Senior Cost Control Manager - Life Sciences Construction

Turner & Townsend; Wilson (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Control Manager to support a major pharmaceutical and consumer health expansion program in Wilson, North Carolina. The role focuses on cost forecasting, budgeting, and reporting across multiple projects, ensuring accurate financial visibility.

You will collaborate with project teams, contractors, and senior stakeholders, applying post-contract cost controls, change management, and risk analysis while mentoring junior staff.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a related field.
• Certifications such as CCP/PSP/PMP/CEP/MRICS are advantageous.
• 5–7 years in construction cost controls or project controls.

Responsibilities

• Lead all project cost control activities across a portfolio of construction projects.
• Develop and maintain cost control procedures, systems, and reporting processes.
• Monitor budgets, commitments, expenditures, accruals, forecasts, and cash flow.
• Prepare cost reports, dashboards, and executive presentations for leadership.

Skills

Client-facing leadership

Communication skills

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Forecasting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management/Engineering/Finance or related field

CCP

PSP

PMP

CEP

MRICS

Tools

EcoSys

Prism

Unifier

SAP

Power BI

Procore

Primavera P6

Job description

• Full-time

Company 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 andprograms as we turn challenge into opportunity and complexity into success.

Our capabilities includeprogram, 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 premierprogram, project and cost management offering in markets around the world.

Job Description

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Control Manager to support a major pharmaceutical and consumer health manufacturing expansion program in Wilson, North Carolina.

This position will support a large-scale manufacturing campus redevelopment and expansion program with a substantial pipeline of ongoing and future capital projects. The successful candidate will play a critical role in the management, forecasting, reporting, and control of project costs throughout the construction lifecycle, ensuring timely and accurate financial visibility across multiple projects and workstreams.

The ideal candidate will possess strong post-contract cost controls experience within a large capital project environment and demonstrate expertise in cost forecasting, commitment tracking, change management, accruals, progress measurement, budget management, and executive reporting. Experience supporting life sciences, pharmaceutical, industrial, manufacturing, or other complex capital programs is highly desirable.

This is a highly visible client-facing role requiring strong communication skills, commercial acumen, and the ability to collaborate effectively with project teams, contractors, and senior stakeholders. In this significant position, you will provide leadership and direction while promoting the purpose, values, and vision of Turner & Townsend. Responsibilities:

• Lead all project cost control activities across a portfolio of construction projects within a major manufacturing capital program.
• Develop, implement, and maintain project cost control procedures, systems, and reporting processes.
• Monitor and manage project budgets, commitments, expenditures, accruals, forecasts, and cash flow.
• Prepare and maintain detailed cost reports, dashboards, and executive-level presentations for project leadership and client stakeholders.
• Lead monthly forecasting cycles, including Estimate at Completion (EAC), Estimate to Complete (ETC), contingency forecasting, and variance analysis.
• Track and report cost performance against approved budgets, identifying risks, trends, and opportunities.
• Manage commitment and change control logs, ensuring all commercial transactions are accurately recorded, reviewed, and approved.
• Review contractor payment applications, invoices, forecasts, and supporting documentation for accuracy and compliance.
• Analyze cost impacts associated with potential changes, scope growth, schedule impacts, and construction risks.
• Coordinate closely with project management, project controls, scheduling, procurement, engineering, and construction teams to ensure alignment of project financial information.
• Maintain project cost breakdown structures (CBS), funding allocations, and cost coding structures.
• Support contingency management processes, including risk review and drawdown recommendations.
• Develop and maintain cost benchmarking and historical cost performance data.
• Prepare and present monthly cost reports to project leadership and client executives.
• Identify cost trends and provide proactive recommendations to support informed project decision-making.
• Participate in value engineering and cost optimization initiatives throughout project execution.
• Support review and validation of contractor estimates, change orders, and commercial proposals.
• Assist with budget development and estimate reviews during planning and design phases as needed.
• Ensure accurate project closeout reporting, final account reconciliation, and lessons learned documentation.
• Mentor junior cost management and project controls professionals.
• Implement and maintain Turner & Townsend methodologies, tools, and business management systems.
• SOX control responsibilities may form part of this role and must be adhered to where applicable.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, Finance, Project Controls, Cost Management, or a related field.
• Construction consultancy experience and professional certifications such as CCP, PSP, PMP, CEP, or MRICS are advantageous.
• A minimum of 5-7 years of experience in construction cost controls, project controls, cost management, or commercial management.
• Experience supporting large-scale life sciences, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, industrial, or other complex capital projects.
• Strong experience with cost forecasting, budget management, change management, commitment tracking, accruals, cash flow forecasting, and cost reporting.
• Proven ability to analyze project financial performance, identify trends and risks, and provide recommendations to project leadership.
• Experience supporting greenfield, brownfield, expansion, retrofit, or facility modernization projects is preferred.
• Working knowledge of estimating, cost planning, and estimate validation, including review of contractor estimates and change order pricing.
• Proficiency with project controls and reporting tools such as EcoSys, Prism, Unifier, SAP, Power BI, Procore, Primavera P6, or similar platforms.
• Strong understanding of construction contracts, procurement strategies, and commercial management practices.
• Excellent client-facing communication, stakeholder management, and leadership 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.

Turner & Townsend does not accept any speculative or unsolicited CV’s that have been sent to our internal recruitment team or hiring managers from agencies outside of our preferred supplier list or that have not followed due process. Any speculative or unsolicited CV’s will be treated as a direct application.

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

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