Senior Cost Manager - Industrial & Manufacturing Construction

Turner & Townsend • Chesapeake, VA

4h • Onsite

About The Position

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to serve as the primary client contact, delivering a high-value cost management service for a major industrial construction program. This program includes advanced manufacturing facilities and related infrastructure. The role requires strong communication skills, comfort in client-facing situations, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively while demonstrating leadership aligned with company values. The ideal candidate is self-motivated and driven.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, cost management, quantity surveying, engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 5–7 years of experience in cost management, quantity surveying, or project controls within the construction industry.
• Experience delivering cost management on large, complex industrial or infrastructure projects.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to operate in a client-facing role.

Nice To Haves

• Consultancy experience preferred.
• Knowledge of procurement strategies, value engineering, and cost control methodologies.
• RICS accreditation or working towards certification is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Estimating and negotiating change orders for a complex, multi-package construction program.
• Providing estimate and cost planning, including producing and presenting final cost plans for large industrial facilities.
• Reviewing and collaborating with design teams and general contractors to develop and validate cost estimates.
• Reconciling design and scope changes and ensuring contractor data accuracy across multiple workstreams.
• Engaging with contractors and project stakeholders to gather progress updates and maintain accurate cost forecasts.
• Preparing written commentary and executive summaries on contractor submissions and monthly reporting deliverables.
• Coordinating all sources of cost data, including contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and design teams.
• Informing and driving engineering and design decisions based on real-time cost impacts.
• Proactively resolving scheduling and commercial challenges on large-scale construction works.
• Managing cost checks, valuations, and financial controls across major industrial and infrastructure components.
• Supporting post-contract cost variance management and formal change control processes.
• Overseeing cost impact assessments, contingency management, and commitment tracking logs.
• Preparing funding reports and participating in value engineering (VE) sessions.
• Developing and maintaining cost plans through design milestones, ensuring alignment with project budgets.
• Providing commercial input to design development and value engineering exercises.
• Reviewing contractor pricing and leading negotiations to ensure fair and market-aligned contract values.
• Performing quantity surveying, cost control, and change management throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ensuring cost auditing, validation processes, and financial governance are effectively implemented.
• Producing and presenting monthly cost reports to stakeholders.
• Ensuring final accounts are negotiated and closed out in a timely manner.
• Compiling benchmark cost data from major industrial construction projects.
• Supporting team development through mentoring and collaboration.
• Demonstrating leadership excellence in service delivery aligned with company standards.
• Managing financial performance using internal systems, including margin tracking and forecasting.
• Implementing business systems and methodologies to ensure consistent best practices.
• Promoting a collaborative, high-performance culture across teams and stakeholders.
• Adhering to SOX control responsibilities where applicable.

Benefits

• A great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change.
• Support for people to succeed both in work and life.
• Promotion of a healthy, productive and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance.
• Equal opportunity employer.
• Celebration of diversity and commitment to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
• Encouragement of applications from all sectors of the community.

What This Job Offers

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