Cost Estimator Lead - Data Center Construction

Turner & Townsend•San Jose, CA

4h•Hybrid

About The Position

Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over 22,000 people in more than 60 countries. They work with clients across real estate, infrastructure, energy and natural resources, transforming together to deliver outcomes that improve people’s lives. Their capabilities include program, project, cost, asset and commercial management, controls and performance, procurement and supply chain, net zero and digital solutions. Turner & Townsend is majority-owned by CBRE Group, Inc., and works in partnership with CBRE to provide premier program, project, and cost management offerings globally. The company is seeking an experienced Cost Estimator Lead to support a high-profile client’s large-scale, multi-building data center campus program. The role focuses on developing detailed civil, structural, and architectural (CSA) estimates for complex, innovative core-and-shell facilities. This position requires advanced estimating expertise, the ability to operate effectively in fast-paced and evolving environments, and proven experience supporting multi-phase delivery across major capital construction programs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or a related construction field.
A minimum of 10 years' experience in construction estimating or cost management on large-scale capital programs.
Proven expertise in conceptual estimating, quantity takeoff, and cost fundamentals across CSA scopes.
Demonstrated experience leading estimating teams and coordinating across multiple projects or programs.
Strong knowledge of construction procurement strategies and commercial contract structures.
Experience contributing to value engineering, feasibility analysis, and design/cost optimization.
Excellent written, verbal, and client-facing presentation skills with the ability to distill complex information for decision-making.
Highly organized, with the ability to prioritize across multiple concurrent projects in fast-paced environments.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office.

Nice To Haves

Data center or mission-critical construction experience strongly preferred, including multi-building campuses, greenfield developments, or major expansions.
Familiarity with MEP systems is a plus.
Experience with CostX (2D/3D takeoff, assemblies, workbooks) strongly preferred.
Familiarity with AutoCAD or Navisworks is advantageous.
Professional accreditation (e.g., RICS) or active progress toward certification.
Consultancy experience on large, complex construction programs.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and management of cost plans and detailed CSA estimates from concept through detailed design across multiple geographies.
Provide program-level estimating leadership across multiple projects and campuses to support portfolio-level decision-making.
Present milestone cost updates (concept, schematic, DD, CD), clearly communicating basis of estimate, assumptions, inclusions/exclusions, risks, and opportunities.
Lead quantity takeoffs and cost checks for complex, multi-package CSA scopes, ensuring alignment between scope, drawings/models, and estimates.
Coordinate estimating activities across multiple teams and projects; ensure consistency, accuracy, and clarity of outputs.
Review contractor pricing including bids, pay applications, and change orders; perform comparative analyses and prepare recommendations for clients.
Lead change evaluation and pricing analysis to support informed commercial decision-making.
Drive benchmarking and cost modeling, building and maintaining historical cost data and metrics; support life-cycle cost (LCC) analyses.
Facilitate and lead value engineering (VE) efforts; develop cost and schedule trade-off options and support feasibility and early-stage cost modeling.
Support procurement and preconstruction activities including prequalification, bid list development, bid analysis, tender reporting, and contract documentation.
Partner with cost management, procurement, and project controls teams to align estimating outputs with budgets, commercial strategy, and program planning.
Assess design development and program changes and produce timely estimate updates at appropriate accuracy levels.
Lead, mentor, and coordinate estimating staff, contributing to team development, training materials, templates, and estimating tools.
Prepare leadership-ready and client-facing estimating materials for executive, preconstruction, and governance presentations.
Promote Turner & Townsend’s values, purpose, and collaborative one-business culture.
SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role and must be adhered to where applicable.