Associate Director - Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Construction Management

Job Description

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 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.

Turner & Townsend is seeking a highly experienced Associate Director to join our San Francisco Bay Area Cost Management team. In this leadership role, you’ll guide the commercial delivery of complex construction projects for high-profile clients, while mentoring team members and driving strategic outcomes across all phases of the project lifecycle. The ideal candidate brings deep regional insight, strong professional relationships, and a well-rounded background in both pre- and post-contract cost management.

• Serve as the senior commercial lead across multiple projects, ensuring accurate and timely cost reporting at both project and portfolio levels.
• Oversee change management processes, including negotiation and resolution of change orders throughout the project lifecycle.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with general contractors, client representatives, and external stakeholders to ensure alignment and smooth execution.
• Conduct forensic cost reviews and valuations on high-value, time-sensitive projects.
• Extract and analyze data from multiple sources to support strategic decision-making and portfolio-level insights.
• Lead contingency tracking, cost impact analysis, and commitment management.
• Prepare funding data and facilitate value engineering sessions with senior stakeholders.
• Provide estimating support during design development, including quantity take-offs, cost benchmarking, and pricing validation.
• Review contractor and subcontractor pricing, lead negotiations, and prepare bid comparisons and funding recommendations.
• Oversee forecasting, cash flow reporting, and commercial risk management.
• Drive continuous improvement of cost management processes and procedures.
• Manage cost auditing, validation, and monthly reporting across multiple projects.
• Negotiate and finalize accounts to ensure maximum client value.
• Support project close-out and compile as-built cost data for benchmarking.
• Mentor and support junior team members, contributing to talent development and team growth.
• SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable.

• Must be available to work from our San Francisco office at least three days per week.
• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Extensive experience in cost management across all phases of construction from early estimating through close-out on large-scale, or complex projects.
• Strong background in cost planning, budgeting, and financial control, with the ability to lead commercial strategy and execution.
• Skilled in reviewing and validating contractor estimates, bids, and change orders.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and stakeholders in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with various procurement strategies and contract types.
• Familiarity with sectors such as commercial, data centers, high-tech manufacturing, or mission-critical environments.
• Strong understanding of local market dynamics, with established contacts and experience navigating regional construction practices.
• RICS accreditation (or working toward it) is a plus.
• Proficient in cost management tools and Excel-based reporting.
• Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.

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

The salary range for this full-time role is $150K-$185K per year. Ranges are determined by role and level and represent a good faith effort to provide a fair and equitable salary. This range is a reflection of base salary only, not of a total compensation package.  Please note Turner & Townsend reserves the right to pay more or less than the posted range, depending on candidate’s experience and qualifications.

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 

Turner & Townsend does not accept any speculative or unsolicited CV’s that have been sent to our internal recruitment team or hiring managers from agencies outside of our preferred supplier list or that have not followed due process. Any speculative or unsolicited CV’s will be treated as a direct application.

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.