Job Description

Senior Cost Consultant / Senior Estimator

Greater Toronto Area | Senior-Level Opportunity

Are you currently working within a Cost Consultancy and wondering what the next step in your career could look like? Have you considered taking your cost expertise directly to the developer side? If so, read on.

This is an opportunity to move from advising developers to becoming part of the team making the decisions.

Our client, an established and growing real estate development group, is looking for an experienced Senior Cost Consultant / Quantity Surveyor / Estimator to join its team in a key developer-side position.

You’ll be involved from the very beginning of the development process – reviewing potential projects, assessing feasibility, establishing construction budgets and providing the cost intelligence that helps determine how projects are designed, structured and ultimately delivered.

Rather than simply receiving a set of drawings and being asked “What will this cost?”, you’ll have the opportunity to influence the conversation much earlier – What should it cost? Where are the risks? Is there a better way to build it? And does the project make commercial sense?

The Role

Working closely with senior leadership, development, construction and external consultants, you will:

• Prepare and review conceptual, schematic and detailed construction cost estimates from early-stage development through pre-construction.
• Provide preliminary pricing and cost advice to support project feasibility, acquisitions and development decisions.
• Establish project budgets using drawings, specifications, historical data, benchmarking and current market intelligence.
• Review consultant designs and identify cost implications as projects evolve.
• Undertake quantity take-offs and detailed cost analysis across major construction divisions.
• Review and challenge estimates, budgets and pricing submitted by general contractors, construction managers and external cost consultants.
• Identify potential cost risks, escalation exposure and budget pressures early in the development process.
• Monitor changes between design stages and clearly communicate their impact on the overall project budget.
• Present clear cost reports, recommendations and commercial advice to senior decision-makers.

The Experience

Do you bring 8+ years of progressive construction cost management, quantity surveying or estimating experience, ideally gained within a recognized cost consultancy or developer? Then apply now.

You will have a strong understanding of the complete construction cost cycle, with particular strength in early-stage estimating, feasibility costing and pre-construction.

A background in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Engineering or a related discipline is preferred. Professional designations such as PQS, MRICS or equivalent would be considered an asset.

Most importantly, you will be capable of looking beyond the drawings and understanding the commercial implications of a project. You should be comfortable providing senior stakeholders with an independent view on what a project should cost, where the risks sit and where opportunities exist to achieve better value.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

If you have built your career advising developers from the consultancy side, this could be your opportunity to sit on the other side of the table.

You'll have direct exposure to senior leadership and the opportunity to influence project feasibility, design, budgets, procurement and construction strategy across a growing development portfolio.

Offering a competitive salary, annual bonus and benefits

This position would particularly suit an experienced Senior Quantity Surveyor, Senior Cost Consultant, Senior Cost Manager, Senior Estimator or Pre-Construction professional ready to take their expertise client-side and have a greater influence over the projects they work on.

Apply today