Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor – Commercial Real Estate Construction

Turner & Townsend•San Jose, CA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Manager and/or Quantity Surveyor to deliver cost management and quantity surveying services for commercial real estate and construction projects. This includes office spaces, workplaces, campus developments, renovations, tenant improvements, and supporting infrastructure programs. The role involves acting as a key stakeholder interface, managing cost planning, estimating, change management, value engineering, cost control, forecasting, valuations, final accounts, and commercial reporting throughout the project lifecycle. Success in this role requires strong communication skills, comfort in client-facing situations, self-motivation, independence, and teamwork. Leadership, commercial acumen, and a commitment to delivering excellent cost management solutions are essential.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Engineering, Cost Management, or a related construction discipline.
4+ years of experience in quantity surveying, cost management, commercial management, and construction project delivery.
MRICS in progress.
Experience leading cost management activities on medium to large-scale construction and infrastructure projects valued up to £27M.
Strong background in cost planning, estimating, forecasting, CVRs, valuations, procurement, subcontract management, change control, and final accounts.
Experience with NEC3/NEC4 contracts, commercial reporting, compensation events, and contract administration.
Sector experience includes water/wastewater, utilities, civil infrastructure, highways, industrial, warehouse, commercial, workplace, and campus development projects.
Proven ability to improve project margins, drive cost savings, and support value engineering initiatives.
Excellent communication, stakeholder management, negotiation, and client-facing skills.

Responsibilities

Estimating and negotiating change orders throughout the construction lifecycle.
Provide estimate and cost planning to include 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 or meet with contractors, project managers, and stakeholders to gather status information and prepare cost estimate updates.
Prepare written comments on contractor submissions, including executive summaries.
Coordinate all sources of cost information for cost discussions, including subcontractors, suppliers, quantities, and design team inputs.
Inform and drive engineering and design priorities based on cost impact.
Work proactively with minimal supervision to resolve project and scheduling issues.
Manage cost checks and carry out valuations on larger projects, ensuring timely and accurate cost validation.
Participate effectively in post-contract cost variance management and change control processes.
Manage cost impact assessments, contingency management, and commitment tracking logs.
Prepare funding data presentations and support value engineering sessions with project stakeholders.
Develop cost plans and estimates through design phases, delivering updated cost plans at key project milestones.
Provide commercial input to design optioneering and value engineering exercises.
Review contractor and subcontractor pricing and lead negotiations to achieve fair and competitive contract pricing.
Perform quantity surveying, cost controls, and change management activities throughout the project lifecycle.
Ensure post-contract cost variances and change control processes are managed effectively.
Support cost auditing, valuation reviews, and implementation of robust cost validation procedures.
Produce monthly cost reports for presentation to project stakeholders.
Negotiate and finalize project accounts in a timely manner.
Compile cost benchmarking data and maintain project cost records.
Identify, coach, and mentor talent to support team development and knowledge sharing.
Demonstrate leadership and excellence in service delivery consistent with organizational standards.
Track project financial performance, including margins, forecasts, and resource planning.
Implement and maintain best-practice cost management processes, methodologies, and reporting systems.
Promote collaboration, accountability, and a strong team culture across project stakeholders.
Adhere to SOX control responsibilities where applicable.