Associate Director - Cost Management

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Job Description AECOM are seeking a highly experienced Associate Director - Cost Management, to join our masterplanning and infrastructure cost team. The role will play a critical leadership position in shaping cost strategy from early concept through to pre-tender stages on large-scale, mixed-use and masterplanning developments. This position requires strong commercial acumen, strategic advisory skills, and the ability to engage confidently with clients, designers, and internal leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead cost planning and commercial strategy for large-scale masterplanning, mixed-use, infrastructure-led and complex developments
• Provide strategic cost and commercial advice to support client decision-making at programe and portfolio level.
• Lead project set-up, scope definition, delivery strategy, and commercial governance from appointment through completion.
• Advise on phasing strategies, development yields, benchmarking, and cost-led masterplan optimisation
• Ensure alignment between design intent, development strategy, and cost outcomes
• Contribute to the growth and expansion of frameworks, key accounts, and priority market sectors.
• Support development of service offerings, cost tools, benchmarks, and thought leadership initiatives.
• Provide leadership and oversight to multiple project teams across a diverse portfolio.
• Plan, allocate, and manage resources to achieve delivery excellence within agreed fees, programes, and utilization targets.
• Provide senior technical leadership across feasibility, concept, schematic, and detailed design cost planning.
• Oversee and challenge cost models, benchmarks, risk allowances, contingency strategies, and value engineering proposals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Quantity Surveying
• MRICS
• Typically 12-15+ years’ experience delivering major infrastructure, mixed-use, or complex development projects.
• Proven track record delivering large-scale, mixed-use and masterplanning developments
• Strong understanding of early-stage cost modelling, feasibility studies, and development economics

Additional Information At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment. About AECOM AECOM is proud to offer comprehensive benefits to meet the diverse needs of our employees. Depending on your employment status, AECOM benefits may include medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, disability benefits, paid time off, leaves of absences, voluntary benefits, perks, flexible work options, well-being resources, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, service recognition awards, retirement savings plan, and employee stock purchase plan.

AECOM is the global infrastructure leader, committed to delivering a better world. As a trusted professional services firm powered by deep technical abilities, we solve our clients’ complex challenges in water, environment, energy, transportation and buildings. Our teams partner with public- and private-sector clients to create innovative, sustainable and resilient solutions throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm that had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. Learn more at aec…