Associate Director - Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Edu & Gov Construction

Turner & Townsend; United States; On-site; USD 170,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Associate Director Cost Manager and/or Quantity Surveyor to lead cost management for education and government capital programs in the United States. You will develop client relationships, lead multidisciplinary teams, and ensure delivery of cost management services across complex public-sector projects.

The ideal candidate will have strong leadership, senior client-facing capabilities, and a track record in quantity surveying and cost management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, cost management, quantity surveying, engineering or field related to construction.
• Graduate degree in quantity surveying, cost management, construction management, or engineering is preferred.
• SME in Quantity Surveying, and RICS certified or equivalent accreditation.
• Demonstrates excellent presentation, verbal, written, organizational, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership to the cost management team and ensure delivery of accountabilities.
• Lead client interfaces with stakeholders and other consultants at all project stages.
• Maintain excellent communication with clients and consultants throughout the project lifecycle.
• Perform quantity surveying, cost controls and change management activities across the project lifecycle.
• Communicate professionally with contractors, owner’s representatives and external stakeholders, coordinating within the project delivery.
• Coordinate cost management and project controls services across sectors.
• Be the primary reporting contact for overall commercial status of a project.
• Drive best practices in cost management and project delivery.
• Identify opportunities to improve cost management procedures, templates and tools.
• Conduct staff performance reviews and set team strategy.
• Mentor and grow team talent and foster collaboration.
• Deliver high-quality leadership and service delivery in line with appointment terms.
• Utilize internal software to track margins, forecasts and financial reports.
• Develop priority plans with risk mitigation and KPI-based performance measures.
• Maintain and implement internal BMS and delivery methodologies for consistency.
• Participate in internal and external audits and maintain knowledge management.
• Develop market understanding and act as a brand ambassador for opportunities.
• Advise on contracting and procurement strategy to benefit clients across sectors.
• Build strong relationships with clients and cross-functional teams.
• Prepare and present updates to senior leaders; identify cross-selling opportunities.
• Contribute to proposals and RFP responses for new business.
• Attend networking events and promote Turner & Townsend’s capabilities.
• Be a role model fostering a one-business culture while delivering results.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Stakeholder management

Project controls

Education

Bachelor’s degree in construction management or related field

Graduate degree in quantity surveying / cost management / construction management / engineering

RICS certification or equivalent accreditation

Job description

Associate Director - Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Edu & Gov Construction

• Full-time

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.

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Associate Director Cost Manager and/or Quantity Surveyor to lead cost management services for key education and government clients and capital programs. This individual will be responsible for developing and maintaining strong client relationships, leading multidisciplinary teams, and ensuring the successful delivery of cost management services across complex public-sector projects and portfolios.

The Associate Director will serve as a trusted advisor to clients, providing strategic commercial guidance, overseeing project and program financial performance, and supporting the development of long-term capital planning initiatives. This role requires a strong balance of leadership, technical expertise, business development acumen, and stakeholder management capabilities.

To be successful in this role, you must possess exceptional communication and leadership skills and be comfortable operating in a highly visible, client-facing environment. The ideal candidate will be self-motivated, driven, and capable of leading teams while fostering collaboration across clients, consultants, contractors, and internal stakeholders. In this significant position, you will be responsible for providing leadership and direction, embedding, and promoting the purpose, values, and vision of Turner & Townsend.

Responsibilities:

• Strong leadership skills, experience leading a cost management team, ensuring they deliver on all accountabilities.
• Taking a lead role in interfacing with the client, stakeholders and other consultants at all project stages.
• Maintain excellent communication with client(s) and other consultants at all projects stages.
• Performing quantity surveying, cost controls and change management activities throughout the project lifecycle.
• Communicate effectively and professionally with numerous parties including the general contractor, owner’s representatives, and external stakeholders, taking responsibility for Turner & Townsend coordination within the overall construction process.
• Coordinate/assist with the strategic and operational management of Cost Management and Project Controls Services in a variety of sectors.
• Be the first point of contact for reporting on the overall commercial status of a project.
• Drive Turner & Townsend best practice at all stages of a project or program.
• Identify opportunities to improve cost management procedures, processes, templates and products.
• Undertake Staff Performance reviews.
• Set a clear strategy and ambition for the team.
• Identify, coach and mentor talent to realize their potential and celebrate the success of others.
• Grow and develop exceptional people.
• Display excellence in leadership and service delivery on commissions is in line with the conditions of appointment
• Financial Management - Utilize internal software to track ongoing margin levels and monthly fee/resource forecasts for each commission and financial reports.
• Develop priority plans including risk mitigation through internal tools, make performance measurements via Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and appraisal documents, management controls and critical success factors based on company goals
• Implement and maintain the use of internal Business Management Systems and company delivery methodologies and tools in the office to ensure consistent delivery of best practice for Clients and the company.
• Undertake internal BMS audits, and coordinate and represent the office for external audits undertaken by the external certification authority.
• Develop a detailed understanding of the market, acting as a brand ambassador and creating a pipeline of opportunity.
• Advise on contracting and procurement strategy to the benefit of clients over a variety of industries and procurement routes and program level capital planning and reporting.
• Strong relationships are developed with clients and cross-functional team members.
• Participate in meetings with VP of Business Unit, Directors and staff and prepare and deliver presentations.
• Provide weekly updates regarding the status of projects, initiatives, and staffing, and propose solutions and obtain approval and agreement from management team.
• Identify and act upon any cross-selling or business generation opportunities.
• Participate in generating proposals/RFP responses for new clients/projects.
• Knowledge Management – Ensure key information and learning is generated from each commission and inputted into internal databases.
• Attending relevant networking events.
• Be a role model that drives a one business culture that achieves great outcomes by striking the right balance for our people, clients, stakeholders, and society.
• SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, cost management, quantity surveying, engineering or field related to construction.
• Graduate degree in quantity surveying, cost management, construction management, or engineering is preferred.
• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience working in a cost management role in the construction industry.
• Construction consultancy experience is strongly preferred.
• SME in Quantity Surveying, and RICS certified or equivalent accreditation.
• Demonstrates excellent presentation, verbal, written, organizational, and communication skills.

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

The base salary range for this role is $170K-$200K USD. This range reflects the company's good faith estimate of the base salary for this position at the time of the posting. Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, skills, qualifications, and internal equity. In addition to base salary, employees may be eligible for bonuses and a comprehensive benefits package.

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.

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

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