Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Workplace Projects

Turnertownsend; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Turner & Townsend seeks an experienced Senior Cost Manager/Quantity Surveyor to support a portfolio of workplace, commercial, and capital improvement projects across North America. This role centers on budgeting, forecasting, cost controls, change management, and financial reporting throughout the project lifecycle.

The successful candidate will collaborate with project teams, stakeholders, and external cost consultants to ensure accurate cost management and effective project delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a construction-related field.
• 7+ years of experience in construction cost management.
• Experience budgeting, forecasting, cost reporting and financial controls across multiple projects.
• RICS accreditation is a plus; strong knowledge of procurement and value engineering.

Responsibilities

• Estimate and negotiate change orders throughout the construction lifecycle.
• Prepare cost plans and estimates through design milestones.
• Review cost estimates with the design services team and general contractor.
• Manage cost checks, valuations, and post-contract cost variances and change control processes.
• Prepare funding data and coordinate value engineering sessions with stakeholders.
• Produce monthly cost reports and support portfolio-level financial reporting.

Skills

Cost management

Budgeting

Forecasting

Cost reporting

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management

RICS accreditation is a plus

Job description

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Manager and/or Quantity Surveyor to support a portfolio of workplace, commercial, and capital improvement projects across North America. This role is responsible for budgeting, forecasting, cost controls, change management, and financial reporting throughout the project lifecycle. The successful candidate will work closely with project teams, stakeholders, and external cost consultants to ensure accurate cost management and effective project delivery. Experience supporting tenant improvement, renovation, decommissioning, laboratory, infrastructure, or similar capital projects is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Estimating and negotiating change orders throughout the construction lifecycle.
• Provide estimate and cost planning to include 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 with project teams, consultants, contractors, and stakeholders to gather status information and prepare cost estimate updates.
• Prepare written comments to contractor and consultant submissions, including executive summaries.
• Coordinate all sources of cost information for cost discussions and decision-making.
• Inform and drive project priorities based on cost impact.
• Work proactively with minimal supervision to resolve project and cost management issues.
• Manage cost checks and carry out valuations on larger projects. Complete timely, accurate cost checking and valuation processes.
• Participate effectively with post-contract cost variances and change control processes.
• Manage cost impact, contingency management, and commitment tracking logs.
• Prepare funding data presentations and coordinate value engineering sessions with stakeholders.
• Develop cost plans and estimates through the design phase, delivering updated cost plans at appropriate design milestones.
• Provide commercial input to design optioneering and value engineering exercises.
• Review contractor and subcontractor pricing and lead negotiations on behalf of the client to drive fair contract pricing.
• Perform quantity surveying, cost controls, forecasting, budgeting, and change management activities throughout the project lifecycle.
• Manage and oversee cost management activities across multiple concurrent construction projects.
• Review, validate, and monitor project budgets, forecasts, commitments, and expenditures.
• Coordinate with external cost consultants to ensure accurate and timely cost reporting, forecasting, and budget updates.
• Support portfolio-level financial reporting and provide cost performance analysis to stakeholders and leadership.
• Ensure that cost auditing and valuation work is managed effectively and that a robust process for cost validation is in place.
• Carry out the production of monthly cost reports for presentation to the client.
• Ensure that final accounts are negotiated and agreed upon in a timely manner.
• Compile built cost estimate records for benchmarking purposes.
• Identify, coach, and mentor talent to realize their potential and celebrate the success of others.
• Display excellence in leadership and service delivery on commissions in line with the conditions of appointment.
• Financial Management: Utilize internal software to track ongoing margin levels and monthly fee/resource forecasts for each commission and financial reports.
• Implement and maintain the use of internal Business Management Systems and company delivery methodologies and tools to ensure consistent delivery of best practices.
• Be a role model that drives a one-business culture that achieves great outcomes for people, clients, stakeholders, and society.
• SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role and are to be adhered to where applicable.

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, Cost Management, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in construction cost management, quantity surveying, cost controls, or project controls.
• Experience managing budgets, forecasts, change management, cost reporting, and financial controls across multiple projects or programs.
• Experience leading cost management services on medium to large-scale construction projects.
• Experience supporting workplace, tenant improvement, renovation, decommissioning, laboratory, infrastructure, or similar capital projects preferred.
• Construction consultancy experience strongly preferred; RICS accreditation is a plus.
• Strong knowledge of procurement, cost management, value engineering, and construction industry best practices.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• *On-site presence and requirements may change depending on our client's needs.

The base salary range for this role is $140,000-$160,000 USD. This range reflects the company's good faith estimate of the base salary