(MEPCSA) Associate Director (Pre-Contract) – Data Centre

Role Summary

As a Senior Cost Manager specialising in precontracts for Data Centre projects you will lead all frontend cost management activities before contract award. You will take ownership of cost planning estimation tender strategy procurement support risk assessment and commercial advisory during early project stages.

PreContract / PreTendering Leadership

• Lead the preparation of detailed cost estimates cost plans and budgets across concept schematic and detailed design stages.
• Review design documents for scope gaps cost risks constructability considerations and alignment with sectorspecific requirements.
• Manage full pretendering workflows including:
  • Preparing tender and procurement documentation
  • Shortlisting suitable bidders with relevant technical experience
  • Managing tender queries and clarifications
  • Running structured procurement processes
• Lead commercial tender evaluations including comparisons compliance checks risk reviews and moderating bidder interviews.
• Prepare clear tender recommendation reports for client approval.

PreTender Expertise

• Understand the cost drivers and unique requirements of data centre projects such as:
  • Serviceintensive works (MEP and utilities)
  • Clean or controlled environments
  • Technical spaces with specialised equipment allowances
  • High uptime resilience or production reliability expectations
• Apply market knowledge and benchmarking relevant to hightech or missioncritical construction sectors.
• Identify longlead items or specialist trades that impact procurement strategy and pretender cost accuracy.

Strategic Cost & Commercial Advisory

• Provide early commercial advice on market conditions price trends escalation factors and supplychain capacity for relevant sectors.
• Lead value engineering workshops to identify practical costefficient alternatives without compromising operational needs.
• Advise clients on contract strategies procurement routes and phasing approaches suitable for missioncritical or industrial environments.

Stakeholder Management & Coordination

• Facilitate structured communication across clients designers engineers and procurement teams during early project stages.
• Lead pretender alignment meetings focused on scope finalisation interfaces and commercial assumptions.
• Mentor junior team members and oversee quality of precontract deliverables.

Controls Compliance & Documentation

• Ensure all cost plans estimates tender documents and analyses are accurate consistent and auditready.
• Maintain robust governance over estimating methodologies benchmarking assumptions and cost risks.
• Track update and communicate cost risks allowances exclusions and clarifications throughout pretender phases.

Qualifications :

• Bachelors degree in Quantity Surveying Cost Management Construction Engineering or related discipline; Masters degree preferred.
• 710 years experience in cost management with strong exposure to data centres industrial facilities manufacturing plants or semiconductor projects.
• Solid background in precontract stages including estimating cost planning and tender management.
• Strong analytical and commercial acumen with excellent reporting skills.
• Proven clientfacing and stakeholdercoordination experience.
• Proficiency in CostX or equivalent cost estimation tools.
• Businesslevel proficiency in English and native-level proficiency in the local language.

Additional Information :

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Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time