Senior Cost Manager - Life Sciences

Company Description

Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over 22,000 people in more than 60 countries.

Working with our clients across real estate, infrastructure, energy and natural resources, we transform together delivering outcomes that improve people’s lives. Working in partnership makes it possible to deliver the world’s most impactful projects and programmes as we turn challenge into opportunity and complexity into success.

Our capabilities include programme, project, cost, asset and commercial management, controls and performance, procurement and supply chain, net zero and digital solutions.

We are majority-owned by CBRE Group, Inc., the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, with our partners holding a significant minority interest. Turner & Townsend and CBRE work together to provide clients with the premier programme, project and cost management offering in markets around the world.

Job Description

Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to support the successful delivery of complex capital construction projects within a dynamic research, laboratory, and innovation environment. Acting as a key day-to-day client interface, you will provide comprehensive cost management services throughout the project lifecycle, helping to ensure successful project outcomes from planning and design through construction and closeout.

To be successful in this role, you will possess strong communication and stakeholder management skills and be comfortable operating in a client-facing environment. The ideal candidate will be self-motivated, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple priorities while collaborating effectively with project teams, consultants, contractors, and client stakeholders. In this position, you will provide leadership, technical expertise, and commercial guidance while promoting the values and delivery excellence of Turner & Townsend.

Responsibilities:

• Develop cost plans, estimates, and budgets throughout project planning and design phases.

• Review design documentation and provide cost advice to support informed decision-making.

• Prepare and maintain project cost reports, cash flow forecasts, and budget tracking tools.

• Lead cost checking, valuation, and change management processes throughout the project lifecycle.

• Review contractor and subcontractor pricing, proposals, and change order requests.

• Perform estimate reconciliation and benchmark analysis to validate project costs.

• Support procurement activities through bid evaluations, commercial reviews, and recommendations.

• Participate in value engineering and cost optimization initiatives.

• Monitor project commitments, forecast final costs, and identify potential commercial risks.

• Coordinate with project teams, consultants, and contractors to ensure alignment between scope, schedule, and budget.

• Produce monthly cost reports and present findings to client stakeholders.

• Support cost auditing activities and maintain robust cost validation processes.

• Manage contingency tracking and cost risk management activities.

• Ensure post-contract cost variances and change control processes are effectively managed.

• Negotiate and agree final accounts in a timely manner.

• Maintain cost databases and benchmarking information to support future projects.

• Mentor junior team members and contribute to a collaborative team environment.

• Support financial management of commissions, including resource planning and forecasting.

• Maintain compliance with internal procedures, controls, and delivery methodologies.

• Participate in client meetings and act as a trusted advisor on commercial and cost management matters.

• SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Engineering, or a related construction field.

• Minimum 5-7 years of cost management, quantity surveying, or construction estimating experience.

• Experience supporting commercial, laboratory, research, pharmaceutical, healthcare, life sciences, higher education, or other technically complex construction projects.

• Experience managing project costs from design through construction closeout.

• Ability to prepare cost plans, estimates, cash flows, and cost reports independently.

• Experience reviewing contractor pricing, change orders, and commercial negotiations.

• Consultancy experience strongly preferred.

• Knowledge of construction procurement strategies, value engineering, and cost control methodologies.

• RICS accreditation or progress toward chartership preferred.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.

Additional Information

*On-site presence and requirements may change depending on our client's needs.

Our inspired people share our vision and mission. We provide a great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change.

We want our people to succeed both in work and life. To support this we promote a healthy, productive and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance.

Turner & Townsend is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

Please find out more about us at www.turnerandtownsend.com/ and www.heery.com/

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

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It is strictly against Turner & Townsend policy for candidates to pay any fee in relation to our recruitment process. No recruitment agency working with Turner & Townsend will ask candidates to pay a fee at any time.

Any unsolicited resumes/CVs submitted through our website or to Turner & Townsend personal e-mail accounts, are considered property of Turner & Townsend and are not subject to payment of agency fees. In order to be an authorised Recruitment Agency/Search Firm for Turner & Townsend, there must be a formal written agreement in place and the agency must be invited, by the Recruitment Team, to submit candidates for review.