Turner & Townsend is seeking an experienced Pre-Lease Senior Cost Manager to provide an independent cost view on data center deals from intake to lease execution. The role validates budgets, challenges developer numbers with a prepared view, reviews Cost Reimbursement Agreement (CRA) exhibits and expenses where applicable, and hands a clear cost position to delivery at lease. Our client makes the calls; the Pre-Lease Cost Manager makes sure they are informed calls.
Responsibilities:
Intake to letter of intent (LOI) and CRA
- Produce a high-level dollars per megawatt ($/MW) budget and rough order of magnitude (ROM) before the developer’s numbers arrive, and use it as the first test of every developer number.
- Join every deal call with notes; bring the context behind each cost review to the Pre-Lease Senior Program Manager.
- Set up the CRA exhibit where applicable, validate it, and pre-approve Expense Item Requests (EIRs); review every CRA and EIR claim against backup before spend is charged, within three business days.
- Review the developer’s preliminary budget and scope split (owner-furnished vs lease scope) on each iteration, and run two to three budget challenge rounds or workshops with the developer’s cost team.
- Issue the cost narrative (caps, cash flow, termination exposure) and contribute cost grades and entries to the Risk Exposure Log within 24 hours.
Lease execution and handover
- Bound the build cost and confirm the cost position at lease: budget, CRA position and open items, handed to Delivery and carried into the owner’s cost report after lease.
- Review the general contractor (GC) procurement and delivery model as the design matures; flag ROM-to-guaranteed maximum price (GMP) drift early and maintain a cash-flow look-ahead.
- Build the portfolio cost forecast model inputs and, with the delivery team, hand over cost position and open items at the handover meeting.
Reporting and benchmarking
- Report weekly CRA status and provide an auditable backup pack to our client’s finance team on request.
- Tag every deal to the work breakdown structure (WBS) Level 3 benchmark and $/critical MW entry; own global cost benchmarking across the portfolio.
- Maintain program-wide cost templates and the one-record standard; perform quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) and cover a colleague’s deals.
- Cover about six pre-lease deals (about 5.5 at full weight) alongside the Pre-Lease Senior Program Managers.
- Review the CRA exhibit, not the language: cost, scope and exposure only.
- Operate within the pre-lease scope boundary: coordinate, validate and synthesize, with our client making the calls. Do not negotiate LOI, CRA or lease terms, review legal language, give legal or commercial advice, or make deal decisions.
- SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable.
Project/Program specifications:
- Project/Program specific responsibilities: Pre-lease cost management for data center deals: ROM and $/MW budget, CRA and EIR review, developer budget review, benchmarking, cost position at lease and weekly CRA status.
- Market sector experience: Data center and mission-critical construction cost management; owner-side or consultancy.
- Software specific requirements: Excel (advanced), Power BI or equivalent, cost management and forecasting tools; developer budget and cost-report formats.
- Certification requirements: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering (AACE) or equivalent preferred.
- Deal load: about six pre-lease deals, shared with one Pre-Lease Schedule Manager across a pair of Pre-Lease Senior Program Managers.
- Work location: Regional hub (Northern Virginia, Dallas, San Francisco or Canada) with visits to developer sites as needed.
- Bachelor’s degree in construction management, cost management, quantity surveying, engineering or field related to construction.
- Minimum 5-7 years of relevant experience working in a cost management role in the construction industry.
- RICS accredited or working towards it is preferred.
- Experience of leading cost management on medium or large sized construction projects of medium to high complexity.
- Construction consultancy experience is strongly preferred.
- Good knowledge of construction industry technical matters, such as different procurement routes, value management, and value engineering.
- Excellent communication skills.
*On-site presence and requirements may change depending on our client's needs.
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