Associate Director - Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Data Center Construction

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end cost management across all project phases, ensuring alignment with scope, budget, and schedule for hyperscale data center programs and other sectors.
• Develop and maintain detailed cost plans, estimates, and forecasts using industry benchmarks and technical documentation.
• Manage change control: review and negotiate change orders, track post-contract variances, and ensure robust commercial governance.
• Oversee contractor and subcontractor pricing reviews, scope validation, and procurement strategy development; advise on contracting and procurement approaches and support program-level capital planning.
• Cook up coordination with scheduling teams to integrate cost forecasts with project timelines and milestones.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for commercial status reporting; produce and present monthly cost reports, executive summaries, and financial updates to stakeholders.
• Take a lead role interfacing with clients, stakeholders, and consultants at all project stages; maintain excellent communication and build strong relationships with clients, vendors, and project teams.
• Drive cost risk analysis, scenario planning, and sensitivity testing; monitor market trends and provide insights on escalation, labor availability, and material pricing.
• Develop strategies for cost optimization and value engineering to enhance outcomes and reduce lifecycle costs.
• Set and track performance via KPIs and critical success factors; prepare and deliver presentations to senior leadership.
• Manage financial performance using internal systems to track margins, forecasts, and reporting; implement and maintain Business Management Systems (BMS) and company delivery methodologies to ensure best practice.
• Identify opportunities to improve cost management processes, templates, and tools; champion knowledge management by capturing lessons learned and key data.
• Provide strong leadership with a clear strategy and ambition for the team; mentor and develop junior staff, conduct performance reviews, and foster a high-performance, collaborative culture.
• Act as a brand ambassador; develop market understanding, build a pipeline of opportunities, and identify cross-selling and business generation opportunities.
• Participate in proposals/RFP responses and attend networking events to expand market presence and relationships.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field; graduate degree preferred.
• A minimum of 8–10+ years of experience in cost management or project controls within the construction industry, ideally on large-scale, mission-critical projects (e.g., data centers, high-tech, industrial).
• Proven experience in construction consultancy and client-facing delivery.
• Strong understanding of MEP systems, resilience requirements, and campus-scale infrastructure.
• Expertise in budgeting, financial reporting, cost control systems, Earned Value Management (EVM), and procurement strategies.
• Proficiency with industry-standard cost management tools and software (e.g., CostX, Oracle, Excel, Primavera).
• RICS accreditation or equivalent certification (or progress toward certification) highly desirable.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, highly organized, and able to manage multiple priorities under pressure.