Managing Quantity Surveyor in Chelmsford, Essex

Job Type: Permanent

Location: Essex

Start Date: August/Sept 2026 onwards (flexible)

Salary: c£85k-£95k basic (DOE) plus competitive package including allowance, healthcare, pension.

Company & Project: A successful and award-winning Tier 1 Main Contractor operating across Essex is currently recruiting for a Managing Quantity Surveyor to oversee c£60m worth of New Build projects, currently in the 2nd stage and moving to site in Autumn 2026. The client has a secure order book across multiple sectors including Education, Healthcare and Higher Education.

The Managing Quantity Surveyor will be overseeing projects starting in pre-construction and moving to site; therefore, experience working with Pre-construction services agreements (PCSA) is essential for this position.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Lead the end-to-end procurement of work packages, including defining scopes, identifying suitable subcontractors, and tender reconciliations.
• Manage the project budget as the design progresses from RIBA Stage 3 to 4.
• Proactively identify cost-saving opportunities and alternative construction methods to align the design with the client's budget without compromising quality.
• Quantify commercial risks.
• Coordinate with the design team, managing subcontractor design fees and liabilities.
• Act as the commercial lead in transitioning the project to the main contract, negotiating preliminaries, overheads, and profit to secure a fair and profitable Second Stage award.
• Manage all daily commercial management functions, including measurement & valuations, applications for payment, reconciling accounts, dealing with sub-contract orders and enquiries, through to practical completion of the project, and settling final accounts.

Previous experience on projects £20m+ as Number 1 QS is essential, along with working on 2-stage projects/with PCSAs. As this position is a Management role, the successful candidate will be expected to manage 1-3 Quantity Surveyors assigned to the projects they are responsible for.

Desirable Experience:

• Minimum 7-10 years+ experience as a QS working for a Main Contractor.
• Excellent negotiation skills and previous experience procuring subcontractors.
• Experience working with Pre-construction services agreements (PCSA).
• Previous Roles: Managing Quantity Surveyor OR Senior Quantity Surveyor OR Commercial Manager OR Project QS OR Senior Cost Manager.

Qualifications & Skills:

• Degree in Quantity Surveying or Construction Management or comparable qualification including HNC, BTEC, NVQ or MSc.
• This Main Contractor is also keen to support any employee looking to undertake their RICS or CIOB chartership.

Application Process:

If you would like more information on this Managing Quantity Surveyor position or any other vacancy please email your current CV through to; where it will be reviewed and you will be contacted within 48 hours if your CV is of interest.