Cost Lead

Fluidstack • Austin, TX

6d • $160,000 - $250,000

About The Position

As Cost Lead, you will own cost management across our data center portfolio — from early-stage budgeting and estimating through construction and final account. You'll set up process where it doesn't exist, build benchmarks from scratch, and serve as the Cost Lead of our delivery program. You'll work closely with project managers, A/E design teams, GCs, and other Leads to keep every project on-budget and every decision grounded in credible numbers.

Requirements

• Experience with cost management, quantity surveying, or construction estimating
• Meaningful hands-on experience on data center or mission-critical construction — hyperscale, colo, or large-scale build-to-suit
• Deep understanding of the DC cost stack: civil, structural, MEP, HV/LV power, cooling (CRAC/CRAH, DLC, immersion), emergency power, and IT fit-out
• Understands how design decisions — power density, redundancy tier, cooling strategy — translate directly to capital cost
• Comfortable benchmarking at $/MW, $/SF, and $/kW; knows what drives variation between projects
• Strong change order discipline: can assess pricing validity, identify scope gaps, and document entitlement
• Familiar with GMP, lump sum, and cost-plus contract structures
• Proficient with cost management tooling (Procore, Sage, or equivalent); can build process from scratch
• Degree in construction management, quantity surveying, engineering, or related field
• Builder mindset — comfortable setting up function and process where little exists, and operating with urgency in a fast-moving program

Nice To Haves

• Owner-side experience strongly preferred; GC or QS consulting backgrounds considered if DC domain knowledge is deep

Responsibilities

• Own cost planning across all project phases — from concept and pre-design through construction documents and GMP negotiation
• Develop detailed estimates for civil, structural, MEP, HV/LV power, cooling, fuel systems, and shell construction
• Maintain real-time cost forecasts across all active projects; track actuals vs. budget and surface variances early
• Own change order review: assess scope validity, commercial accuracy, and contract entitlement before recommending approval
• Prepare executive-level cost reports across the portfolio — clear, scannable, exception-based
• Manage contingency tracking and cost risk registers across project phases
• Lead value engineering exercises with design and construction teams to optimise cost without compromising scope or schedule
• Support GC and subcontractor procurement: bid leveling, scope gap analysis, and contract negotiation input
• Advise on contract structure and commercial risk allocation across delivery models
• Build the cost management function from the ground up: tools, templates, workflows, and reporting cadence
• Establish and maintain a unit cost benchmark database covering key DC cost categories — from $/MW to equipment and trade breakdowns
• Contribute to precon planning on new sites, including order-of-magnitude estimates to support site selection and investment decisions

Benefits

• Competitive total compensation package (salary + equity).
• Retirement or pension plan, in line with local norms.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous PTO policy, in line with local norms.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees