Cost manager Chris Haines, senior project surveyor with Davis Langdon LLP.

Cost Manager

Answers supplied by Chris Haines, senior project surveyor at Davis Langdon LLP, an international organisation providing cost and project management services to construction projects. Its Norwich office is in Thorpe Road and has more than 60 staff who support clients with their construction projects throughout the region.

What does the job entail?
A cost manager’s role is to provide full cost advice and cost control to clients undertaking new construction projects. This will take place from the initial idea for a building, to the agreement of the final accounts with the contractor. Cost managers utilise traditional quantity surveying skills in a way that enhances the control of construction budgets. It’s more than just counting bricks!

What skills and qualifications are needed?
The common route is a degree course in quantity surveying followed by qualifying as a professional member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Other construction-related degree courses can also be used to become professionally qualified.

What type of person will fit in?
Somebody who can work well within a project team and demonstrate a pragmatic and proactive approach to solving the day-to-day cost problems which construction projects will throw at you.

What are the pluses and minuses of the job?
On the positive side, a tremendous variety of projects can be experienced, from schools to office towers, laboratories to shopping malls. This can provide a great opportunity to work all over the country and abroad, where cost managers and quantity surveyors are hugely sought after. On the minus side, extensive travelling and being based on site can sometimes mean long hours.

What opportunities exist for career progression?
Qualified cost managers can develop invaluable skills and experience which can lead to numerous opportunities, both within the construction industry and for large organisations and global companies such as Davis Langdon. Demand for experienced cost managers currently exists not only in the UK, but also in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, South East Asia, Australia and the USA.

What can I expect to earn?
Typically as a graduate you should expect to earn £15-20k. Once professionally qualified, salaries can rise from £24k to more than £40k for a very experienced cost manager. London salaries remain the highest, although working with clients all over the country can mean the regional variations in salary are less.

Any hints on getting a job in this area?
Look for vacancies in the recruitment section of the local press and within the construction trade journals. It is also worth researching firms you would like to work for and approaching them directly. Undertaking a degree course in quantity surveying should provide the best opportunities. Contact RICS (www.rics.org) or visit our website at www.davislangdon.com for further advice.