Senior Cost Manager

Rider Levett Bucknall RLB; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) in Minneapolis–St. Paul seeks a Senior Cost Manager to lead cost planning, estimation, and commercial activities across diverse projects, ensuring accurate cost control and strong client collaboration.

The ideal candidate will bring 5–10+ years of construction cost estimating experience, a 4-year degree in a related field, and a proven ability to identify value opportunities to achieve client outcomes.

Qualifications

• 4-year college degree in Construction Management, Structural Engineering, Architectural Engineering, Cost Estimating or equivalent.
• 5–10+ years’ experience in construction cost estimating across diverse project types.
• AACE International or Certified Cost Professional preferred.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and manage detailed quantity take-offs and cost estimates from drawings and specs.
• Review plans and specs to prepare estimates for architectural, structural, and civil scopes.
• Lead value engineering, cost option and strategy estimates.
• Prepare post-contract estimates and report variances with contractor’s estimates.
• Collaborate with Estimating Team on plan and specification analysis and pricing.

Skills

Cost estimation

Cost planning

Estimating team leadership

Client collaboration

Value engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management

Tools

Estimating software

Microsoft Office

Job description

Overview Of Role

The Senior Cost Manager is responsible for managing project costs across all stages of construction, ensuring effective cost control, accurate reporting, and strong client collaboration. The successful candidate will bring solid experience in construction cost management and the ability to lead cost planning and commercial activities on a range of project types. The Senior Cost Manager should have the ability to identify opportunities within a project that will add value and help successfully accomplish the client’s desired project outcome.

Title: Senior Cost Manager

Reporting to: Office Director

Overview Of Role

The Senior Cost Manager is responsible for managing project costs across all stages of construction, ensuring effective cost control, accurate reporting, and strong client collaboration. The successful candidate will bring solid experience in construction cost management and the ability to lead cost planning and commercial activities on a range of project types. The Senior Cost Manager should have the ability to identify opportunities within a project that will add value and help successfully accomplish the client’s desired project outcome.

Essential Functions

• Prepare and manage detailed quantity take-offs and cost estimates based on drawings and specifications.
• Review construction plans and specifications during preconstruction to complete quantity take-offs and prepare estimates for all architectural, structural, and civil scopes from schematic through final design for new construction and renovation projects
• Prepare value engineering, cost option and cost strategy estimates
• Prepare independent post contract estimates, including reporting differences in scope, quantities, and pricing from contractor’s estimate
• Work as integral part of our Estimating Team to perform plan and specification analysis, takeoff, and pricing of various types of construction projects
• Acts as lead individual for specific projects
• Review estimates prepared by Estimating Team, prior to supervisor final review
• Compiles and analyzes data on all factors that influence costs, such as material, labor, equipment, and profit margins
• Evaluates cost estimating deliverables prepared by architects and engineers, for cost containment
• Acquires and evaluates historical and vendor cost data for the development of cost estimates and price recommendations
• Accurately forecasts costs of future projects and changes to existing projects
• Prepares technical evaluations, cost estimating draft reports, memos, and letters and presents recommendations to management and client
• Attend client meetings
• Participate in design charrettes and design workshops, including presenting estimates to the client and AE team
• Participate in Value Engineering studies, reconciliations, and negotiations with contractors
• Prepare valuations of work in progress reports from contractor draw requests
• Undertake other cost-related tasks as directed by supervisor, including review of estimates prepared by others
• Assist with training and mentoring others
• Contributes to team performance by collaboration and effective communication.
• Contributes to and understands the clients desired project outcomes, identifies opportunities to add value to accomplish the desired outcomes.
• Adds to team effort by accomplishing other duties as assigned.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate a positive proactive approach to the role and will be committed to delivering customer service excellence.

• Minimum Education (or substitute experience) required: 4-year college degree in Construction Management, Structural Engineering, Architectural Engineering, Cost Estimating or equivalent recognized technical qualification.
• Minimum Experience required: 5-10+ years’ relevant experience in construction cost estimating of a variety of building types from program, conceptual, schematic, design development and construction document stages of design in elemental and CSI format for all architectural, structural, and civil components of new construction and renovation projects. Some MEP estimating experience preferred. AACE International and/or Certified Cost Professional preferred.
• Knowledge and understanding of execution of cost management services; good planning, organization, and communication skills essential. Understanding of technical and non-technical documents related to cost management services required. Knowledge and use of industry-estimating software and Microsoft Office software programs.

Physical Requirements And Working Conditions

• Indoor office environment. May require work on site location when necessary.
• Equipment used includes computers and standard office machines.
• Essential physical tasks include: the ability to work on a computer and the ability to answer and speak on a telephone.

RLB is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This company does not and will not discriminate in employment and personnel practices based on race, sex, age, handicap, religion, national origin or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. Hiring, transferring and promotion practices are performed without regard to the above listed items.

NOTICE TO EXTERNAL RECRUITMENT AGENCIES

RLB North America’s Talent Acquisition Team exclusively manages all external agency engagements. Candidate submissions will only be accepted from agencies with a current, fully executed fee agreement. Submissions without an active agreement will be considered unsolicited. RLB North America assumes no obligation to pay fees and reserves the right to contact, interview, or hire candidates without obligation to the submitting agency. All unsolicited resumes or candidate information, including materials sent directly to RLB employees, will be considered the property of RLB North America.