Associate Director - Cost Engineering - Energy & Natural Resources

Associate Director - Cost Engineering - Energy & Natural Resources

• Full-time
• Department: Energy and natural resources

At Turner & Townsend, our award-winning Controls & Performance Team are focused on driving innovation, enhancing our client’s integrated controls capability, improving performance, and delivering better programme outcomes. We have a growing national team of Controls & Performance professionals. The breadth and scale of our team provides great opportunities to reach back and draw upon a vast pool of experience and expertise to enhance your knowledge and career. Our strong capability, discipline communities and varied client base provides a great opportunity to drive your career, supported by our career pathways.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Cost Engineering Director to join our growing Energy & Natural Resources team. This is a leadership role focused on the delivery of high-quality cost engineering and cost management services across some of the UK's most complex and high-profile capital programmes and portfolios.

Key Responsibilities

Working with our clients and delivery partners, you will lead the development and implementation of best-practice cost engineering solutions across projects, programmes and portfolios. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality cost engineering, estimating, forecasting and cost management services across major capital programmes.
• Developing and implementing cost management strategies, procedures and governance frameworks that support successful project delivery and investment assurance.
• Establishing, maintaining and assuring Cost Breakdown Structures (CBS), control budgets, cost baselines and performance measurement frameworks.
• Leading the preparation, review and assurance of estimates throughout the project lifecycle, including benchmark assessments, challenge sessions and independent reviews.
• Driving robust cost forecasting, trend management, change control and earned value management processes to provide accurate and reliable performance reporting.
• Providing strategic cost and commercial insight to clients, identifying risks, opportunities and emerging trends to support effective decision‑making.
• Ensuring alignment and integration between cost, schedule, risk, scope and commercial management functions.
• Leading the development and implementation of cost assurance, governance and reporting processes to support executive and investment decision‑making.
• Advising clients on industry best practice, digital cost management solutions and innovative approaches to cost engineering and project controls.
• Collaborating with project, commercial and supply chain teams to establish cost management requirements across delivery contracts and supplier organisations.
• Supporting business case development, investment appraisals and portfolio-level cost performance analysis.
• Driving continuous improvement in cost engineering methodologies, tools, systems and data analytics capabilities.
• Providing leadership, coaching and mentoring to cost engineering professionals, supporting capability development across the wider team.
• Assuring the quality, accuracy and integrity of all cost engineering deliverables and client outputs.
• Undertaking line management responsibilities, including performance management, career development and succession planning.
• Supporting business development activities, client relationship management and the growth of Turner & Townsend's Cost Engineering capability within the Energy & Natural Resources sector.

Skills and Behaviours

• Demonstrated ability to engage with executive stakeholders, senior leadership teams and client organisations, providing strategic cost advice and influencing key investment and delivery decisions.
• Proven leadership capability in developing, managing and inspiring high-performing cost engineering teams across complex projects, programmes and portfolios.
• Ability to define, implement and continuously improve cost engineering frameworks, governance arrangements, processes and reporting structures.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to translate complex cost and performance data into meaningful insights and recommendations for clients and project teams.
• Expert user and advocate of cost engineering systems, tools and digital solutions, including cost estimating, forecasting, analytics and reporting platforms.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across clients, contractors, consultants and supply chain partners.
• A strategic thinker who drives innovation, continuous improvement and best practice in cost engineering and project controls.
• Strong coaching and mentoring capabilities, supporting the development of individuals, teams and wider organisational capability.
• Demonstrates a collaborative leadership style, fostering inclusive and high-performing teams that consistently deliver value for clients.
• Takes ownership of personal and professional development while contributing to the growth and development of Turner & Townsend's Cost Engineering capability.
• Leads with integrity, empathy and professionalism, promoting a positive culture and supporting Turner & Townsend as a great place to work.
• Holds a UK driving licence, or has the ability to travel to client offices and project sites across the UK as required.

Qualifications and Experience

• Extensive experience in Cost Engineering, Cost Management, Cost Estimating and Project Controls within large-scale capital programmes and projects.
• Proven track record of leading cost management teams and delivering cost engineering services across major infrastructure, energy, natural resources or industrial developments.
• Strong understanding of the integration of cost, schedule, risk, scope and commercial management disciplines to support successful project delivery.
• Experience establishing, maintaining and assuring cost baselines, estimating processes, forecasting methodologies and performance measurement systems.
• Demonstrable experience advising senior stakeholders and executive teams on cost performance, investment decisions, risk exposure and commercial outcomes.
• Experience implementing governance, assurance and reporting frameworks to support effective cost control and decision‑making.
• Strong knowledge and practical application of industry-standard cost engineering tools, systems and methodologies, including Ecosys, Primavera P6, Power BI and related cost management platforms.
• Experience supporting business case development, portfolio management, investment assurance and strategic programme controls.
• Proven ability to develop client relationships, identify growth opportunities and support business development activities.
• Professional membership of a relevant institution (such as ACostE, APM, RICS, ICE or equivalent) is desirable.
• A degree in Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Project Controls, Finance or a related discipline is desirable.
• Relevant professional qualifications or certifications in Cost Engineering, Project Controls or Commercial Management would be advantageous.

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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.

SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable

SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable.

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