Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor – Data Center Construction

Turner & Townsend • Chicago, IL

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to support a large-scale, multi-phase hyperscale data center program near St. Louis, Missouri. The role serves as a key day-to-day client interface and leads the delivery of cost management services across a complex development. It drives cost planning, procurement strategy, change management, and commercial governance, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and rigor across workstreams and packages.

The successful candidate will be a confident, client-facing professional with strong communication skills and a proactive approach, able to work independently and collaboratively within a high-performing project team. The position requires onsite work three days per week in the St. Louis area; onsite requirements may change according to client needs. The role may also include applicable SOX control responsibilities.

Requirements

• Ability to work onsite three days per week in the St. Louis, Missouri area.
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 6–7 years of cost management or project controls experience, including leading cost deliverables on medium-to-large, complex projects.
• Knowledge of procurement, commercial management, contracts, change, and risk.
• Demonstrated expertise in estimating, cost planning, budgeting, reporting, and cost control systems.
• Excellent client-facing communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills and high attention to detail.
• Proficiency with industry-standard cost tools.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree.
• Data center, mission-critical, or industrial project experience.
• Consultancy experience.
• RICS accreditation or progress toward it.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the key day-to-day client interface and ensure client objectives are met through cost management.
• Lead delivery of assigned phases and packages, coordinating with designers, the GC/CM, and trade partners.
• Prepare and present written and verbal updates, executive summaries, and recommendations.
• Develop estimates and cost plans throughout design and present updates at each design milestone.
• Review and reconcile estimates with the GC/CM and design team, validating quantities and alignment with scope.
• Provide commercial input to design optioneering and value engineering, and inform engineering priorities based on cost and constructability.
• Support procurement strategy and contract administration, including review of contractor and subcontractor pricing.
• Lead or assist price negotiations to achieve fair and competitive contract values.
• Provide independent cost and market inputs using internal benchmarks and supplier intelligence.
• Manage change orders end-to-end, including evaluation, negotiation, and tracking through approval.
• Maintain commitment tracking, contingency management, trend analysis, and risk registers.
• Ensure cost validation, auditing, and change-control processes are robust throughout delivery.
• Produce monthly cost reports, forecasts, cash flows, and variance analyses in a timely manner.
• Coordinate funding data, develop executive-level summaries, and facilitate value engineering and risk sessions.
• Implement and maintain Turner & Townsend Business Management Systems and delivery tools, and comply with SOX controls where applicable.
• Mentor and coach junior team members and model Turner & Townsend's purpose, values, and service excellence.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of internal tools, templates, benchmarks, and best practices.
• Support account growth and cross-selling through strong stakeholder relationships.

Benefits

• A healthy, productive, and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance.
• An inclusive workplace where employees have the opportunity and voice to affect change.

What This Job Offers

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