Development Cost Manager

Development Cost Manager

The Development Cost Manager will be responsible for supporting the re‑engineering, and subsequently managing, QTS’s commercial and procurement control and be responsible for driving value management reviews at every project stage to ensure optimal cost options are being taken – balancing capital expenditure and revenue expenditure (Total Cost of Ownership – TCO). This role will maintain relationships with key external suppliers/vendors to ensure QTS understand market dynamics and cost trends in each of the locations we operate.

The role will support the Director, Development Cost Management in achieving the right balance of in‑sourced and out‑sourced activity. The role will work in close collaboration with our Procurement team to coordinate the management of EUROPE vendors managing supplier KPIs, long lead items, bulk procurement of equipment and vendor managed inventory.

Responsibilities, other duties may be assigned

Regional Cost Management and Regional Cost / Risk reporting

• Ensuring accurate and timely cost information is presented at program level fortnightly and monthly as required.
• Producing monthly reporting comparing budget v forecast and that accurate cash flow information is being tracked and reported.
• Ensuring project change trends are being tracked, summarised and root causes identified to help with continuous improvement.
• Ensuring all cost trends are projected forward into future schemes so that decision making on European standards can be proactively managed at programme level.
• Ensuring full transparency on all project cost, commercial and legal issues are reported with appropriate mitigation plans in place.
• Manage ongoing cost governance meetings with key internal and external stakeholders to ensure best practice is shared and cost information is pooled.

Project Cost Management and Project Cost / Risk reporting

• Cost modelling of proposed schemes – in conjunction with External QS practices and / or self‑produced estimates with appropriate Peer reviews.
• Ensuring Budget Management Tool (BMT) production on all projects at all stages is in line with Standards and Gating Processes and any variances from expected norms are clearly called out.
• Ensure Value management / value review exercises are carried out at appropriate times through the process.
• Ensuring construction budget management is fully in line with internal processes. (Including pre‑construction and post‑construction change control processes and contingency).
• Ensuring that all project pre and post construction COR processes are appropriately set up and consistently managed.
• Ensure cost requests for sales enquires, or the like, are handled in a timely, effective, and consistent manner.
• Provide management oversight and reporting on consultant expenditure (soft costs); ensuring Fee trackers are in place on all projects so that the full extent of ‘Soft costs’ can be summarised at Programme level and opportunities for reduction can be identified and implemented. (To be broken down into pre and post construction services).
• This role will identify areas of cost saving, value engineering and provide the Development team with possible ways of reducing costs. This exercise will continue through the project and when managing all change control processes.
• Provide management oversight and reporting on equipment expenditure (OFCI costs); ensuring direct order cost trackers are in place on all projects so that the full extent of ‘OFCI’ costs can be summarised at Programme level and opportunities for reduction can be identified and implemented.
• Ensure all commercial risks are reported monthly.

Procurement and Commercial Rigour

• Manage supplier T&Cs and re‑negotiate where appropriate.
• Ensure tender processes are managed in a clear, consistent, and transparent way and ensuring appropriate sign off and formal approval of tender list and tender results.
• Ensuring QTS are contracting in appropriate currencies for each legal entity.
• In close collaboration with the internal Legal team and external lawyers ensuring all project legal and contractual documentation provides consistent and favourable outcomes across all European regions.
• Ensuring all contractual and legal documentation is consistent, clear, concise, and fit for purpose.
• Responsible for supporting supplier engagement and cost negotiations to maintain and reduce vendor price points.
• Ensuring final accounts, contractual disputes etc are tracked and managed to successful conclusion.
• Ensuring warranties, bonds, novation agreement, deeds, etc are tracked managed to successful conclusion.

Commercial Insight, analysis and Competitor Bench‑marking

• Reliable cost estimation information output metrics benchmarked to market.
• Prediction of tender inflation indices in respective EU regions QTS operate and bench marking costs to competitors.
• Understand available contracting and consulting resource in all live and proposed regions. Using BMT (and BICS) cost structures create and maintain generic cost models.
• Support the creation fully costed design standards and ongoing management of any emerging changes to standards.
• Ensure cost analogues are available for helping decision making and benchmarking.

Financial Administration

• Manage a cost and Commercial management manual.
• Ensure all internal and external stakeholders are properly briefed and trained on our process expectations.
• Ensuring all projects fully comply with QTSs financial controls processes.
• Ensure cost and commercial risk information inputs into PAFs, PIDS, DICM papers or the like are done in consistent and transparent way.
• Ensure full change control processes are in place to ensure full management control exist to deliver projects within approved or forecasted parameters.
• Flag up any risks, potential changes, or actual changes in a timely, transparent, and accurate way.
• Supporting periodic reviews of processes and recommend improvements.
• Ensure Development commercial and cost processes pass internal and external audits.
• Ensure all cost information is uploaded to the ‘Portal’ in an accurate and timely way.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, financing, or accounting; or relevant professional experience.
• Proficiency in financial software (e.g., Workday, e‑Builder).
• Seven or more years of experience in construction or project management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ten or more years of experience in construction or project management preferred.

Total Rewards

• 25 days annual leave and public holidays
• 32 paid volunteering hours per year
• Salary sacrifice pension scheme
• Employer paid private medical and dental cover for employees and dependants
• Life assurance
• Illness financial protection including critical illness cover and income protection
• Employee referral bonus equivalent to exchange rates of $2,500 at time of award, subject to eligibility
• This role is bonus eligible.

The duties and responsibilities described here are not exhaustive and additional assignments, duties, or responsibilities may be required of this position. Assignments, duties, and responsibilities may be changed at any time, with or without notice, by QTS in its sole discretion. We provide individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment in accordance with applicable law. Please contact us to request an accommodation on TalentAcquisition@QTSDataCenters.com

It’s exhilarating to find yourself at a pivotal moment in history— and even more so to be leading the way. At QTS Data Centers, we are proud to stand at the forefront of today’s dynamic digital transformation. Our world‑class data centres empower our customers’ most strategic growth initiatives, positioning us as a global leader in digital infrastructure.

As AI and cloud technologies fuel the demand for increased speed, capacity, and innovation, QTS has emerged as the global digital infrastructure leader. We are committed to connecting the globe for good. Driven by purpose and a spirit of innovation, we design, build, and operate some of the most advanced data centres worldwide. In addition to our cutting‑edge technology, we are dedicated to sustainability, incorporating renewable energy solutions to minimize our environmental footprint and drive meaningful impact. As a proud portfolio company of Blackstone, QTS is uniquely positioned to achieve ambitious growth and innovation goals.

At QTS, we are Powered by People. Our team members are the cornerstone of our culture, innovation, and growth. They are mission‑driven, resourceful, and committed to making a positive impact in the communities where we live and work. Together, we’re achieving remarkable things and shaping the future of digital infrastructure.

And we’d like to invite you to join us.

In addition to a variety of benefit packages, QTS goes above and beyond for our employees:

• Roth and Traditional 401(k) matching contributions with immediate vesting
• Every employee is bonus or commission eligible
• Generous PTO, Paid Volunteer Days Plus Floating Holidays
• Stock Purchase Plan (SPP)
• 11 paid Holidays Annually/Holiday compensation when worked
• Pet and Legal Insurance
• Q‑Rest Sabbatical Program
• Q‑Anniversary Service Award Program
• Parental Leave for primary and secondary caregivers
• Military Benefits Package
• QTS Charitable Matching Gift Program
• QTS Scholarship for Employee Dependents
• QTS Crisis Fund
• Wellness Program
• Tuition Reimbursement Program

We conform to all the laws, statutes, and regulations concerning equal employment opportunities and affirmative action. We strongly encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply to all of our job openings. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, age, disability status, Genetic Information & Testing, Family & Medical Leave, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We prohibit retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer or the government, or against any individuals who assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint or discrimination claim.