Vice President, Cost and Commercial

Job description

About Vantage Data Centers Vantage Data Centers powers, cools, protects and connects the technology of the world’s well-known hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises. Developing and operating across North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific, Vantage has evolved data center design in innovative ways to deliver dramatic gains in reliability, efficiency and sustainability in flexible environments that can scale as quickly as the market demands. Vice President, Cost, Commercial & Pre-Construction Role Purpose (Strategic “Why”) The Vice President, Cost, Commercial & Pre-Construction is accountable for defining and executing Vantage’s end-to-end cost and commercial strategy, from early-stage development and estimating through to construction delivery and close-out. This role ensures that Vantage’s rapid growth is underpinned by robust cost planning, disciplined estimating, strong contractual frameworks, and consistent commercial governance, enabling the business to scale without compromising cost certainty, financial control, legal protection, or long-term asset value. The Vice President acts as the ultimate authority on cost, estimating, and commercial strategy, shaping how Vantage develops budgets, prices risk, structures contracts, and manages value across the full lifecycle of development. Executive Role Summary The Vice President, Cost, Commercial & Pre-Construction leads all cost planning, estimating, and commercial management activities across the Development & Delivery portfolio. This role sets the strategic direction for how Vantage: · Develops early-stage cost models and benchmarks · Produces and validates estimates across design maturity stages · Structures contracts and procurement strategies · Allocates risk and manages change · Ensures contractual compliance · Maintain accurate and timely cost reporting practices · Protects enterprise value from concept through delivery This role goes well beyond project oversight. It owns the integrated cost and commercial operating model, ensuring consistency across regions, partners, and project phases, while guiding senior leaders through complex decisions involving cost certainty, affordability, risk exposure, and investment trade-offs. The Vice President is a key member of the Delivery leadership team and a trusted advisor to Executive leadership, Finance, Legal, Development, and Design Engineering. Core Accountabilities Cost Strategy, Pre-Construction & Estimating (Expanded) (Primary upstream focus) · Define and lead Vantage’s pre-construction, cost planning and estimating strategy across all sites and regions. · Establish a tiered estimating approach aligned to design maturity (concept, schematic, detailed design, IFC), ensuring progressive cost certainty. · Own the development and maintenance of: o Cost benchmarks and regional cost intelligence o Standardised estimating methodologies and assumptions o Portfolio-wide cost databases and escalation models · Ensure robust cost planning and validation during development, investment approvals, and stage-gate processes. · Partner with Development and Design Engineering to drive: o Value engineering and cost optimisation at early stages o Design-to-budget discipline o Alignment between design decisions and cost/commercial outcomes · Provide executive oversight and challenge on: o Business cases and capital expenditure plans o Contractor pricing and tender returns o Affordability and cost-risk trade-offs · Ensure strong integration between estimating, procurement strategy, and contracting approach Commercial & Contractual Strategy (Integrated with pre-construction) · Define and own Vantage’s commercial and contractual strategy, ensuring alignment with estimating assumptions and risk pricing. · Establish contract frameworks that: o Reflect accurate cost and risk positions established during pre-construction o Appropriately allocate risk o Enable controlled flexibility o Protect long-term commercial and operational interests · Ensure that commercial strategies are informed by early-stage cost certainty and market intelligence · Act as executive sponsor for major procurement and tendering strategies, including contractor engagement models. · Lead complex negotiations with General Contractors, consultants, and key suppliers. Contractual Governance & Change Control · Hold ultimate accountability for contractual compliance and commercial governance across the portfolio. · Ensure alignment between: o Baseline estimates o Approved budgets o Contract values and change control · Own the change control philosophy, ensuring: o Impacts are measured against original estimates and business case assumptions o Cost and time implications are fully quantified and transparent · Provide executive oversight of claims, disputes, and commercial escalations, ensuring alignment with original risk and pricing strategy. Portfolio Cost Control, Forecasting & Cashflow · Accountable for the integrity of cost data from estimate through to final account, ensuring a clear golden thread across: o Initial estimates o Approved budgets o Forecasts and outturn costs · Ensure robust portfolio-level visibility of: o Cost performance vs estimate o Contingency usage and risk drawdown o Cashflow and funding alignment · Partner with Finance to ensure alignment between project-level cost positions and enterprise financial reporting Commercial & Cost Operating Model, Systems & Standards · Develop and continuously evolve an integrated cost, estimating, and commercial operating model · Ensure consistent application of: o Estimating standards and tools o Cost management processes o Commercial governance frameworks · Sponsor development of digital cost tools, data platforms, and analytics capabilities · Drive data-driven decision making, leveraging cost intelligence across regions and projects · Ensure strong integration between Delivery, Finance, Legal, Development, Procurement, and Design Engineering Continuous Improvement & Cost Intelligence · Lead portfolio-level reviews of: o Estimate accuracy vs outturn o Cost performance trends o Commercial outcomes and dispute drivers · Embed lessons learned from estimating through delivery into future cost plans, procurement strategies, and contract models · Sponsor continuous improvement initiatives focused on: o Cost certainty o Speed of decision making o Reduction in commercial risk and variability · Build a culture of proactive cost intelligence rather than reactive cost control Senior Leadership & Influence · Act as the enterprise leader for cost, estimating, and commercial strategy · Guide executive stakeholders on: o Investment decisions o Cost-risk trade-offs o Market conditions and pricing dynamics · Set expectations for cost discipline and commercial rigour across all project stages · Build strong relationships with internal leaders and external partners · Champion Vantage’s values, while providing independent challenge and judgement Leadership Expectations & Ways of Working The Vice President is expected to: · Lead with strategic clarity across the full project lifecycle (concept to delivery) · Balance cost certainty, risk management, and delivery pragmatism · Drive early intervention rather than late-stage correction · Enable and empower teams across pre-construction and delivery · Coach and develop senior estimating and commercial talent · Foster a culture where cost and commercial discipline enables better outcomes Experience & Qualifications · Degree in Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management, Engineering, or similar (or equivalent senior-level experience) · 12+ years’ experience in senior cost, estimating, and commercial leadership roles · Proven track record of: o Leading pre-construction, estimating, and cost planning functions at scale o Managing contractual risk across large, complex capital programmes o Designing integrated cost and commercial governance frameworks · Experience operating at portfolio or enterprise level in a fast-growth environment · Strong understanding of market pricing, contractor behaviour, and procurement strategies · Willingness to travel internationally as required (typically Strategic Value of the Role (Exec Lens) This role: · Embeds cost certainty from concept stage, not just cost control during delivery · Protects hundreds of millions in capital investment · Enables scalable growth through repeatable, data-driven cost models · Reduces volatility through better upfront estimating and risk pricing · Aligns development, design, procurement, and delivery through a single cost and commercial strategy · Creates greater confidence and speed in investment and executive decision making We operate with No Ego and No Arrogance. We work to build each other up and support one another, appreciating each other’s strengths and respecting each other’s weaknesses. We find joy in our work and each other, actively seeking opportunities to inject fun into what we do. Our hard and efficient work is rewarded with an above market total compensation package. We offer a comprehensive suite of health and welfare, retirement, and paid leave benefits exceeding local expectations. Throughout the year, the advantage of being part of the Vantage team is evident with an array of benefits, recognition, training and development, and the knowledge that your contribution adds value to the company and our community. Don't meet all the requirements? Please still apply if you think you are the right person for the position. We are always keen to speak to people who connect with our mission and values. Vantage Data Centers is an Equal Opportunity Employer Vantage Data Centers does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firm agencies. Fees will not be paid in the event a candidate submitted by a recruiter without an agreement in place is hired; such resumes will be deemed the sole property of Vantage Data Centers.