Cost Lead
$160k - $250k USD
About Fluidstack
At Fluidstack, we’re building the infrastructure for abundant intelligence. We partner with top AI labs, governments, and enterprises - including Mistral, Poolside, Black Forest Labs, Meta, and more - to unlock compute at the speed of light.
We’re working with urgency to make AGI a reality. As such, our team is highly motivated and committed to delivering world-class infrastructure. We treat our customers’ outcomes as our own, taking pride in the systems we build and the trust we earn. If you’re motivated by purpose, obsessed with excellence, and ready to work very hard to accelerate the future of intelligence, join us in building what's next.
About the Role
As Cost Lead, you will own cost management across our data center portfolio — from early-stage budgeting and estimating through construction and final account. You'll set up process where it doesn't exist, build benchmarks from scratch, and serve as the Cost Lead of our delivery program. You'll work closely with project managers, A/E design teams, GCs, and other Leads to keep every project on-budget and every decision grounded in credible numbers.
Own cost planning across all project phases — from concept and pre-design through construction documents and GMP negotiation
Develop detailed estimates for civil, structural, MEP, HV/LV power, cooling, fuel systems, and shell construction
Maintain real-time cost forecasts across all active projects; track actuals vs. budget and surface variances early
Own change order review: assess scope validity, commercial accuracy, and contract entitlement before recommending approval
Prepare executive-level cost reports across the portfolio — clear, scannable, exception-based
Manage contingency tracking and cost risk registers across project phases
Lead value engineering exercises with design and construction teams to optimise cost without compromising scope or schedule
Support GC and subcontractor procurement: bid leveling, scope gap analysis, and contract negotiation input
Advise on contract structure and commercial risk allocation across delivery models
Build the cost management function from the ground up: tools, templates, workflows, and reporting cadence
Establish and maintain a unit cost benchmark database covering key DC cost categories — from $/MW to equipment and trade breakdowns
Contribute to precon planning on new sites, including order-of-magnitude estimates to support site selection and investment decisions
Qualifications:
Experience with cost management, quantity surveying, or construction estimating
Meaningful hands-on experience on data center or mission-critical construction — hyperscale, colo, or large-scale build-to-suit
Owner-side experience strongly preferred; GC or QS consulting backgrounds considered if DC domain knowledge is deep
Deep understanding of the DC cost stack: civil, structural, MEP, HV/LV power, cooling (CRAC/CRAH, DLC, immersion), emergency power, and IT fit-out
Understands how design decisions — power density, redundancy tier, cooling strategy — translate directly to capital cost
Comfortable benchmarking at $/MW, $/SF, and $/kW; knows what drives variation between projects
Strong change order discipline: can assess pricing validity, identify scope gaps, and document entitlement
Familiar with GMP, lump sum, and cost-plus contract structures
Proficient with cost management tooling (Procore, Sage, or equivalent); can build process from scratch
Degree in construction management, quantity surveying, engineering, or related field
Builder mindset — comfortable setting up function and process where little exists, and operating with urgency in a fast-moving program
Salary & Benefits
Competitive total compensation package (salary + equity).
Retirement or pension plan, in line with local norms.
Health, dental, and vision insurance.
Generous PTO policy, in line with local norms.
The base salary range for this position is $160,000 - $250,000 per year, depending on experience, skills, qualifications, and location. This range represents our good faith estimate of the compensation for this role at the time of posting. Total compensation may also include equity in the form of stock options.
We are committed to pay equity and transparency.
We are committed to pay equity and transparency.
Fluidstack is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans’ status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Fluidstack will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records pursuant to applicable law.
You will receive a confirmation email once your application has successfully been accepted. If there is an error with your submission and you did not receive a confirmation email, please email careers@fluidstack.io with your resume/CV, the role you've applied for, and the date you submitted your application-- someone from our recruiting team will be in touch.