Turner & Townsend

A UK-founded project, programme and cost management consultancy headquartered in Leeds, with 16 UK offices and about 4,500 UK staff.

About Turner & Townsend

Turner & Townsend plans, manages and delivers complex projects and portfolios across infrastructure, real estate, defence, energy and natural resources. Its services include project management, cost and commercial management, programme advisory, procurement and supply chain, construction management, digital work and sustainability. It uses a data-driven technology platform so clients can see cost, risk and performance. Projects named in a profile include The Shard in London, work on Heathrow's investment programme, the Lower Thames Crossing and the refurbishment of 10 Downing Street.

The firm started in 1946 in Darlington, in North East England, as a quantity surveying partnership called Turner & Ing, founded by Cornelius Turner, Francis Ing and Geoff Townsend. It took its present name in 1956 and opened its first overseas office in Johannesburg in 1982. Its UK page describes the firm as a "people business" that values problem-solving, innovation and collaboration, and its tagline is "We transform together". We did not find a longer formal mission statement.

The firm's headquarters is in Leeds. Its UK page lists 16 offices: Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Plymouth, Sheffield and Teesside. The UK team is about 4,500 people according to the company, and over 20,000 people are listed worldwide in 2025 by Wikipedia. The firm is described as a business with global reach that still depends on strong local teams.

As a people business, it puts weight on teamwork, and its UK page presents itself as inclusive and collaborative. The pages we read gave no detail on social-value or community programmes, so we have not described any. The best way to get a feel for the working style is to look at the firm's own website and at the projects it publicises.

Typical roles include quantity surveyors and cost consultants, who work out what a building or infrastructure project will cost and track the money as it is built, project and programme managers, planners and schedulers, commercial managers, and sustainability and digital specialists. It is a good fit if you enjoy organising people, numbers and timelines rather than drawing. Support teams in finance, legal, technology and people services are also part of the business. Because the firm manages programmes for public bodies and private clients alike, the work ranges from hospitals and data centres to energy and defence sites.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Planning and delivering large construction and infrastructure projects.', 'title': 'Project and programme management'}
• {'desc': 'Estimating, controlling and reporting the cost of projects.', 'title': 'Cost and commercial management'}
• {'desc': 'Programme advice, procurement, supply chain and sustainability support using a data platform.', 'title': 'Advisory and digital'}

Key facts

• Founded in 1946 in Darlington as Turner & Ing; renamed Turner & Townsend in 1956
• Headquartered in Leeds with 16 UK offices and a UK team of about 4,500 people
• Over 20,000 employees worldwide in 2025 (Wikipedia)
• Projects include The Shard, Heathrow investment work and the Lower Thames Crossing

Website: www.turnerandtownsend.com