(MEP/CSA) Cost Manager (Data Centre)

Turner & Townsend; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend in Kuala Lumpur is looking for a Cost Manager to lead core cost management for data centre and infrastructure projects. You will oversee pre- and post-contract cost work, prepare cost plans, benchmarks, and value engineering opportunities, while ensuring governance and accurate reporting.

The role requires 5–10 years in cost management, strong English, and experience with data centres and MEP-heavy environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Cost Management, Quantity Surveying, Construction, Engineering, or related discipline.
• 5–10 years of cost management or construction-related experience.
• Strong understanding of QS principles, tools, and methodologies for pre- and post-contract functions.
• Experience with data centre, mission-critical, or MEP-intensive projects is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Deliver pre-contract and post-contract cost management services for complex construction projects, including data centres and infrastructure.
• Prepare cost plans, estimates, and analyses with focus on MEP-heavy packages.
• Lead tendering, procurement, and post-contract cost management activities, including variations and change control.
• Provide governance, reporting, and client interface for cost management across projects.

Skills

Cost management

Quantity surveying

English proficiency

Data centre experience

CostX

Education

Bachelor's degree in Cost Management

Master's degree advantageous

Tools

CostX

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.

Please visit our website: www.turnerandtownsend.com

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.

Please visit our website: www.turnerandtownsend.com

Job Description

Role Overview

As a Cost Manager, you will manage the core cost management services for complex construction projects, including mission-critical data centre developments, ensuring cost, quality, risk, and governance objectives are achieved. You will play a key role in supporting Turner & Townsend’s clients through the full project lifecycle, delivering best-in-class commercial outcomes while fostering a collaborative, high-performing project environment.

Project Support & Cost Management

• Deliver pre-contract and post-contract cost management services across construction projects, including data centres, critical facilities, and infrastructure-led developments.
• Prepare order-of-cost estimates, cost plans, and elemental cost analyses, with a strong understanding of CSA and MEP-heavy cost structures typical of data centre projects.
• Undertake rate analysis, benchmarking, and cost modelling for specialist packages such as MEP systems, electrical infrastructure, cooling systems, and fit-out works.
• Lead tendering and procurement activities, including: Pre-qualification and tender strategy development, preparation of preliminaries and tender documentation, tender analysis, clarification, and recommendation reports,
• Support change control and post-contract cost management, managing variations, compensation events, and cost impacts arising from design development and client changes, escalating major issues where required.

Governance, Reporting & Client Interface

• Prepare monthly post-contract cost reports, cashflows, and forecasts, supporting formal client presentations and governance reviews.
• Provide commercial input into Value Engineering and cost optimisation exercises, particularly for high-value MEP and specialist trade packages common in data centre projects.
• Interface professionally with clients, consultants, contractors, and specialist vendors at all project stages.
• Support Turner & Townsend’s commercial governance, risk management, and cost assurance standards on live projects.
• Identify opportunities to improve cost management processes, templates, benchmarking data, and digital tools, sharing best practices within the business.
• Contribute to knowledge management, ensuring project data, lessons learned, and cost intelligence are captured in Turner & Townsend’s internal systems.
• Collaborate effectively within the cost management team and, where appropriate, provide guidance and oversight to Assistant Cost Managers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Cost Management, Quantity Surveying, Construction, Engineering, or a related discipline (Master’s degree advantageous).
• 5-10 years’ experience in cost management or construction-related roles (e.g. cost manager, quantity surveyor, construction manager, procurement, project management, consultancy).
• Strong understanding of quantity surveying principles, tools, and methodologies, including both pre- and post-contract functions.
• Exposure to or strong interest in data centre, mission-critical, or MEP-intensive projects is highly advantageous.
• Native-level and business-level proficiency in English.
• Proficiency in CostX or equivalent cost estimation software; familiarity with benchmarking databases and digital cost management tools is an advantage.

Additional Information

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.

Please find out more about us at www.turnerandtownsend.com/

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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.