What are the responsibilities and job description for the Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Data Center Construction position at Turner & Townsend?
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 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.
Job Description
Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to serve as the day‑to‑day client interface and deliver a value‑added cost management service on a large‑scale, mission‑critical data center program. This role is pivotal in ensuring the project is delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest standards, with strong emphasis on governance, commercial rigor, and stakeholder engagement.
The ideal candidate is comfortable operating in a client-facing environment, communicate clearly, and can work both independently and as part of a collaborative team. In this significant position, you will provide leadership and direction while embedding and promoting the purpose, values, and vision of Turner & Townsend.
This role offers a hybrid work schedule, requiring three days per week onsite at the project location in Maiden, NC.
Responsibilities:
- Support and manage cost control activities across large-scale, multi-phase data center construction projects.
- Develop and maintain cost plans, estimates, budgets, and cash flow forecasts aligned with project scope and timelines.
- Monitor cost performance, track actuals vs. forecasts, and report variances; maintain historical cost data for benchmarking.
- Review and validate change orders and payment applications, ensuring proper documentation, compliance, and cost justification.
- Assist with procurement strategies, bid analysis, vendor prequalification, and contractor negotiations; prepare bid leveling documents and manage appointment processes.
- Prepare and present cost reports, forecasts, and executive-level dashboards; support monthly progress reports and client presentations.
- Track contingencies, commitments, and cost impacts across packages or phases; contribute to value engineering and design optimization initiatives.
- Support risk analysis and mitigation planning for cost-related impacts; maintain and update commercial risk registers.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, build strong stakeholder relationships, and participate in governance meetings.
- Help implement and improve cost management tools, templates, and reporting standards; ensure compliance with internal financial systems and regulatory requirements.
- Manage final accounting processes, post-contract audits, and lessons-learned reviews; contribute to continuous improvement and training documentation.
- 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; graduate degree preferred.
- 3–6 years of experience in cost management or project controls within the construction industry, ideally supporting medium to large-scale projects (data centers, high-tech, industrial preferred).
- Construction consultancy experience strongly preferred.
- Strong knowledge of cost management processes, including change order review, pay application validation, cash flow forecasting, and cost reporting.
- Familiarity with procurement strategies, commercial management of contracts, and different procurement routes; exposure to value engineering and risk management.
- RICS accreditation or progress toward certification is a plus.
- Ability to interpret technical drawings and specifications for cost analysis; knowledge of MEP systems beneficial.
- Proficiency in cost management tools and software; strong Excel and data analysis skills for detailed cost modeling.
- Excellent communication, organizational, and stakeholder management skills; comfortable working in fast-paced environments with multiple priorities.
Additional Information
*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.
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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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.