Senior Cost Manager – Hyperscale Data Centers

Turner & Townsend; Joliet (IL); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend in Joliet, Illinois is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Manager/Senior Quantity Surveyor to lead cost management for a hyperscale data center project, advancing early planning and pre-construction. You will be the senior cost lead, guiding budgets, controls, and procurement strategies in a highly client-facing environment.

The role requires strong leadership, exceptional communication, and the ability to coordinate across design, construction, and operations teams on a hybrid

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or related field.
• Data center construction experience required.
• 5–7+ years of cost management or project controls experience on mission-critical projects.
• Experience in a construction consultancy environment preferred.
• Strong skills in estimating, budgeting, reporting, and cost control systems.
• Knowledge of MEP systems and campus-scale infrastructure for hyperscale data centers.
• Experience with procurement strategies and vendor contract management.
• RICS accreditation is advantageous.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary client-facing cost lead and ensure objectives are met.
• Present cost updates and recommendations to senior/executive levels.
• Mentor junior team members and foster a high-performance culture.
• Develop and maintain detailed cost plans and estimates across planning, design and delivery.
• Produce monthly cost reports and executive summaries.
• Integrate cost, schedule and scope for holistic program control.
• Lead procurement strategy, pricing reviews, and commercial negotiations.
• Manage change orders, claims, and final accounts.
• Ensure adherence to governance and internal controls.
• Drive value engineering and cost optimization across design stages.
• Support risk/scenario planning and escalation monitoring.

Skills

Cost management

Project controls

Client-facing

Stakeholder management

MEP understanding

Procurement strategy

Earned Value Management

Analytical thinking

Education

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

Tools

Cost management software

Project controls software

Job description

Turner & Townsend in Joliet, Illinois is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Manager/Senior Quantity Surveyor to lead cost management for a hyperscale data center project, advancing early planning and pre-construction. You will be the senior cost lead, guiding budgets, controls, and procurement strategies in a highly client-facing environment.

The role requires strong leadership, exceptional communication, and the ability to coordinate across design, construction, and operations teams on a hybrid