Senior Cost Manager for Complex Lab & Research Projects

Turner & Townsend; Allentown (Lehigh County); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to support complex capital construction projects in a research, laboratory, and innovation environment. You will provide comprehensive cost management throughout planning, design, construction, and closeout, interfacing with clients and project teams.

The ideal candidate has strong communication and stakeholder management skills, is self-motivated, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple priorities

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related construction field with 5–7 years cost management experience.
• Experience across laboratory, research, healthcare, or high-complexity projects preferred.
• Ability to prepare cost plans, estimates, cash flows and reports independently.
• Experience reviewing pricing, change orders, and commercial negotiations.

Responsibilities

• Develop cost plans, estimates, and budgets across planning and design phases.
• Review design docs and provide cost advice for informed decisions.
• Prepare and maintain project cost reports, cash flow forecasts and tracking tools.
• Lead cost checking, valuation, and change management through the lifecycle.
• Review contractor pricing, change orders, and proposals for accuracy.
• Support procurement through bid evaluations and commercial reviews.
• Participate in value engineering and cost optimization initiatives.
• Monitor commitments, forecast final costs, and identify commercial risks.
• Coordinate with teams to align scope, schedule, and budget.
• Produce monthly cost reports and present findings to stakeholders.
• Mentor junior team members and support cost validation processes.

Skills

Cost management

Quantity surveying

Construction estimating

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Client liaison

Education

Bachelor's degree in Quantity Surveying/Construction Management/Engineering

RICS accreditation or progress toward chartership

Tools

Cost estimating software

Job description

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to support complex capital construction projects in a research, laboratory, and innovation environment. You will provide comprehensive cost management throughout planning, design, construction, and closeout, interfacing with clients and project teams.

The ideal candidate has strong communication and stakeholder management skills, is self-motivated, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple priorities