Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor – Industrial & Manufacturing Construction

Turner & Townsend; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend is seeking a Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to lead cost management across large-scale industrial and manufacturing projects. The role requires strong commercial oversight, planning, and coordination with design teams and contractors.

The successful candidate will manage cost checks, valuations, and post-contract cost control, while mentoring team members and delivering robust cost data to clients. On-site presence may be required depending on client needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, cost management, quantity surveying or engineering.
• 5–7+ years of experience in cost management or quantity surveying in the construction industry.
• Experience supporting or leading cost management on medium to large-scale projects.
• Experience in industrial/manufacturing environments or complex retrofit projects preferred.
• RICS accreditation or working toward certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Estimate and negotiate changes through the construction lifecycle.
• Provide cost planning and final cost plan presentation.
• Review estimates with design teams and GC; reconcile changes.
• Prepare cost updates and executive summaries for stakeholders.
• Coordinate all sources of cost information from subs and suppliers.
• Drive engineering and construction priorities based on cost impact.
• Manage cost checks, valuations, and post-contract cost variance processes.
• Lead value engineering sessions and deliver updates at milestones.

Skills

Cost management

Quantity surveying

Stakeholder management

Cost control

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree in construction management

Job description

Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor – Industrial & Manufacturing Construction

• 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 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.

Turner & Townsend are looking for a Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to join our team and support construction cost services across a portfolio of complex, large-scale industrial and manufacturing projects. The ideal candidate will be driven and promote our Turner & Townsend purpose and values.

These projects involve the phased modernization, retrofitting, and expansion of existing operational facilities, often within active manufacturing environments, requiring careful planning, strong commercial oversight, and coordination to minimize disruption to ongoing operations.

Responsibilities:

• Estimating and negotiating change orders throughout the construction lifecycle.
• Provide cost planning and estimating, including producing and presenting the final cost plan.
• Review and participate with the design services team and general contractor in the development of cost estimates.
• Reconcile changes and assist the general contractor to ensure that their data is accurate.
• Communicate and meet with the general contractor and client project team to gather status information and prepare cost estimate updates.
• Prepare written comments on contractor submissions, including executive summaries.
• Coordinate all sources of cost information, including subcontractors, suppliers, and design teams.
• Inform and help drive engineering and construction priorities based on cost impact.
• Work proactively with minimal supervision to resolve cost and scheduling challenges in phased and fast-track environments.
• Manage cost checks and carry out valuations on large, complex projects delivered within active facilities. Complete timely and accurate cost checking and valuation processes.
• Participate effectively in post-contract cost variance and change control processes.
• Manage cost impacts, including contingency tracking and commitment tracking logs across multiple project phases.
• Prepare funding data presentations and coordinate value engineering sessions with stakeholders.
• Develop cost plans and estimates through the design phase, delivering updates at key project milestones.
• Provide commercial input into design optioneering and value engineering exercises.
• Review contractor and subcontractor pricing and lead negotiations to ensure commercially sound outcomes.
• Perform quantity surveying, cost control, and change management activities throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ensure cost auditing, validation, and reporting processes are robust and consistently applied.
• Produce monthly cost reports for client presentation.
• Ensure final accounts are negotiated and agreed upon in a timely manner.
• Compile built cost data and maintain benchmarking records for future project use.
• Identify, coach, and mentor team members to support development and performance.
• Demonstrate excellence in leadership and service delivery aligned with project and client expectations.
• Manage financial performance using internal systems for margin tracking, fee forecasts, and reporting.
• Implement and maintain Business Management Systems and delivery methodologies to ensure consistent best practices.
• Act as a role model fostering a collaborative, high-performing team environment.
• SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, cost management, quantity surveying, engineering, or a related field.
• 5–7+ years of experience in a cost management or quantity surveying role within the construction industry.
• Experience supporting or leading cost management on medium to large-scale construction projects.
• Experience working within industrial, manufacturing, or complex retrofit environments is preferred.
• Construction consultancy experience is strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of procurement routes, value engineering, and construction cost management best practices.
• RICS accreditation or working toward certification is preferred.
• Excellent communication 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 providea great placeto work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change.

We want our people to succeed both in workandlife. To supportthis,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 https://www.heery.com/

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

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