Senior Cost Manager for Life Sciences Lab Projects

Turner & Townsend; Massachusetts; On-site; USD 140,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend, a global professional services firm, seeks an experienced Senior Cost Manager and/or Quantity Surveyor to lead cost management for biotechnology and pharmaceutical projects in the United States. You will serve as the primary client interface, driving cost plans, change control, and value engineering across lab, R&D, and office developments.

The ideal candidate will have a strong track record in cost management on complex projects, excellent communication skills, and the

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, cost management, quantity surveying, engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 5–7 years of relevant experience in construction cost management.
• Experience supporting laboratory, pharmaceutical, or life sciences construction projects is preferred.
• RICS accreditation is preferred or current candidacy.

Responsibilities

• Estimate and negotiate change orders throughout the construction lifecycle.
• Provide estimate and cost planning, including final cost plans.
• Review cost estimates with design teams and general contractors in developing cost estimates for lab, R&D, and office fit-out projects.
• Reconcile changes and assist contractors to ensure cost data accuracy.
• Communicate with contractors and owner project managers to gather status updates for cost reporting.
• Prepare written comments on contractor submissions, including executive summaries.
• Coordinate all sources of cost information, including suppliers, subcontractors, and design teams.
• Inform and drive engineering and design decisions based on cost impact.
• Work proactively with minimal supervision to resolve scheduling and cost issues.
• Manage cost checks and carry out valuations on medium to large-scale projects.
• Participate in post-contract cost variance and change control processes.
• Manage cost impact, contingency tracking, and commitment logs.
• Support funding data presentations and coordinate value engineering sessions.
• Develop cost plans through design phases, delivering updates at key milestones.
• Provide commercial input into design optioneering and value engineering exercises.
• Review contractor and subcontractor pricing and lead negotiations on behalf of the client.
• Perform quantity surveying, cost controls, and change management activities throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ensure cost validation, auditing, and valuation processes are robust and maintained.
• Produce monthly cost reports for client presentation.
• Ensure timely negotiation and agreement of final accounts.
• Compile as-built cost data for benchmarking across similar laboratory and life sciences developments.
• Support delivery across projects involving laboratory build-outs, R&D facility expansions, and campus-style developments.
• Identify, coach, and mentor team members to realize their potential and celebrate success.
• Demonstrate strong leadership and high-quality service delivery aligned with project objectives.
• Manage financial tracking, fee forecasts, and resource planning using internal systems.
• Implement and maintain consistent use of internal processes and best practices.
• Act as a role model contributing to a collaborative, high-performing team culture.
• SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable.

Skills

Cost management

Quantity surveying

Client-facing

Communication skills

Education

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

RICS accreditation (preferred)

Job description

Turner & Townsend, a global professional services firm, seeks an experienced Senior Cost Manager and/or Quantity Surveyor to lead cost management for biotechnology and pharmaceutical projects in the United States. You will serve as the primary client interface, driving cost plans, change control, and value engineering across lab, R&D, and office developments.

The ideal candidate will have a strong track record in cost management on complex projects, excellent communication skills, and the