Project Director – Cost Management – Data Center Construction

About the Role

• Lead cost management across all data center program phases, ensuring governance, compliance, and alignment with standards. • Define and implement commercial strategy, cost frameworks, and reporting for multi‑billion‑dollar budgets, including budgeting, procurement, and risk mitigation. • Serve as senior point of contact for stakeholders, maintaining clear communication and transparency. • Oversee lifecycle cost activities such as quantity surveying, cost controls, change management, and contingency tracking across packages. • Deliver executive‑level cost performance reports, forecasts, and risk assessments to influence strategic decisions. • Drive value engineering and design optimisation to capture cost‑saving opportunities while preserving quality. • Mentor and develop senior cost management leaders, supporting succession planning and performance reviews. • Enhance internal cost‑management tools, templates, and processes for continuous improvement. • Manage financial performance, including margin tracking, fee/resource forecasts, and BMS compliance. • Support pre‑construction feasibility studies and early‑stage cost modelling for future phases. • Build strategic relationships with clients, contractors and vendors, acting as trusted advisor and identifying growth opportunities. • Ensure adherence to applicable SOX controls. • Confidentiality of applicant information is maintained according to EEO guidelines.

Key Responsibilities

• ▸cost management
• ▸budgeting
• ▸cost reporting
• ▸value engineering
• ▸cost modelling
• ▸tool enhancement

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering or related field; advanced degree preferred. • 12+ years of cost management or project controls experience with program‑level leadership. • Proven track record delivering large‑scale, mission‑critical construction programs such as hyperscale data centers. • Expertise in cost planning, budgeting, financial reporting and program‑level cost control systems. • Strong knowledge of procurement strategies, commercial management and construction contracts, including change and risk allocation. • RICS accreditation or equivalent professional certification strongly preferred. • Exceptional leadership, communication and negotiation skills with executive‑level influence. • Advanced analytical and problem‑solving abilities with meticulous attention to detail. • Proficiency with industry‑standard cost‑management software tools. • Familiarity with MEP systems and complex building services beneficial. • Ability to manage multiple phases and packages concurrently in a fast‑paced environment. • Experience with value engineering and design optimisation techniques. • Knowledge of energy infrastructure, carbon capture technologies and sustainability considerations a plus.

Requirements

• ▸rics
• ▸bachelor's
• ▸cost software
• ▸procurement
• ▸mep
• ▸leadership

Benefits

Turner & Townsend promotes a healthy, productive and flexible work environment that respects work‑life balance, and it is committed to diversity, inclusion and equal employment opportunity. The firm does not charge candidates any recruitment fees and maintains confidentiality of applicant information in line with EEO guidelines. • Turner & Townsend offers a healthy, productive and flexible work environment promoting work‑life balance. • Candidates are not required to pay any recruitment fees; agencies must have formal agreements.

Work Environment

Onsite