Senior Cost Manager - Mission Critical

Job Description:

Ryan Companies seeks a strategic and commercially astute Senior Construction Cost Manager to lead our complex hyperscale and colocation data center programs. The ideal candidate is a proactive and influential leader with a proven track record of delivering portfolios of projects on time and on budget.

This role is focused on project and portfolio-level cost control, full-cycle financial management, and expert commercial oversight. You will be the financial guardian for the overall client campus programs, responsible for establishing and overseeing budgets, guiding procurement strategy, controlling change, and ensuring profitability and client satisfaction from concept through completion.

What you can expect to do:

Program Leadership & Strategy

• Serve as the primary commercial leader and point of contact for the client at a campus level, building and maintaining high-trust relationships with senior stakeholders. Able to grow this role to an entire portfolio for a client.
• Lead and/or mentor a team of cost professionals, fostering their growth and ensuring consistency and excellence in their project delivery. This will start as work at the project level as an individual contributor and build to management of a team of cost managers.
• Independently develop, implement, and refine tools, systems, and standardized processes to improve cost and change management efficiency and accuracy across the program.
• Drive strategic cost planning and value engineering initiatives across a portfolio of projects to maximize client value and project profitability.

Cost Management & Estimating

• Lead the full-cycle cost management of projects, establishing and maintaining robust cost controls from concept through completion.
• Conduct scope definition workshops with clients to develop accurate, comprehensive project budgets.
• Oversee the creation and maintenance of detailed cost plans, estimates, forecasts, profit projections and staffing plans, ensuring alignment with each design phase and key project milestones.
• Review design alternatives, emerging technologies, and construction means-and-methods for cost implications, ensuring all estimates meet required accuracy standards.
• Deliver lifecycle cost models and integrate benchmarking data to support informed, data-driven decision-making.
• Serve as the final escalation point for the evaluation of all subcontractor change order requests based on contractual requirements and project scope.

Reporting & Stakeholder Engagement

• Prepare and present executive-level monthly cost reports and strategic risk assessments to senior internal and external stakeholders, highlighting key variances, risks, and recommended mitigation actions.
• Lead monthly stakeholder meetings and formal presentations with clear financial content, data-driven insights, and expert commentary.
• Produce and maintain detailed cash flow forecasts across the project lifecycle to support client financial planning and internal reporting.

Procurement & Commercial Support

• Establish and oversee the procurement strategy for all trade packages, manage the tender process, and ensure detailed bid leveling and compliance reviews are completed.
• Produce and present formal recommendations / bid spreads and lead trade package review meetings, ensuring a transparent and compliant procurement process.
• Manage the monthly pencil requisition process, diligently review all variations, and support the project team in agreeing to rolling and final accounts with subcontractors.

Contract & Financial Oversight

• Act as the subject matter expert on all contractual terms to recommend entitlements and resolve complex issues related to change orders, claims, and other commercial matters.
• Coordinate directly with client finance and accounting teams to ensure accurate reporting and full compliance with all financial controls.
• Analyze and report on local labor markets, union implications, commodity fluctuations, and tax impacts to inform project cost strategy and budget updates.

What we expect you to have:

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Finance, Quantity Surveying, or a related field.
• A minimum of3-5 yearsof project experience in the hyperscale or colocation data center construction industry is required.
• A minimum of8-12 yearsof progressive experience in a project management or cost management role within the commercial construction industry.
• Demonstrable expertise in full-cycle cost management for large-scale projects (ideally $100M+), with a deep understanding of construction accounting principles.
• Proven experience in a leadership or mentorship capacity.
• Extensive, hands-on experience managing procurement, tender processes, and the entire change order lifecycle.
• Proficiency in construction management software such as Procore, Building Connected, and industry-standard scheduling and estimating tools.
• Exceptional negotiation, analytical, leadership, and communication skills, with the ability to present complex financial data clearly and concisely to an executive audience.
• A detail-oriented and commercially-driven mindset with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.

Eligibility:

Position requires verification of employment to work in the U.S.

Benefits:

• Competitive Salary

• Medical, Dental and Vision Benefits

• Retirement and Savings Benefits

• Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts

• Life Insurance

• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability

• Educational Assistance

• Paid Time Off (PTO)

• Employee Assistance and Wellness Programs

• Parenting Benefits

• Employee Discount Programs

• Pet insurance

• Ryan Foundation - charitable matching funds

• Paid Time for Volunteer Events

Disclaimer: Eligibility may vary based on factors such as role, hours worked, employment status, length of service, location, and other considerations. Detailed information will be shared with eligible candidates during the hiring process, and the official terms and conditions will be outlined in each individual offer document.

Ryan Companies is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Notice to Candidates:

Please be advised that initial outreach regarding employment at Ryan Companies will only occur via email from the domain @ryancompanies.com email address. If you recieve communication from someone you believe is impersonating Ryan Companies, please report it to us at humanresources@ryancompanies.com

Non-Solicitation Notice to Recruitment Agencies:

Ryan Companies kindly requests that recruitment agencies and third-party recruiters do not submit unsolicited resumes or candidate information to any Ryan Companies employee or office. Ryan Companies will not be responsible for any fees or expenses associated with unsolicited submissions. If recruitment services are required, we will reach out directly to agencies on our approved vendor list. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.