Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor – Data Center Construction

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary client-facing cost lead, ensuring objectives are met and service excellence is delivered.
• Present cost updates, commercial positions, and recommendations at senior and executive levels.
• Mentor and support junior team members, fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture.
• Develop and maintain detailed cost plans and estimates during planning, design, and delivery phases.
• Produce and present monthly cost reports, executive summaries, and budget updates.
• Integrate cost, schedule, and scope to ensure holistic program control and predictability.
• Lead procurement strategy development, contractor/subcontractor pricing reviews, scope validation, and commercial negotiations.
• Manage and reconcile change orders, claims, post-contract variations, and final accounts.
• Ensure compliance with commercial governance, internal controls, and cost assurance processes.
• Drive value engineering and cost optimization strategies across multiple stages of design.
• Support cost risk analysis, scenario planning, contingency management, and commitment tracking.
• Monitor and communicate market trends, escalation, labor availability, and material pricing impacts.
• Ensure adherence to Turner & Townsend delivery methodologies and Business Management Systems.
• Support benchmarking efforts by compiling cost data and maintaining built-cost records.
• Support implementation of Earned Value Management (EVM) where applicable.

Qualifications

• Able to work onsite in Grundy County 2–3 times per week, depending on project phase and client requirements (site ~25 miles south of Naperville).
• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or a related field.
• Data Center construction experience is required. 5–7+ years of cost management or project controls experience within mission-critical, high-tech, industrial, or large-scale capital projects.
• Strong preference for experience within a construction consultancy environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in estimating, budgeting, financial reporting, and cost control systems.
• Strong understanding of MEP systems and campus-scale infrastructure typical of hyperscale data centers.
• Expertise in procurement strategies and commercial management of contractor/vendor contracts.
• RICS accreditation (or progress toward accreditation) is advantageous.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with meticulous attention to detail.
• Proficiency in industry-standard cost management and project controls software.