Senior Cost Manager

About the Role

As Senior Cost Manager, you'll play a key role in cost management across a growing data center portfolio - supporting budgeting and estimating through construction and final account. You'll work closely with project managers, A/E design teams, GCs, and other delivery leads to keep projects on-budget and every decision grounded in credible numbers.

• Support cost planning across project phases - from concept and pre-design through construction documents and GMP negotiation
• Develop detailed estimates for civil, structural, MEP, HV/LV power, cooling, fuel systems, and shell construction
• Maintain real-time cost forecasts across active projects; track actuals vs. budget and surface variances early
• Review change orders: assess scope validity, commercial accuracy, and contract entitlement ahead of approval recommendations
• Prepare executive-level cost reports - clear, scannable, exception-based
• Manage contingency tracking and cost risk registers across project phases
• Support value engineering exercises with design and construction teams to optimize cost without compromising scope or schedule
• Support GC and subcontractor procurement: bid leveling, scope gap analysis, and contract negotiation input
• Contribute to contract structure and commercial risk discussions across delivery models
• Help maintain a unit cost benchmark database covering key DC cost categories - from $/MW to equipment and trade breakdowns
• Contribute to precon planning on new sites, including order-of-magnitude estimates to support site selection and investment decisions

Qualifications

• Experience in cost management, quantity surveying, or construction estimating
• Hands-on experience on data center or mission-critical construction - hyperscale, colo, or large-scale build-to-suit
• Owner-side experience preferred; GC or QS consulting backgrounds considered if DC domain knowledge is strong
• Solid understanding of the DC cost stack: civil, structural, MEP, HV/LV power, cooling (CRAC/CRAH, DLC, immersion), emergency power, and IT fit-out
• Understands how design decisions - power density, redundancy tier, cooling strategy - translate to capital cost
• Comfortable benchmarking at $/MW, $/SF, and $/kW; understands what drives variation between projects
• Strong change order discipline: can assess pricing validity, identify scope gaps, and document entitlement
• Familiar with GMP, lump sum, and cost-plus contract structures
• Proficient with cost management tooling (Procore, Sage, or equivalent)
• Degree in construction management, quantity surveying, engineering, or related field
• Comfortable operating with urgency in a fast-moving delivery program

Benefits

• Competitive total compensation package
• Retirement or pension plan, in line with local norms
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Generous PTO policy, in line with local norms