Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Data Center Construction

Turner & Townsend; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend is seeking a Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to join our San Francisco team, supporting a major hyperscale data center program for a global tech client. You will lead procurement, develop detailed estimates, review cost data, and manage commercial risk with a solutions-driven approach.

The role requires a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, or Engineering, 6+ years in cost management, and experience on large infrastructure projects.

Qualifications

• Cost management expertise and client-facing role experience.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management.
• Ability to manage procurement and cost reporting across large programs.

Responsibilities

• Advise on commercial strategy, bid evaluation, and vendor prequalification.
• Lead procurement, bid interviews, and contractor appointments.
• Develop and manage detailed project estimates across all phases.
• Review estimates from juniors, provide findings and VE options.
• Maintain cost reporting, forecasting, and variance analysis for large programs.
• Oversee contracts, payments, change orders, and contractor entitlement recommendations.
• Lead final account negotiations and project closeout.
• Capture lessons learned to improve best practices.

Job description

Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over 22,000 people in more than 60 countries.

Working with our clients across real estate, infrastructure, energy and 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 and programmes as we turn challenge into opportunity and complexity into success.

Our capabilities include programme, 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 estate services and investment firm, with our partners holding a significant minority interest. Turner & Townsend and CBRE work together to provide clients with the premier programme, project and cost management offering in markets around the world.

Job Description

Turner & Townsend are looking for a Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to join our San Francisco team, supporting a major hyperscale data center program with a global tech client. The ideal candidate will be driven, client-focused, and aligned with Turner & Townsend’s purpose and values while operating in a fast-paced, technically complex environment.

Responsibilities

• Advise the client on commercial strategy, including vendor prequalification, bid evaluation, bid leveling, and final recommendation
• Lead and manage the procurement process, including attending and chairing bid interviews and supporting contractor appointments
• Develop and manage detailed project estimates across all phases (construction, fees, direct costs, and related expenses), ensuring accuracy and alignment with program objectives
• Review estimates prepared by junior team members and present findings, value engineering options, and risk assessments to stakeholders
• Engage directly with contractors and vendors to validate, challenge, and benchmark costs against market data and similar data center projects
• Establish and maintain robust cost reporting processes, including forecasting, budget tracking, and variance analysis for large-scale capital programs
• Develop and manage commercial risk registers and facilitate regular cost and risk review meetings with the project team
• Oversee cost control processes, including payment applications, change order evaluation, and contractor entitlement recommendations
• Manage commercial aspects of contracts, including dispute avoidance and resolution, with a proactive and solutions-driven approach
• Monitor invoicing and financial workflows to ensure accuracy and compliance with governance requirements
• Lead final account negotiations, project closeout, and post-contract audits
• Contribute to continuous improvement by capturing lessons learned and supporting the development of best practices across the data center sector
• Utilize cost management systems, estimating tools, and benchmarking data to support high-quality project delivery
• SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or a related field
• Minimum 6+ years of experience in cost management, quantity surveying, or estimating within the construction industry
• Experience supporting mission-critical or large-scale infrastructure projects (data center experience strongly preferred)
• Strong understanding of construction delivery methods (e.g., DBB, DB, CMAR) and commercial management processes
• Proven experience managing costs across multiple project phases, from pre-construction through closeout
• Consultancy experience is highly preferred
• Professional accreditation (RICS or working toward) is advantageous
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to operate in a client-facing role
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with a high level of accountability and attention to detail
• Willingness to travel as needed to support project requirements

Additional Information

*On-site presence and requirements may change depending on our client's needs.*

The base salary range for this full-time role is $130K - $175K per year. Ranges are determined by role and level and represent a good faith effort to provide a fair and equitable salary. This range is a reflection of base salary only, not of a total compensation package. Please note Turner & Townsend reserves the right to pay more or less than the posted range, depending on candidate’s experience and qualifications.

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.

Please find out more about us at www.turnerandtownsend.com/

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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It is strictly against Turner & Townsend policy for candidates to pay any fee in relation to our recruitment process. No recruitment agency working with Turner & Townsend will ask candidates to pay a fee at any time.

Any unsolicited resumes/CVs submitted through our website or to Turner & Townsend personal e-mail accounts, are considered property of Turner & Townsend and are not subject to payment of agency fees. In order to be an authorised Recruitment Agency/Search Firm for Turner & Townsend, there must be a formal written agreement in place and the agency must be invited, by the Recruitment Team, to submit candidates for review.