Cost Engineer - Life Sciences Construction

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 is seeking a Cost Engineer to join our growing Life Sciences team. This role plays a key part in providing robust cost management support across complex construction programs, with a particular focus on cost controls, payment application review, forecasting, change management, and commercial assurance throughout the project lifecycle. The successful candidate will support the delivery of large-scale, highly regulated construction projects within the Life Sciences sector, including pharmaceutical, biotechnology, laboratory, manufacturing, and research facilities. The role will work closely with project management, procurement, contract management, and commercial teams to ensure effective financial performance, reporting, and cost governance throughout all phases of project delivery.

Responsibilities:

• Support the review, validation, and audit of GMP payment applications from general contractors and subcontractors.
• Assist in the development and maintenance of detailed project budgets covering labor, materials, equipment, and services.
• Perform detailed cost analysis, forecasting, earned value assessment, and variance analysis to support proactive cost control and risk management.
• Support the review and validation of change orders, potential change notices (PCNs), and claims, ensuring alignment with contract requirements and project budgets.
• Review and validate contractor and consultant cost estimates, bid submissions, and budget updates for accuracy, completeness, and commercial reasonableness.
• Identify potential commercial and financial risks and support mitigation strategies.
• Prepare cost reports, dashboards, forecasts, and progress updates for internal teams and clients.
• Collaborate with project management, procurement, and contract management teams to provide cost planning and cost control support.
• Assist in identifying cost efficiencies, value engineering opportunities, and cost-saving initiatives throughout project execution.
• Support the management of third-party quantity surveyors and validation of construction cost estimates.
• Maintain historical cost data, benchmarking information, and lessons learned to support future project planning and estimating efforts.
• Support monthly cost reporting, forecasting activities, and performance metric tracking.
• SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 3 years' experience in cost engineering, quantity surveying, project controls, or cost management on large-scale construction projects.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Finance, Economics, or a related discipline.
• Experience supporting GMP, reimbursable, target cost, or lump sum contracts, including payment application review, cost reconciliation, and change management.
• Experience supporting large-scale commercial, industrial, mission-critical, semiconductor, life sciences, or data center construction projects preferred.
• Working knowledge of cost reporting, forecasting, budgeting, change management, and commercial governance processes.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience with cost management, project controls, ERP, or reporting platforms.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills, with confidence working in a client-facing, multi-disciplinary team environment.
• Ability to review, analyze, and communicate complex cost information clearly and effectively to a variety of stakeholders.
• Professional certifications such as CCP, CEP, PQS, MRICS, or equivalent are advantageous but not required.
• Experience working on fast-paced, highly technical construction programs.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic project environment.
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to build effective working relationships across project teams and stakeholders.

Additional Information

*On-site presence and requirements may change depending on our client's needs. The base salary range for this role is $90K-$110K 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.

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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.