Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Data Center Construction

Turner & Townsend • Richmond, VA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Manager to serve as the key day-to-day client interface and deliver cost management services across a large-scale data center program. The role emphasizes change management, cost control, and commercial governance, ensuring project changes are evaluated, managed, and communicated throughout the construction lifecycle in a fast-paced, high-volume program environment. The successful candidate will be self-motivated, detail-oriented, comfortable in a client-facing role, and experienced in handling complex change processes with multiple stakeholders. The position also provides leadership and direction while promoting Turner & Townsend’s purpose, values, and vision. Regular onsite presence is required, though onsite requirements may change with client needs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field.
• 5–7+ years of cost management or project controls experience on medium- to large-scale construction programs.
• Strong understanding of civil, structural, and MEP construction.
• Advanced knowledge of budgeting, financial reporting, cost-control systems, and Earned Value Management (EVM).
• Proven experience managing full change-management processes on major construction programs.
• Strong cost-focused project controls background, including forecasting and variance analysis.
• Ability to interpret schedules and assess cost impacts across phases and trades.
• Expertise in procurement strategy and commercial contract management.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Strong analytical abilities and attention to detail.
• Proficiency with industry-standard cost management tools and Microsoft Office.
• Regular onsite presence is required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in mission-critical, industrial, or large campus-scale projects is preferred.
• Consultancy experience is strongly preferred.
• RICS accreditation or progress toward certification is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead program change management, ensuring changes are identified, evaluated, documented, and approved.
• Review, evaluate, and negotiate change orders throughout construction, maintaining commercial alignment and cost transparency.
• Maintain change logs, contingency tracking, and commitment registers, making cost impacts visible.
• Establish and enforce change-control procedures and governance across multiple campus projects.
• Provide cost analysis and recommendations to support client decisions on change events.
• Support dispute avoidance and resolution through commercial oversight and change documentation.
• Provide cost planning and estimating, including producing and presenting final cost plans.
• Work with design teams and general contractors to develop and review cost estimates.
• Reconcile changes and validate contractor cost data for accuracy and completeness.
• Communicate with the general contractor and project team to gather updates and support cost reporting.
• Prepare written comments on contractor submissions, including executive summaries.
• Coordinate cost inputs from subcontractors, suppliers, and design teams.
• Help set construction priorities based on cost and change impacts.
• Proactively resolve cost, scope, and scheduling conflicts.
• Manage cost checks and valuations on complex projects.
• Lead post-contract cost variance analysis and ensure compliance with change-control processes.
• Prepare funding updates and support value engineering, particularly in response to change drivers.
• Develop cost plans through design and update them at key milestones.
• Review contractor pricing and support negotiations for fair, commercially sound outcomes.
• Ensure cost auditing, validation, and reporting processes are consistently applied.
• Produce monthly cost reports showing change activity, risks, and forecast impacts.
• Support final account closeout, ensuring changes are agreed and reconciled.
• Maintain cost benchmarking data and program records for forecasting and decision-making.
• Mentor team members and promote best practices in change management and cost control.
• Manage financial tracking, forecasting, and reporting for commissions.
• Support internal systems, governance processes, and company delivery methodologies.
• Adhere to applicable SOX control responsibilities.

Benefits

• The company promotes a healthy, productive, and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance.
• Employees have the opportunity and voice to affect change.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior