Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor – Data Center Construction

Turner & Townsend • Charlotte, NC

4h • Onsite

About The Position

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Manager to serve as the primary day-to-day client contact, providing cost management services for a large-scale data center program in York County, NC. This role emphasizes change management, cost control, and commercial governance, ensuring effective evaluation, management, and communication of project changes throughout the construction lifecycle in a dynamic, high-volume program environment. The ideal candidate will possess strong communication skills, be comfortable in a client-facing capacity, and be self-motivated, detail-oriented, with experience managing complex change processes involving multiple stakeholders. This position involves providing leadership and direction, reinforcing Turner & Townsend's purpose, values, and vision.

Requirements

• Regular onsite presence is required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Engineering, or related field.
• 5–7+ years of cost management or project controls experience on medium‑ to large‑scale construction programs.
• Mission‑critical, industrial, or large campus‑scale experience preferred.
• Consultancy experience strongly preferred.
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• RICS accreditation (or progress toward certification) is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage change management processes across the program, ensuring all changes are properly identified, evaluated, documented, and approved.
• Review, evaluate, and negotiate change orders throughout the construction lifecycle, ensuring commercial alignment and cost transparency.
• Maintain and manage change logs, contingency tracking, and commitment registers, providing clear visibility into cost impacts.
• Establish and enforce change control procedures and governance frameworks across multiple projects within the campus.
• Provide detailed cost analysis and recommendations to support client decision-making on change events.
• Support dispute avoidance and resolution through strong commercial oversight and documentation of changes.
• 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 to ensure 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.
• Inform and help drive construction priorities based on cost and change impact.
• Work proactively to resolve cost, scope, and scheduling conflicts.
• Manage cost checks and carry out valuations on complex projects.
• Lead post-contract cost variance analysis and ensure adherence to change control processes.
• Prepare funding updates and support value engineering sessions, particularly in response to change drivers.
• Develop cost plans through design and provide updates at key milestones.
• Review contractor pricing and support negotiations to ensure fair and commercially sound outcomes.
• Ensure cost auditing, validation, and reporting processes are consistently applied.
• Produce monthly cost reports with clear visibility into change activity, risks, and forecast impacts.
• Support final account closeout, ensuring all changes are fully agreed and reconciled.
• Maintain cost benchmarking data and program records to support future 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.
• SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable.

Benefits

• A great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change.
• Support for work-life balance through a healthy, productive, and flexible working environment.

What This Job Offers

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