Job DescriptionLeland Saylor Associates is seeking an experienced
Senior Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor to deliver cost management, cost control, and estimating services on our clients' projects, working in collaboration with our San Francisco Bay Area-based team. Our work supports primarily U.S.-based clients, and this role applies established U.S. estimating and cost-management practices across the full project lifecycle. This is a hybrid role, with on-site presence at our Walnut Creek office required 3 days a week.
To be successful in this role you must have excellent communication skills and be comfortable operating in a client-facing capacity. Candidates must have a Visa or be a US Citizen authorized to work.
Daily Duties- Provide estimating and cost planning, including producing and presenting the final cost plan.
- Collaborate with the design services team, general contractor, and owner in the development and reconciliation of cost estimates.
- Reconcile changes and assist the general contractor to ensure that their data is accurate.
- Meet with the general contractor and owner's project manager to gather status information and prepare cost estimate updates.
- Prepare written comments on the general contractor's submissions, including the executive summary.
- Estimate and negotiate change orders throughout the construction lifecycle.
- Inform and drive design and engineering priorities based on cost impact.
- Work proactively with minimal supervision to resolve scheduling and budget issues.
- Manage cost checks and carry out progress valuations and pay-application reviews on larger projects.
- Manage change control, post-contract cost variances, contingency management, and commitment tracking logs.
Pre-Contract Duties- Develop cost plans and estimates through the design phase, delivering updated cost plans at each design milestone (schematic, design development, and construction documents).
- Prepare detailed conceptual cost estimates and cost studies from schematic or feasibility-level documentation.
- Provide commercial input to design option analysis and lead value engineering exercises.
- Develop variance summaries between estimates as the design evolves.
- Prepare detailed instructions to bidders, trade-specific clarifications, and comprehensive bid packages.
- Solicit and evaluate subcontractor bids using bid tally sheets, and lead negotiations on behalf of the client to secure fair, competitive pricing.
- Make subcontractor award recommendations to the client/owner and support the finalization of subcontracts with trade partners.
- Participate in - and often lead - request-for-proposal (RFP) responses and formal cost/budget presentations to the client.
Post-Contract Duties- Perform quantity surveying, cost control, and change management activities throughout the project lifecycle.
- Ensure that post-contract cost variances and change control processes are managed effectively.
- Produce monthly cost reports for presentation to the client.
Minimum Qualifications- Experience working in a construction cost management or estimating role.
- College and/or post-graduate degree in construction management, cost management, quantity surveying, engineering, or a field related to construction.
- 5+ years of full-lifecycle cost management and/or estimating experience on private and public construction projects.
- Professional accreditation a plus. Saylor values the following credentials:
- AACE International certification - Certified Cost Professional (CCP) or Certified Estimating Professional (CEP). Preferred, given our primarily U.S.-based client base.
- Chartered Quantity Surveyor - RICS, CIQS, AIQS recognized as the international equivalent and welcomed from internationally trained candidates.
- ASPE Certified Professional Estimator (CPE)
- Working knowledge of U.S. unit costs and the factors that affect construction cost, with the ability to estimate across all scopes of work.
- Experience leading cost management on medium to large, high-value building or infrastructure projects of medium to high complexity.
- Familiarity with the U.S. competitive bidding process - soliciting and evaluating subcontractor proposals, using bid tally sheets, and making award recommendations.
- Software proficiency in estimating and takeoff tools such as On-Screen Takeoff (OST), Bluebeam, WinEst, Sage Estimating (Timberline), or CostX required; Power BI, HCSS, Revit, and Assemble are value-adds.
Featured BenefitsSalary: The salary range for this full-time role is $110K-$195K per year.401(k), Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, 100% employer-paid premiums.
Additional Information 
