Cost Manager Quantity Surveyor Life Sciences Construction

Turner & Townsend; Allentown (Lehigh County); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend is seeking a Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to support a large-scale life sciences construction program in Montgomery County, PA. This client-facing role delivers cost management across multiple capital projects from planning through closeout.

The candidate will manage estimating, cost control, reporting, and commercial risk, while leveraging bid analysis and take-off software to ensure competitive, accurate costs and value engineering opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, cost management, quantity surveying, engineering or related field.
• Minimum 3–5 years of relevant experience in a cost management role in construction.
• RICS accreditation or working towards it is valuable.
• Experience supporting cost management on medium or large-sized projects.
• Construction consultancy experience is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Advising client on strategies, managing prequalification of vendors and bid processes.
• Developing project estimates related to construction, fees and other costs; reviewing junior team estimates.
• Establishing cost reports and forecasts; managing budget and spend forecasts with client.

Skills

Cost management

Estimating

Budgeting

Contract administration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in construction management, cost management, quantity surveying, engineering or related field

Tools

Cost Estimating Software

Take-off Software

Job description

Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Life Sciences 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 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 a Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to join our team supporting a large‑scale life sciences and advanced manufacturing construction program in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. This client‑facing role will be responsible for delivering cost management services across multiple capital projects, helping ensure successful project delivery from planning through closeout.

Responsibilities

• Advising client on strategies, managing prequalification of vendors, assessing proposals, bids, and bid levelling 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.

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.