Associate Director – Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor – Data Center Construction

Turner & Townsend; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend is seeking an Associate Director — Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to lead cost management for a portfolio of major data center projects in Northern Virginia. The role is client-facing from Tysons, VA, requiring strong leadership, proactive communication, and execution across programs.

The successful candidate will manage client relationships, guide teams, and ensure accurate cost control, risk mitigation, and reporting while promoting best practices and growth opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years' cost management experience on large-scale construction projects.
• Experience leading teams and multi-project programs.
• Data center or mission-critical construction experience preferred.
• RICS certification or equivalent preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead cost management services across a portfolio of large-scale data center projects.
• Manage client relationships, guide internal teams, and ensure delivery of cost management services.
• Oversee cost control, change management, and reporting across programs.
• Mentor staff, drive best practices, and align with contractual obligations.
• Support business development, proposals, and market insights.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Stakeholder management

Mentoring

Business development

Education

Bachelor in Construction Management

Graduate degree preferred

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 are seeking a sme Associate Director — Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to lead cost management services for a key portfolio of large-scale data center construction projects across Northern Virginia. This individual will be responsible for managing client relationships, leading internal teams, and ensuring the successful delivery of cost management services across multiple active programs.

The role is client-facing and based out of our Tysons, VA office, supporting projects across the region’s primary data center corridors, including Loudoun County, Prince William County, Stafford County, and Fairfax County.

The ideal candidate is a strong leader with excellent communication skills, capable of driving both project outcomes and team performance in a fast-paced, client-facing environment.

Responsibilities

• Strong leadership experience managing cost management teams and ensuring delivery across all accountabilities.
• Lead interface with clients, stakeholders, and consultants across all project stages.
• Maintain clear and professional communication with clients and project teams.
• Perform quantity surveying, cost control, and change management throughout the project lifecycle.
• Coordinate with contractors, owners, and stakeholders, ensuring alignment within the overall construction process.
• Support strategic and operational delivery of Cost Management and Project Controls services across large-scale programs.
• Act as the primary contact for reporting overall commercial and cost status of projects.
• Drive consistent application of best practices across all phases of delivery.
• Identify and implement improvements to cost management processes and tools.
• Conduct staff performance reviews and set clear team direction and strategy.
• Mentor and develop team members, fostering growth and high performance.
• Ensure excellence in service delivery aligned with commercial and contractual obligations.
• Track financial performance, including margins, forecasting, and resource planning.
• Develop risk mitigation strategies and monitor performance using KPIs and internal controls.
• Implement and maintain internal business systems and delivery methodologies.
• Lead internal and external audit processes related to quality and compliance.
• Develop market insight and contribute to business development and pipeline growth.
• Advise on procurement strategies, contracting approaches, and capital planning.
• Build strong relationships with clients and cross-functional teams.
• Provide leadership updates including project status, staffing, and risk mitigation plans.
• Identify and support business generation and cross-selling opportunities.
• Contribute to proposals and RFP responses for new work.
• Ensure knowledge capture and benchmarking across projects.
• Represent the business at industry and networking events.
• Promote a culture aligned with company values, delivering positive outcomes for clients and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or related field.
• Graduate degree preferred.
• A minimum 8 years of experience in cost management within large-scale construction.
• Proven experience leading teams and managing complex, multi-project programs.
• Experience in data center or mission-critical construction strongly preferred.
• Consultancy experience highly preferred.
• SME in Quantity Surveying with RICS certification or equivalent strongly preferred.
• Strong commercial acumen, contract knowledge, and cost control expertise.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and leadership skills.

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.

Please find out more about us at www.turnerandtownsend.com/ and https://www.heery.com/

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

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