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Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Data Center Construction

Turner & Townsend

Joilet, Illinois, IL · HybridJob$135–165K/yrSeen 6 days agoSeen in employer's feed 6 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$135–165K/yr
Location
Joilet, Illinois, ILHybrid
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Bachelor's degree

Job overview

Turner & Townsend seeks an experienced Senior Cost Manager and/or Quantity Surveyor to serve as the day-to-day client interface on a hyperscale data center construction project. The role delivers cost management services, provides leadership and direction, and works with the client, design team, and general contractor. It follows a hybrid schedule with onsite presence determined by project phase and client requirements.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

CommunicationCost ManagementConstruction Cost EstimatingCost PlanningQuantity SurveyingCost ControlsChange ManagementValue ManagementValue EngineeringProcurement RoutesCost Negotiation

Qualifications

Bachelor's in Construction or RelatedRICS Accreditation or Working Towards5+ Years Cost Management ExperienceConstruction Consultancy ExperienceData Center or Similar Project ExperienceMedium or Large Project Leadership

Full job description

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 programs as we turn challenge into opportunity and complexity into success.

Our capabilities include program, 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 program, project and cost management offering in markets around the world.

Job Description

Turner & Townsend are looking for an experienced Senior Cost Manager and/or Quantity Surveyor to act as the key, day to day client interface on a major, mission‑critical hyperscale data center construction project, ensuring that client objectives are met through the delivery of a value-added cost management service.

To be successful in this role you must have great communication skills and be comfortable operating in a client-facing role. The ideal candidate will be self-motivated, driven, and able to work independently as well as part of a team. In this significant position, you will be responsible for providing leadership and direction, embedding, and promoting the purpose, values, and vision of Turner & Townsend.

The project site is located approximately 25 miles southwest of Joliet, in Grundy County. This role offers a hybrid schedule, with an expected onsite presence frequency based on the project phase and client requirements.

Responsibilities:

  • Estimating and negotiating change orders throughout the construction lifecycle.

  • Provide estimate and cost planning to include producing and presenting the final cost plan.

  • Review and participate with the design services team and general contractor in the development of cost estimates.

  • Reconcile changes and assist the general contractor to ensure that their data is accurate.

  • Communicate or meet with the general contractor and owner of project manager to gather status information to prepare a cost estimate update.

  • Prepare written comments to the general contractor’s submissions, including the executive summary.

  • Coordinate all sources of cost information for cost discussions and suppliers direct from NPA, subs, quantities from A/Es.

  • Inform and drive engineering priorities based on cost impact.

  • Work proactively with minimal supervision to resolve scheduling issues.

  • Manage cost checks and carry out valuations on larger projects. Complete timely, accurate cost checking and valuation processes.

  • Participate effectively with post-contract cost variances and the change of control processes.

  • Manage Cost impact / contingency management and commitment tracking logs.

  • Prepare funding data presentations and coordinate VE sessions with stakeholders.

  • Developing cost plans and estimates through the design phase, delivering updated cost plans at appropriate design milestones.

  • Providing commercial input to design optioneering and input into value engineering exercises.

  • Reviewing contractor and subcontractor pricing and leading negotiations on behalf of the client to drive fair contract prices.

  • Performing quantity surveying, cost controls, and change management activities throughout the project lifecycle.

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

  • Ensuring that cost auditing and valuation work is managed effectively and that a robust process for cost validation is in place.

  • Carrying out the production of monthly cost reports for presentation to the client.

  • Ensuring that final accounts are negotiated and agreed upon in a timely manner.

  • Compiling built cost estimate records for benchmarking purposes.

  • Identify, coach and mentor talent to realize their potential and celebrate the success of others.

  • Display excellence in leadership and service delivery on commissions is in line with the conditions of appointment

  • Financial Management - Utilize internal software to track ongoing margin levels and monthly fee/resource forecasts for each commission and financial reports

  • Implement and maintain the use of internal Business Management Systems and company delivery methodologies and tools in the office to ensure consistent delivery of best practice for Clients and the company

  • Be a role model that drives a one business culture that achieves great outcomes by striking the right balance for our people, clients, stakeholders, and society.

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

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in construction management, cost management, quantity surveying, engineering or field related to construction.

  • RICS accredited or working towards it is advantageous.

  • Minimum 5-7 years of relevant experience working in a cost management role in the construction industry.

  • Construction consultancy experience is strongly desirable.

  • Prior experience supporting data center, mission-critical, industrial, or similar large-scale infrastructure projects is strongly preferred.

  • Experience of leading cost management on medium or large sized construction projects of medium to high complexity.

  • Good knowledge of construction industry technical matters, such as different procurement routes, value management, and value engineering.

  • Excellent communication skills.

Additional Information

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

The base salary range for this role is $135K-$165K USD. This range reflects the company's good faith estimate of the base salary for this position at the time of the posting. Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, skills, qualifications, and internal equity. In addition to base salary, employees may be eligible for bonuses and a comprehensive benefits package.

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 https://www.heery.com/

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

Join our social media conversations for more information about Turner & Townsend and our exciting future projects:

Twitter (https://twitter.com/turnertownsend)

Instagram

LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/turner-&-townsend/)

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.

How this job compares

Set against the 362 open Cost Manager jobs on Olive Jobs, counted October 29, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$135–165K/yr
  • US median$126–210K/yr211 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $150K, is 23% below the US median midpoint ($195K) — in the middle half of Cost Manager salary ranges across the US.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 13 open Cost Manager jobs in Illinois and 362 across the US. 1% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most across the US
Experience
This posting asks for at least 5 years of experience; Cost Manager postings that state a minimum ask for 8 years at the median (358 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 253 of the 362 open Cost Manager jobs (70%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on October 29, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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