Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor – Life Sciences Construction

Responsibilities

• Estimating and negotiating change orders throughout the construction lifecycle.
• Provide estimate and cost planning, including producing and presenting final cost plans.
• Review and participate with the design team and general contractor in the development of cost estimates.
• Reconcile changes and assist the general contractor to ensure cost data accuracy.
• Communicate with the general contractor and client project team to gather status information for cost updates.
• Prepare written comments on contractor submissions, including executive summaries.
• Cover all sources of cost information including suppliers, subcontractors, and design teams.
• Inform and help drive engineering priorities based on cost impact.
• Work proactively with minimal supervision to resolve cost and scheduling issues.
• Manage cost checks and carry out valuations on large, complex projects.
• Coordinate all sources of cost information including suppliers, subcontractors, and design teams.
• Participate in post-contract cost variance and change control processes.
• Manage cost impact, contingency tracking, and commitment logs.
• Prepare funding data presentations and coordinate value engineering sessions with key stakeholders.
• Develop cost plans and estimates through the design phase at appropriate milestones.
• Provide commercial input into design optioneering and value engineering exercises.
• Review contractor and subcontractor pricing and lead negotiations on behalf of the client.
• Perform quantity surveying, cost controls, and change management activities throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ensure cost auditing, validation, and reporting processes are robust and accurate.
• Produce monthly cost reports for client presentation.
• Ensure final accounts are negotiated and agreed upon in a timely manner.
• Compile cost benchmarking data and maintain historical cost records.
• Mentor and support team members while contributing to a high-performance team environment.
• Support financial management activities, including fee forecasting and reporting.
• Ensure consistent implementation of internal systems, methodologies, and best practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Cost Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 5–7 years of relevant experience in a cost management role within the construction industry.
• Proven experience supporting medium to large-scale, complex construction projects (life sciences, manufacturing, or similar environments preferred).
• Strong knowledge of construction industry technical practices, including procurement routes, value management, and value engineering.
• Experience with cost planning, change management, and contract administration.
• Construction consultancy experience strongly preferred.
• Excellent communication and client-facing skills.
• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders in a dynamic project environment.
• RICS accredited or actively working toward accreditation preferred.