center or mission-critical construction - hyperscale, colo, or large-scale build-to-suit
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• Owner-side experience preferred; GC or QS consulting backgrounds considered if DC domain knowledge is strong
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• Solid understanding of the DC cost stack: civil, structural, MEP, HV/LV power, cooling (CRAC/CRAH, DLC, immersion), emergency power, and IT fit-out
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• Understands how design decisions - power density, redundancy tier, cooling strategy - translate to capital cost
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• Comfortable benchmarking at $/MW, $/SF, and $/kW; understands what drives variation between projects
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• Strong change order discipline: can assess pricing validity, identify scope gaps, and document entitlement
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• Familiar with GMP, lump sum, and cost-plus contract structures
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• Proficient with cost management tooling (Procore, Sage, or equivalent)
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• Degree in construction management, quantity surveying, engineering, or related field
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• Comfortable operating with urgency in a fast-moving delivery program
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Benefits

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• Competitive total compensation package
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• Retirement or pension plan, in line with local norms
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• Health, dental, and vision insurance
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• Generous PTO policy, in line with local norms
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