Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Data Center Construction
About The Position
Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Manager to serve as the key day-to-day client interface for cost management on a large-scale data center program in Jefferson, approximately 40 miles from Indianapolis. The role focuses on change management, cost control, and commercial governance, ensuring project changes are evaluated, managed, documented, approved, and communicated throughout construction in a fast-paced, high-volume program environment. The successful candidate will be self-motivated, detail-oriented, comfortable in a client-facing role, and skilled at managing complex change processes involving multiple stakeholders. The position also provides leadership and direction in support of Turner & Townsend’s purpose, values, and vision. The role covers cost planning, estimating, reporting, forecasting, valuations, commercial oversight, change control, and final account closeout across complex construction projects. The Senior Cost Manager will work with clients, general contractors, designers, subcontractors, suppliers, and project teams, while supporting governance, internal delivery methodologies, and applicable SOX controls. On-site presence and requirements may change depending on client needs.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Cost Management, Engineering, or a related field.
- Minimum 5–7 years of cost management experience in the construction industry.
- Demonstrated experience with change management, change order negotiation, and cost control on complex projects.
- Experience leading cost management on medium-to-large construction projects of moderate-to-high complexity.
- Strong knowledge of commercial management, procurement routes, and value engineering practices.
- Proven ability to manage high volumes of change in fast-paced project environments.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to work in a client-facing role and manage complex change processes across multiple stakeholders.
Nice To Haves
- Experience working on data center, industrial, or large campus-style developments.
- Construction consultancy experience.
Responsibilities
- Lead and manage program change processes, 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, and provide visibility into cost impacts.
- Establish and enforce change control procedures and governance frameworks 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.
- Review and participate with the design team and general contractor in developing 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 drive construction priorities based on cost and change impacts.
- Proactively resolve cost, scope, and scheduling conflicts.
- Manage cost checks and carry out valuations on complex projects.
- Lead post-contract cost variance analysis and ensure compliance with change control processes.
- Prepare funding updates and support value engineering sessions, particularly in response to change drivers.
- Develop cost plans through design and update them at key milestones.
- Review contractor pricing and support negotiations to achieve 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 and ensure 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
- Flexible working environment that respects work-life balance.
- Equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and an inclusive environment.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
