Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Heavy Civil Infrastructure

Turner-; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend in Houston is seeking a Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to lead cost management across a diverse heavy civil and infrastructure project portfolio. You will handle estimating, cost planning, procurement support, change management, forecasting, and commercial administration.

The ideal candidate will be client-focused, collaborative, and comfortable navigating complex programs with multiple stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a related field and 6-8+ years of experience in construction cost management, estimating, or commercial management.
• Strong experience in heavy civil and infrastructure projects including transportation, roadway, bridge, utilities, drainage, and site development.
• Professional certifications like CCP, CEP, PMP are advantageous; RICS accreditation preferred; proficiency in procurement strategies and value engineering.

Responsibilities

• Advise clients on project cost and commercial strategies across planning, design, procurement, construction and closeout.
• Lead estimating: develop project estimates, validate contractor pricing, review estimates and present recommendations.
• Support procurement activities: vendor prequalification, bid analysis, commercial evaluations, and contract award recommendations.
• Develop and maintain project cost plans, budgets, forecasts, and cash flow projections.
• Manage cost reporting: cost reports, budget updates, contingency analyses, forecasts.
• Monitor expenditures against budgets and identify cost risks and opportunities.
• Review payment applications, change orders, claims, and contractor requests for additional compensation.
• Maintain commercial risk registers and support mitigation strategies.
• Coordinate with clients, engineers, contractors and stakeholders for informed decision making.
• Perform cost validation, benchmarking, quantity reviews, and estimate comparisons.
• Support value engineering initiatives and identify cost-saving opportunities.

Skills

Communication

Stakeholder management

Presentation

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Civil Engineering, Cost Management, or related field

Job description

Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Heavy Civil Infrastructure

• Full-time

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 programs as we turn challenge into opportunity and complexity into success.

Our capabilities include program, 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 program, project and cost management offering in markets around the world.

Turner & Townsend is seeking a Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to join our Houston team and support cost management services across a diverse portfolio of heavy civil and infrastructure projects. This role will support multiple clients and programs involving transportation, roadway, bridge, utility, drainage, site development, and related civil infrastructure projects.

This position offers the opportunity to support significant infrastructure investments throughout the Houston market while working on high-profile public and private sector heavy civil projects.

The successful candidate will have experience leading cost management activities throughout the project lifecycle, including estimating, cost planning, procurement support, change management, forecasting, and commercial administration. The ideal candidate will be client-focused, collaborative, and comfortable working within complex project environments while managing multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Advise clients on project cost and commercial strategies throughout planning, design, procurement, construction, and closeout phases.
• Manage estimating services, including developing project estimates, validating contractor pricing, reviewing estimates prepared by project teams, and presenting recommendations to clients.
• Support procurement activities, including vendor prequalification, bid analysis, bid leveling, commercial evaluations, and contract award recommendations.
• Develop and maintain project cost plans, budgets, forecasts, and cash flow projections.
• Manage cost reporting processes, including preparation and presentation of cost reports, budget updates, contingency analyses, and forecasts.
• Monitor project expenditures against approved budgets and identify potential cost risks and opportunities.
• Review and evaluate payment applications, change orders, claims, and contractor requests for additional compensation.
• Maintain commercial risk registers and support mitigation strategies to minimize project impacts.
• Coordinate with clients, engineers, contractors, and project stakeholders to gather project information and support informed decision making.
• Perform cost validation, benchmarking, quantity reviews, and estimate comparisons using industry data and project experience.
• Support value engineering initiatives and identify opportunities for cost savings and improved project outcomes.
• Manage post-contract cost control processes, including change management, cost audits, final account negotiations, and project closeout activities.
• Prepare executive summaries, presentations, and project cost analyses for client review.
• Mentor junior team members and contribute to the development of best practices across project teams.
• Utilize cost estimating, project controls, and reporting systems to support project delivery.

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Civil Engineering, Cost Management, or a related field.
• 6-8+ years of experience in construction cost management, quantity surveying, estimating, or commercial management.
• Experience supporting medium to large-scale heavy civil and infrastructure projects, including transportation, roadway, bridge, utility, drainage, water/wastewater, site development, or related civil works.
• Strong experience preparing and reviewing estimates, cost plans, forecasts, change orders, and contractor pricing.
• Experience managing cost controls throughout design and construction phases.
• Ability to interpret drawings, specifications, schedules, and contract documents.
• Construction consulting, owner's representative, engineering consulting, or infrastructure program management experience is strongly preferred.
• RICS accreditation or progress toward accreditation is preferred.
• CCP, CEP, PMP, or other relevant professional certifications are advantageous.
• Strong understanding of procurement strategies, commercial management, value engineering, and industry best practices.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.

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

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.

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