Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Commercial Real Estate

Turner & Townsend•San Francisco, CA

8h•$130,000 - $160,000

About The Position

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to lead cost management services across commercial real estate construction projects. The role serves as a key day-to-day client interface, helping achieve project objectives through cost planning, commercial management, cost control, procurement support, and financial oversight throughout the project lifecycle. The role covers complex commercial real estate developments, including corporate workplace, office, mixed-use, retail, hospitality, tenant improvement, and redevelopment projects. The successful candidate will provide leadership, manage stakeholders, guide project teams, influence decision-makers, manage multiple priorities independently, and mentor junior team members while upholding Turner & Townsend’s purpose, values, and commitment to service excellence.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in construction management, cost management, quantity surveying, engineering, or a construction-related field.
Minimum 5–7 years of relevant experience in a cost management role in the construction industry.
Experience leading cost management on medium- or large-sized construction projects of medium to high complexity.
Good knowledge of construction industry technical matters, including procurement routes, value management, and value engineering.
Excellent communication skills.

Nice To Haves

RICS-accredited or working toward RICS accreditation.
Construction consultancy experience.

Responsibilities

Estimate and negotiate change orders throughout the construction lifecycle.
Provide estimates and cost planning, including producing and presenting the final cost plan.
Review and participate with the design services team and general contractor in developing cost estimates.
Reconcile changes and assist the general contractor in ensuring the accuracy of its data.
Communicate or meet with the general contractor and project owner or manager to gather status information for cost estimate updates.
Prepare written comments on general contractor submissions, including the executive summary.
Coordinate cost information from sources including NPA, subcontractors, and quantities from architects and engineers.
Inform and drive engineering priorities based on cost impact.
Proactively resolve scheduling issues with minimal supervision.
Manage cost checks and valuations on larger projects, completing them accurately and on time.
Manage post-contract cost variances and change-control processes.
Manage cost impact, contingency, and commitment-tracking logs.
Prepare funding data presentations and coordinate value engineering sessions with stakeholders.
Develop cost plans and estimates through the design phase and deliver updated plans at appropriate design milestones.
Provide commercial input to design optioneering and value engineering exercises.
Review contractor and subcontractor pricing and lead client-side negotiations to achieve fair contract prices.
Perform quantity surveying, cost controls, and change management throughout the project lifecycle.
Ensure cost auditing and valuation work is managed effectively and that robust cost validation processes are in place.
Produce monthly cost reports for presentation to the client.
Negotiate and agree final accounts in a timely manner.
Compile built-cost estimate records for benchmarking.
Identify, coach, and mentor talent, and celebrate the success of others.
Provide leadership and service delivery on commissions in line with the conditions of appointment.
Use internal software to track commission margins and monthly fee and resource forecasts, and prepare financial reports.
Implement and maintain internal Business Management Systems, delivery methodologies, and tools to support consistent best-practice delivery.
Promote a one-business culture and balance the needs of people, clients, stakeholders, and society.
Adhere to applicable SOX control responsibilities.