Cost Manager - Commercial Construction

Turner & Townsend; Tampa (FL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend is seeking a Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to support construction cost services for commercial real estate projects, including tenant improvements (TI) and interior fit-outs. The ideal candidate will have experience in cost management, bidding, and client advisement.

The role emphasizes detailed estimating, cost control, benchmarking, and final accounting across project phases with a strong focus on CRE interiors and base building works.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, cost management, quantity surveying, engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in a cost management or quantity surveying role supporting CRE construction projects (TI, interior fit-out, or ground-up).
• RICS accreditation is preferred or actively pursued.
• Experience supporting cost management on medium to large-scale commercial construction projects.
• Prior QS consultancy experience is strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of construction methodologies, procurement strategies, value engineering, and cost planning within CRE interiors and base building construction.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Advise clients on cost strategies for CRE projects, TI and ground-up developments; manage vendor prequalification, review bids, and chair interview processes.
• Develop detailed estimates for construction, general conditions, fees, and soft costs; review junior members' estimates and present to clients.
• Provide value engineering recommendations and risk assessments; validate subcontractor pricing using benchmark data.
• Establish reporting schedules; review cost reports and forecasts; track budgets and spend, maintain risk registers, and host cost review meetings.
• Oversee payment applications; coordinate with PMs on entitlements; evaluate change orders and advise clients on contracts.
• Manage invoicing to ensure accuracy with contract terms and progress; benchmark cost performance against CRE projects.
• Lead final accounting: post-contract audits and project closeouts; conduct post-project reviews for lessons learned.
• Develop close-out and handover procedures for TI and interior fit-out environments.
• Utilize tools like bid analysis sheets, change control logs, cost estimating software, and quantity take-off platforms.
• Adhere to SOX controls where applicable.

Skills

Cost management

Quantity surveying

Communication

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in construction management or related field

RICS accreditation preferred

Job description

Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over22,000 peoplein more than 60 countries.

Working with our clients across real estate, infrastructure,energyand 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 andprogrammesas we turn challenge into opportunity and complexity into success.

Our capabilities includeprogramme, 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 estateservicesand investment firm, with our partners holding a significant minority interest. Turner & Townsend and CBRE work together to provide clients with the premierprogramme, project and cost management offering in markets around the world.

Job Description

Turner & Townsend is seeking a Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to support construction cost services for commercial real estate projects, including tenant improvements (TI), interior fit-outs, and ground-up developments. The ideal candidate will be driven and aligned with our purpose and values. Responsibilities:

• Advise clients on cost strategies for commercial real estate projects, including TI and ground-up developments, manage prequalification of vendors and subcontractors, assess proposals, bids, and bid leveling documents, make final recommendations, attend and chair bid interviews, and manage the contractor appointment process.
• Manage estimating services across all project phases by developing detailed project estimates (construction, general conditions, fees, and soft costs), reviewing estimates prepared by junior team members, presenting estimates to clients, providing value engineering recommendations and risk assessments, validating subcontractor pricing, and leveraging benchmark data from similar CRE projects.
• Manage cost reporting by establishing reporting schedules, reviewing and presenting cost reports and forecasts, tracking project budgets and spend forecasts with clients, maintaining commercial risk registers, and hosting regular cost review meetings with project teams and vendors.
• Oversee cost control processes by reviewing payment applications, coordinating with project managers on contractor entitlements, evaluating change order requests, providing recommendations to clients, and applying dispute avoidance and resolution practices related to contracts, change orders, and payment requisitions.
• Manage and monitor the invoicing process to ensure accuracy and alignment with contract terms and project progress.
• Benchmark project cost performance against comparable commercial real estate, TI, and fit-out projects to drive cost efficiency and identify improvement opportunities.
• Lead all aspects of final accounting, including post-contract audits and project closeouts.
• Conduct post-project reviews with clients to document lessons learned and support continuous improvement and training development.
• Develop procedures for project close-out and handover, particularly for tenant improvement and interior fit-out environments.
• Perform all duties utilizing tools such as bid analysis sheets, change control logs, cost estimating software, and quantity take-off platforms.
• 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 a related construction field.
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in a cost management or quantity surveying role supporting commercial real estate construction projects (TI, interior fit-out, or ground-up).
• RICS accredited or actively working toward accreditation is preferred.
• Experience supporting cost management on medium to large-scale commercial construction projects.
• Prior QS consultancy experience is strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of construction methodologies, procurement strategies, value engineering, and cost planning within commercial interiors and base building construction.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Additional Information

*On-site presence and requirements may change depending on our clients' 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.

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

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