Senior Quantity Surveyor

Location: New York City

Visa & relocation support for UK / Irish cost managers

Ready to take your quantity surveying career to New York?

You’ve cut your teeth in UK cost consultancy. You know your way around complex commercial, residential or hospitality schemes. You’re operating at Project / Senior / AD level… but every project is starting to feel a bit samey and you’re unclear what the future opportunity looks like.

Is it just the status quo?

This move puts you in one of the world’s most dynamic construction markets, working on bigger, faster, more complex projects – and being trusted to shape how cost management is done on the ground. It’s a chance to swap incremental change for a genuine step‑change in responsibility, exposure and lifestyle.

Why make the move?

• New York projects, not just New York postcards
• Work on high‑profile office interiors, hospitality, leisure, and residential developments, with the scale and pace you simply don’t see in most UK regional markets.

• More responsibility, earlier
• Come in at Senior Cost Manager, own multiple projects, sit in front of clients, and have a direct say in how they invest millions, not just how they write instructions.

• Use your PQS discipline where it’s in short supply
• The US is experiencing a surge in large‑scale projects and has a relatively small pool of chartered cost professionals, so UK‑trained QSs can make a disproportionate impact.

• Lifestyle and experience
• Swap commuting to industrial estates for weekly site meetings on skyline‑changing schemes in one of the most recognisable cities on earth. Spend the next few years building a unique CV – and a life – in New York, then decide what’s next.

• Support to make it real
• Full work visa sponsorship is available for eligible UK / Irish candidates, with a relocation package to help you land well and focus on the job from day one. Including visa for partners/family.

The business

You’ll be joining an independent global consultancy that has specialised in project, cost and construction management for nearly two centuries, with its US headquarters in New York and offices across the major US markets. They’ve delivered billions of dollars’ worth of development across commercial offices, hospitality, leisure, and residential, and are known for long‑term, repeat client relationships rather than one‑off wins.

In New York, the cost management team is growing fast, with a mix of UK‑trained and US‑trained professionals delivering multiple concurrent projects for blue‑chip clients.

The role

Title will depend on experience (Cost Manager, Senior Cost Manager, Associate Director or Director), but in all cases you will:

• Lead cost management on multiple projects, from early feasibility and cost planning through to final account.
• Own budgets, cost plans, forecasting and reporting, providing clear recommendations to clients.
• Work in a faster‑paced environment where clients value timely, commercially focused advice over “perfect” reports, and where lump‑sum contracts and fewer detailed BOQs are the norm.
• Attend and lead design and client meetings, representing the cost management function and challenging assumptions where needed.
• Mentor and develop junior team members, contributing to a collaborative, high‑performance culture.

At more senior levels (AD / Director), you’ll also:

• Take a visible leadership role across the team and key accounts.
• Play a part in business development – repeat work, new opportunities, and helping shape how the New York cost management offer grows.
• Influence internal best practice, tools and processes as the team scales.

About you

You’re likely to be:

• Currently working for a PQS / cost consultancy or client‑side team in the UK or Ireland.
• Operating at strong Cost Manager / Senior Cost Manager / Associate Director level, with roughly 5–12 years’ relevant experience (flexible for the right person).
• Chartered (MRICS) or close to it, comfortable owning cost advice and defending your position with clients and contractors.
• Happy to swap some UK “polish” for New York pace – you can still be rigorous, but you’re pragmatic and commercially minded.
• Motivated by the idea of a genuine change – new country, new market, new way of working – rather than just a pay bump.

There is also room for an experienced late‑career cost leader (c. 50s) who wants a defined, delivery‑focused Director role on major projects, without the expectation of building a big team or chasing partnership.

What next?

If you’re a UK or Irish cost manager who’s been quietly thinking “If I ever move abroad, it’ll be for something big,” this is that moment.

You don’t need US experience. You do need a strong PQS track record, the confidence to step into a more fluid “cost manager” remit, and the appetite to build a chapter of your career – and life – in New York.

Get in touch in confidence for a detailed brief covering the team, projects, visa/relocation support and interview process.