Lead / Senior Cost Manager (Pre - Contract)

Turner & Townsend; Dubai; On-site; AED 350,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend in Dubai seeks an experienced Senior Cost Manager with a strong pre-contract background in the real estate sector. You will lead cost management, provide value-driven advice, and ensure delivery within scope, time, and budget while maintaining quality.

Ideal candidates have 10+ years of cost management experience, UAE market familiarity, and MRICS/AIQS accreditation is highly preferred. You will mentor junior staff and collaborate with clients and stakeholders to drive project

Qualifications

• 10+ years in cost management with a focus on pre-contract.
• Strong background in real estate, particularly commercial real estate.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, client-facing experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead pre-contract cost management activities for projects.
• Advise on cost-effective solutions and value engineering.
• Conduct risk assessments and manage contingency budgets.
• Prepare regular reports on budget deviations and cost performance.
• Review project costs including preliminaries, overheads, and materials.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and client requirements.
• Mentor junior cost managers and coordinate with multi-disciplinary teams.

Skills

Cost management

Pre-contract

Client liaison

Stakeholder coordination

Communication

Leadership

Education

Quantity Surveying degree

MRICS/AIQS accreditation

Tools

CostX

NRM

POMI

CESMM

Job 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 programmes as we turn challenge into opportunity and complexity into success.

Our capabilities include programme, 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 programme, project and cost management offering in markets around the world.

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Senior Cost Manager to join our dynamic team.

The ideal candidate should have extensive pre-contract experience and a strong background in real estate sector, with a focus on commercial real estate.

You will play a key role in ensuring our projects are delivered within scope, on time, and within budget while maintaining quality.

Responsibilities

• Lead pre-contract cost management responsibilities.
• Provide advice and support on cost-effective solutions, including value engineering.
• Conduct risk assessments and ensure contingency budgets are managed appropriately.
• Prepare regular reports on projects highlighting any deviations from the budget.
• Review and analyze project costs, including Preliminaries, Overheads, and materials.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards, client requirements, and regulatory bodies.
• Mentor and train junior cost managers.
• Collaborate with clients and other stakeholders to ensure the project is managed effectively.

Qualifications

Education

• Degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or a related field.
• Professional accreditation (e.g., MRICS, AIQS, or equivalent) is highly preferred.

Experience

• 10+ years in cost management, with a strong focus on pre-contract.
• Proven ability to lead and manage multiple projects independently.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience in client-facing roles and stakeholder coordination.
• Understanding of local cost benchmarks.
• UAE market experience is mandatory.

Technical Skills

• Proficiency in cost planning, estimating, and tender documentation.
• Ability to present cost strategies and reports to clients and senior stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of various methods of measurement (e.g., NRM, POMI, CESMM).
• Skilled in measurement software such as CostX or similar.

Leadership

• Ability to lead cost management activities across multiple projects.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Capable of mentoring junior staff and coordinating with multidisciplinary teams.

Additional Information

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