Houston Cost Center Leader

Company Description

Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over 22,000 people in more than 60 countries. 

Working with our clients across real estate, infrastructure, energy and natural resources, we transform together delivering outcomes that improve people’s lives. Working in partnership makes it possible to deliver the world’s most impactful projects and programmes as we turn challenge into opportunity and complexity into success. 

Our capabilities include programme, project, cost, asset and commercial management, controls and performance, procurement and supply chain, net zero and digital solutions. 

We are majority-owned by CBRE Group, Inc., the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, with our partners holding a significant minority interest. Turner & Townsend and CBRE work together to provide clients with the premier programme, project and cost management offering in markets around the world. 

Job Description

Turner & Townsend is seeking a Houston Cost Center Leader to lead our combined Project Management (PM) and Cost Management (CM) business in the South Central region.

This is a senior leadership role accountable for the overall financial performance, operational management, and people leadership of the Houston cost center. The role is central to scaling a high-performing, commercially disciplined business aligned to regional growth objectives. Role reports to South Central US Region Lead.

The successful candidate will operate as a visible, in-office leader (5 days per week), bringing executive presence, strong commercial acumen, and the ability to lead across financial performance, business development, and team leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Business & Financial Leadership

• Own full cost center P&L performance, including revenue, margin, utilization, and forecast accuracy
• Drive financial discipline, transparency, and predictable performance across all commissions
• Lead weekly cost center operations reviews to monitor performance, risks, and opportunities
• Ensure alignment with regional targets and strategic priorities

Resourcing & Operational Management

• Lead capacity planning, utilization, and hiring decisions for the Houston PM+CM business
• Partner with Service Line Leads to align resources with delivery needs
• Oversee resourcing, deployment, and workload balancing across the cost center
• Intervene on at-risk projects, driving recovery actions and escalation where required

Business Development & Client Engagement

• Act as a senior representative for the Houston business, supporting key client relationships
• Contribute to pipeline development, pursuits, and capture strategies
• Partner with Sector and Growth leaders to validate capacity and commercial viability of opportunities
• Support strategic account growth and regional business priorities

People Leadership & Culture

• Lead, develop, and retain a high-performing PM and CM team
• Own hiring, performance management, and succession planning
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and high performance
• Serve as a visible leader in the Houston office, promoting engagement and team cohesion

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure adherence to risk management, contract governance, and financial controls
• Lead implementation of the Three Lines of Defense (LOD1–LOD3) for commission oversight
• Drive proactive identification and management of risk across the portfolio
• Lead response to underperforming or high-risk projects

Regional Leadership Collaboration

• Act as a key member of the South Central leadership team
• Collaborate across Service Lines, Sectors, and Enterprise accounts
• Contribute to regional strategy, planning, and performance improvement initiatives

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a senior leadership role within project, program, or cost management
• Demonstrated success in owning financial performance (P&L responsibility)
• Strong commercial acumen, including forecasting, margin management, and utilization optimization
• Track record in business development and client relationship management
• Experience leading high-performing, multi-disciplinary teams
• Excellent leadership pr