Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor – Construction Management

Turner & Townsend • San Francisco, CA

6h • $130,000 - $160,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Manager or Quantity Surveyor to join our San Francisco Bay Area team. In this hybrid role, you’ll help lead the commercial delivery of high-impact construction projects for well-known clients, providing strategic cost guidance from early design through close-out. You’ll work closely with a collaborative team that values local insight, strong relationships, and a hands-on approach to solving complex project challenges.

Requirements

• Must be available to work from our San Francisco office at least three days per week.
• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Proven experience in cost management across all phases of construction from pre-construction estimating through project close-out.
• Strong background in cost planning, budgeting, and financial control on large-scale or complex projects.
• Skilled in reviewing and validating contractor estimates, bids, and change orders.
• Experience with various procurement strategies and contract types.
• Familiarity with sectors such as commercial, data centers, high-tech manufacturing, or mission-critical environments.
• Ability to build strong relationships with local stakeholders and navigate regional construction practices.
• Proficient in cost management tools and Excel-based reporting.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.

Nice To Haves

• RICS accreditation (or working toward it) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Estimating and negotiating change orders throughout the construction lifecycle.
• Provide cost planning and estimating, including producing and presenting the final cost plan.
• Review and participate with the design services team and general contractor in the development of cost estimates.
• Reconcile changes and assist the general contractor to ensure that their data is accurate.
• Communicate and meet with the general contractor and client project team to gather status information and prepare cost estimate updates.
• Prepare written comments on contractor submissions, including executive summaries.
• Coordinate all sources of cost information, including subcontractors, suppliers, and design teams.
• Inform and help drive engineering and construction priorities based on cost impact.
• Work proactively with minimal supervision to resolve cost and scheduling challenges in phased and fast-track environments.
• Manage cost checks and carry out valuations on large, complex projects delivered within active facilities. Complete timely and accurate cost checking and valuation processes.
• Participate effectively in post-contract cost variance and change control processes.
• Manage cost impacts, including contingency tracking and commitment tracking logs across multiple project phases.
• Prepare funding data presentations and coordinate value engineering sessions with stakeholders.
• Develop cost plans and estimates through the design phase, delivering updates at key project milestones.
• Provide commercial input into design optioneering and value engineering exercises.
• Review contractor and subcontractor pricing and lead negotiations to ensure commercially sound outcomes.
• Perform quantity surveying, cost control, and change management activities throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ensure cost auditing, validation, and reporting processes are robust and consistently applied.
• Produce monthly cost reports for client presentation.
• Ensure final accounts are negotiated and agreed upon in a timely manner.
• Compile built cost data and maintain benchmarking records for future project use.
• Identify, coach, and mentor team members to support development and performance.
• Demonstrate excellence in leadership and service delivery aligned with project and client expectations.
• Manage financial performance using internal systems for margin tracking, fee forecasts, and reporting.
• Implement and maintain Business Management Systems and delivery methodologies to ensure consistent best practices.
• Act as a role model fostering a collaborative, high-performing team environment.
• SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable.

Benefits

• We provide a great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change.
• We want our people to succeed both in work and life. To support this, we promote a healthy, productive and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance.

What This Job Offers

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