Estimator

Purpose and Scope of Role: Working independently or within wider project teams, performing the estimating function during various stages of the project life cycle.

Main Responsibilities:

• Managing the estimating process within the assigned project, providing timely and informative reporting updates as required.
• Implementing estimating strategies to inform cost planning throughout the project lifecycle in compliance with prescribed project stage gates.
• Providing estimating guidance to the project team.
• Providing clear and accurate estimating within the project, including baseline production, maintenance, and variance analysis.
• Ensuring consistent compliance with project plans, processes, and procedures at all times.
• Undertaking and supervising measurement, production of Bills of Quantities, and associated preamble notes in accordance with standard methods of measurement relevant to the sector (e.g., MMHW, CESMM, NRM, etc.).
• Understanding obligations and conducting checks on Bills of Quantities and associated documentation prepared by others.
• Codifying measured works items to prescribed cost and work breakdown structures.
• Understanding cost data and other records, including taking actions to address source data errors, omissions, and inconsistencies.
• Preparing estimates and cost reports, including the collation of supporting documentation.
• Managing project cost plans, including analysis of estimating data to identify opportunities, variances, issues, and trends throughout the project lifecycle.
• Validating estimating source data using benchmarks or other comparisons to assess value for money on the allocated project.
• Liaising with other estimators to ensure consistency and share best practice.
• Providing estimating support to enable pricing of value engineering and opportunity initiatives.
• Producing overall project design-to-cost metrics on a routine and ad-hoc basis.
• Collaborating and liaising regularly with key teams within the wider project to ensure delivery of estimating requirements within specified deadlines.
• Managing document control and registers, including maintenance of schedules and documentation.
• Working to and measuring performance against budgets and timescales as agreed with senior managers.
• Attending client meetings and presenting findings, including obtaining feedback and making recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Supporting and collaborating with the wider team, including supervision of trainees and assistant quantity surveyors.
• Attending client engagement events.

Training:

• Completion of additional training as instructed by the business in a timely manner.

Health, Safety and Wellbeing:

• Taking reasonable care to ensure own and others' health and safety by following our client's Health & Safety and Environmental policies.
• Liaising with the appointed Office Health & Safety Coordinator in all matters relating to health and safety, including following safe working procedures at all times and not interfering with measures in place to protect health, safety, or welfare.
• Advocating and promoting our client's wellbeing strategy and policies.

Quality Assurance:

• Responsibility for operating in accordance with our client's Quality Management System requirements; understanding the importance of activities and their impact, while ensuring effective contribution toward meeting quality objectives.

General/Other:

• Adherence at all times to our client's policies and procedures, including but not limited to Code of Ethics, Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity, Data Protection, and Anti-Corruption and Bribery policies.
• Undertaking duties in a manner that enhances both client satisfaction and our client's reputation.
• Undertaking all other reasonable duties as assigned by management.

Education / Professional Qualifications:

• A minimum of 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) at grade 4 or above, including English, Maths, and Science.
• Degree educated, preferably with a 2:1 classification.
• Membership of a recognised industry body (e.g., RICS, ACE, etc.).

Additional Skills or Experience:

• Estimating and construction experience.
• Essential industry experience demonstrating technical skill, experience, and competence.
• Demonstrable experience producing target prices and working within various standard Methods of Measurement.
• Sound experience in undertaking and supervising measurement, preparing Bills of Quantities, estimate production, and maintaining cost plans.
• Competent IT skills - proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel essential), proprietary measurement software (RIPAC, Bluebeam, etc.), and estimating software such as CostX, Candy, or Causeway. Experience with ProjectWise, SharePoint, and AutoCAD is advantageous but not essential.

Person Specification:

• Good communication and interpersonal skills - able to contribute effectively both orally and in writing.
• Strong organisational skills - capable of working independently and within wider project teams to manage competing deadlines.
• Strong team working skills - proactive and willing to support junior team members.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Confident and innovative - able to proactively suggest and implement improvements.
• Flexible approach - able to meet challenging deadlines, often at short notice.