Data Center Cost Manager — Change & Commercial Lead

Turner & Townsend; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend is seeking a Senior Cost Manager to act as the key day-to-day client interface for a large-scale data center program near Indianapolis. This role focuses on change management, cost control, and governance across complex projects, with leadership responsibilities and strong stakeholder engagement.

Applicants should have extensive cost management experience in construction, including change orders and cost reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Cost Management, Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 5–7 years of experience in cost management within the construction industry.
• Demonstrated experience with change management, change order negotiation, and cost control processes on complex projects.
• Experience leading cost management on medium to large construction projects of moderate to high complexity.
• Experience working on data center, industrial, or large campus-style developments is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of commercial management, procurement routes, and value engineering practices.
• Proven ability to manage high volumes of change in fast-paced project environments.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage change management processes across the program, ensuring all changes are properly identified, evaluated, documented, and approved.
• Review, evaluate, and negotiate change orders throughout the construction lifecycle, ensuring commercial alignment and cost transparency.
• Maintain and manage change logs, contingency tracking, and commitment registers, providing clear visibility into cost impacts.
• Establish and enforce change control procedures and governance frameworks across multiple projects within the campus.
• Provide detailed cost analysis and recommendations to support client decision-making on change events.
• Support dispute avoidance and resolution through strong commercial oversight and documentation of changes.
• Provide cost planning and estimating, including producing and presenting final cost plans.
• Review and participate with the design team and general contractor in developing cost estimates.
• Reconcile changes and validate contractor cost data to ensure accuracy and completeness.
• Communicate with the general contractor and project team to gather updates and support cost reporting.
• Prepare written comments on contractor submissions, including executive summaries.
• Coordinate cost inputs from subcontractors, suppliers, and design teams.
• Inform and help drive construction priorities based on cost and change impact.
• Work proactively to resolve cost, scope, and scheduling conflicts.
• Manage cost checks and carry out valuations on complex projects.
• Lead post-contract cost variance analysis and ensure adherence to change control processes.
• Prepare funding updates and support value engineering sessions, particularly in response to change drivers.
• Develop cost plans through design and provide updates at key milestones.
• Review contractor pricing and support negotiations to ensure fair and commercially sound outcomes.
• Ensure cost auditing, validation, and reporting processes are consistently applied.
• Produce monthly cost reports with clear visibility into change activity, risks, and forecast impacts.
• Support final account closeout, ensuring all changes are fully agreed and reconciled.
• Maintain cost benchmarking data and program records to support future forecasting and decision-making.
• Mentor team members and promote best practices in change management and cost control.
• Manage financial tracking, forecasting, and reporting for commissions.
• Support internal systems, governance processes, and company delivery methodologies.

Skills

Cost management

Change management

Negotiation

Client-facing

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Cost Management, Engineering, or related field

Job description

Turner & Townsend is seeking a Senior Cost Manager to act as the key day-to-day client interface for a large-scale data center program near Indianapolis. This role focuses on change management, cost control, and governance across complex projects, with leadership responsibilities and strong stakeholder engagement.

Applicants should have extensive cost management experience in construction, including change orders and cost reporting.