Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Data Center Construction

Turner & Townsend; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend is seeking a Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to lead cost management on a large-scale data center construction program in the Washington, DC area. You will serve as the primary client interface, guiding cost planning, procurement, change control and commercial reporting throughout the project lifecycle.

The role requires experience with complex building projects, strong communication with owners, designers, and contractors, and a proactive approach to cost certainty,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in construction-related field required, with professional accreditation preferred.
• Minimum 5–7 years in cost management within construction projects.
• Experience on medium to large-scale commercial or mission-critical builds.
• Strong knowledge of cost planning, change management, and reporting processes.

Responsibilities

• Estimate and negotiate change orders throughout the project lifecycle.
• Provide cost planning, produce and present final cost plans.
• Review and contribute to project cost estimates with design teams and contractors.
• Reconcile estimate changes and verify contractor pricing aligns with requirements.
• Coordinate cost information from pricing, quotes, benchmarks and estimates.
• Prepare commercial commentary on contractor submissions and cost analyses.

Skills

Cost management

Quantity surveying

Stakeholder management

Cost reporting

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Cost Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering

Job description

Company 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 is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to serve as the key day-to-day client interface on a large-scale mission-critical data center construction program. Supporting a significant capital development within a rapidly expanding mission-critical portfolio, you will deliver comprehensive cost management services throughout the project lifecycle while helping clients make informed commercial decisions, manage project risk, and maintain cost certainty from planning and procurement through construction and closeout.

The successful candidate will have experience supporting complex construction projects from preconstruction through closeout, with expertise in cost planning, estimating, procurement, change management, contract administration, and commercial reporting. The role requires excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with owners, designers, contractors, and project teams in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• stimating and negotiating change orders throughout the construction lifecycle.
• Provide estimate and cost planning services, including producing and presenting final cost plans.
• Review and participate with the design team and contractors in the development of project cost estimates.
• Reconcile estimate changes and review contractor pricing to ensure accuracy and alignment with project requirements.
• Coordinate with project teams, contractors, and stakeholders to gather information and prepare cost estimate updates.
• Prepare written reviews and commercial commentary on contractor submissions.
• Coordinate all sources of cost information, including contractor pricing, supplier quotations, benchmarking data, and consultant estimates.
• Inform and support project decision-making through analysis of cost impacts and commercial considerations.
• Manage cost checks and carry out valuations on projects, ensuring timely and accurate cost validation.
• Participate in post-contract cost management, change control, and cost reporting processes.
• Manage contingency tracking, commitment logs, cost forecasts, and final cost projections.
• Prepare funding analyses and support value engineering and cost optimization initiatives.
• Develop cost plans and estimates through the design phase, delivering updates at key project milestones.
• Provide commercial input during design development and value engineering exercises.
• Review contractor and subcontractor pricing and support commercial negotiations on behalf of the client.
• Perform quantity surveying, cost control, and change management activities throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ensure post-contract cost variances and change control processes are effectively managed.
• Support cost auditing, valuation reviews, and cost validation activities.
• Produce monthly cost reports and commercial updates for client stakeholders.
• Support final account negotiations and project closeout activities.
• Maintain project cost records and benchmarking data to support future project planning and delivery.
• Support the development of junior team members through coaching and knowledge sharing.
• Utilize internal systems to support commission financial management, forecasting, and reporting.
• Implement and maintain company delivery methodologies, business systems, and best practices.
• SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role and are to be adhered to where applicable.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Cost Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or a related construction field.
• Minimum 5-7 years of relevant experience working in a cost management role within the construction industry.
• Experience supporting medium to large-scale commercial, industrial, mission-critical, or other similar complex building construction projects.
• RICS accredited or working toward accreditation is preferred.
• Experience leading cost management on medium or large sized construction projects of medium to high complexity.
• Construction consultancy experience is strongly preferred.
• Good knowledge of construction industry technical matters, including procurement routes, value management, and value engineering.
• Strong understanding of cost planning, cost control, change management, and commercial reporting processes.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced project environment while managing multiple priorities.

Additional Information

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

The base salary range for this role is $150K-$190K USD. This range reflects the company's good faith estimate of the base salary for this position at the time of the posting. Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, skills, qualifications, and internal equity. In addition to base salary, employees may be eligible for bonuses and a comprehensive benefits package.

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/ and www.heery.com/

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.