Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Construction Management

Turner-; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend in Chicago is seeking an experienced Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to deliver cost management services on complex construction projects. You will manage estimates, cost reporting, and commercial risk from early planning through final account, collaborating with internal and client teams.

The role emphasizes proactive cost control, value engineering, and strong client partnerships, with on-site responsibilities and an opportunity to work across varied sectors within the

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, cost management, quantity surveying, engineering or field related to construction.
• 3–5 years of relevant experience in cost management in construction.
• RICS accreditation (or working towards it) is valuable.
• Experience supporting cost management on medium or large construction projects.
• Construction consultancy experience is strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of procurement routes, value management and value engineering.

Responsibilities

• Advising client on strategies and procurement, prequalifying vendors, assessing proposals and bids, and chairing bid interviews.
• Developing project estimates (construction, fees, direct costs) and reviewing junior staff estimates.
• Presenting estimates to client and advising on value engineering and risk assessments.
• Managing cost reporting schedules, forecasts, budgets and commercial risk registers.
• Overseeing cost control, contractor entitlements, change orders and dispute prevention/management.
• Managing and monitoring invoicing processes and final accounting closeouts.
• Conducting post-contract reviews to capture lessons learned and improve handover procedures.
• Using Bid Analysis Sheets and cost software for forecasting and control.

Skills

Cost management

Budgeting

Value engineering

Procurement knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in construction / cost management / quantity surveying / engineering

Tools

Bid Analysis Sheets

Change Control Forms

Cost Estimating Software

Take-off Software

Job description

Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Construction Management

• 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 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.

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to join our Chicago team and deliver cost management services on complex construction projects and programs. Our Chicago team supports projects across commercial real estate, corporate occupier, data center, mission-critical, and other public and private sector developments, providing opportunities to work with leading clients on impactful projects.

The successful candidate will manage relationships with internal and external stakeholders while ensuring the effective delivery of cost management services throughout the project lifecycle. They will play a key role in driving successful project outcomes through proactive cost control, commercial insight, and strong client partnership.

The ideal candidate is a motivated, collaborative professional who embodies Turner & Townsend's purpose and values, demonstrates a commitment to excellence, and is passionate about helping clients deliver complex projects successfully.

Responsibilities:

• Advising client on strategies, managing prequalification of vendors, assessing proposals, bids, and bidlevelling documents, making final recommendations to the client, attending & chairing bid interviews, and managing appointment process.
• Manage estimating services for full project by developing project estimates (relating to construction, fees, direct work and other costs), reviewing estimations prepared by junior team members, presenting estimates to client, presenting value engineering recommendations and risk assessments to client, meeting with vendors to review, validate, and challenge costs, and reviewing estimates by utilizing benchmark data collected from other projects.
• Manage cost reporting by establishing reporting schedule, reviewing & presenting cost reports and forecasts, reviewing project budget & spend forecast with the client, developing & maintaining commercial risk register, and hosting periodic meetings with project team & vendors.
• Manage cost control process by reviewing payment application assessments prepared by junior team members, liaising with project managers to recommend contractor entitlements, reviewing requests for change orders from vendors & making recommendations to client, and using dispute prevention/management/resolution procedures to manage payment requisitions, change orders, and contractual disputes.
• Manage & monitor invoicing process.
• Benchmark performance against other successful commissions.
• Manage all facets of the final accounting process and post contract audits and account close outs.
• Hold post-contract reviews with the client to establish a lesson learned document and apply lessons to create training manual.
• Develop procedures governing handover of project.
• Perform all the duties above through the use/preparation of Bid Analysis Sheets, Change Control Forms, Cost Estimating Software, and Take-off Software.
• 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.
• Minimum 3-5 years of relevant experience working in a cost management role in the construction industry.
• RICS accredited or working towards it is valuable
• Experience supporting cost management on medium or large sized construction projects.
• Construction consultancy experience is strongly preferred.
• Good knowledge of construction industry technical matters, such as different procurement routes, value management, and value engineering.

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

The base salary range for this role is $100K-$130K 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.

• 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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