Jonathan brings over 20 years of construction industry experience to the role, along with a proven track record of building high-performing teams and delivering complex projects across a range of sectors.

A career built from the ground up 

Jonathan’s connection with construction started from an early age. Growing up working in the family construction business alongside his father and grandfather, he spent his early years labouring on building sites and later qualified as a bricklayer. After broadening his experience in finance, Jonathan returned to construction in his mid-twenties, completing an HNC before securing his first role as an Assistant Quantity Surveyor. 

His early career included roles at Monaghan’s in Sheffield and Turner & Townsend, alongside a period client-side at Sheffield Hallam University, where he led cost management and public procurement for the estates department.  

Shaping teams and delivering at scale 

In 2016, Jonathan joined Capita (subsequently acquired by WSP) as Associate Director of Project Management, where he spent eight years delivering across education and private residential development. A particular focus was the delivery of large-scale, purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), including a landmark 40-storey tower adjacent to the Shard in London which houses 905 students. He also worked on similar schemes in Copenhagen and the Netherlands, exporting the PBSA model to European markets where it was still an emerging concept. 

A defining feature of Jonathan’s time at WSP was his ability to grow a team. Joining a Sheffield office of seven, he scaled the team to 18 – developing capability, broadening their client base, and ultimately leaving the team in excellent shape before moving on to Turner & Townsend as Director of Cost Management. His most recent project has been heading up Turner & Townsend’s cost, commercial and project management function at Sheffield Forgemasters – a strategically significant, MOD-backed industrial regeneration project. 

What drew me to Ridge was the opportunity to be part of something with real growth potential. The Leeds cost management team is in a great position, and I’m looking forward to contributing to that next chapter. Building up a team is something I genuinely enjoy. 

 

Beyond the team opportunity, Ridge’s multidisciplinary offer was a significant draw. A lot of my residential sector work starts with technical due diligence, and being able to cover design, civils, structures, M&E and geospatial under one roof is genuinely compelling – it’s a capability I’m keen to make the most of.”

 

Jonathan Telling, Cost Management Partner, Leeds 

Sector expertise 

Jonathan’s sector experience spans three principal areas: higher and further education, private residential development, and defence. His work at Sheffield Forgemasters represents his most in-depth immersion in heavy industry and defence-adjacent environments, navigating MOD requirements and JSP’s (Joint Service Publications) alongside the considerable complexities of live industrial sites. 

I’m really pleased to welcome Jonathan to the Ridge team in Leeds. He brings an impressive depth of experience – from delivering complex, large-scale projects to building and growing high-performing teams – and that combination is exactly what we were looking for. Jonathan’s track record across residential development, education and defence, coupled with his hands-on approach and commercial sharpness, makes him a brilliant addition to our cost management offer. I’m looking forward to seeing what he and the team achieve together.

 

Jason Howard, Cost Management Equity Partner, Leeds