Quantity Surveyor in Salisbury

Job Title: Quantity Surveyor / Senior Quantity Surveyor – Groundworks

Location: Taunton / M5 Corridor

Salary: £45,000 – £80,000 + car / allowance + package (DOE)

Contract Type: Full-time, Permanent

The Role

Our client is a long-established, privately owned groundworks and civil engineering contractor delivering residential groundworks packages for major housebuilders across the South West. They\’re looking to appoint a Quantity Surveyor or Senior Quantity Surveyor to take commercial ownership of multiple sites along the Taunton / M5 corridor, managing schemes from tender handover through to final account.

This is a hands-on position, best suited to someone who thrives in a fast-paced subcontractor environment and is comfortable juggling several live sites while keeping a tight grip on costs, cash flow and client relationships.

Key Responsibilities

• Commercial management of multiple residential groundworks packages on housing developments.
• Preparing and submitting applications for payment, valuations and variations.
• Monitoring project costs and progress to ensure financial targets are met.
• Negotiating and procuring subcontract packages, including tender analysis and order placement.
• Preparing bills of quantities, schedules of work and cost plans.
• Producing monthly CVRs and forecasts, identifying risks and opportunities.
• Managing change control, claims and final accounts.
• Working closely with site teams, clients, engineers and other stakeholders to resolve issues promptly.
• Ensuring adherence to contract conditions, company procedures and commercial best practice.

At Senior QS level, you\’ll typically lead the commercial delivery across larger or multiple schemes and support in mentoring junior / intermediate QSs.

What You\’ll Bring

• Proven experience as a Quantity Surveyor or Senior QS with a groundworks contractor – this role is not aimed at big infrastructure QSs or client-side / housebuilder QSs.
• Background in residential / housebuilding projects, including roads, sewers, drainage, foundations and externals.
• Minimum 3–5 years\’ experience in a similar role – not suitable for entry-level or graduate candidates.
• Strong commercial acumen and solid understanding of NEC / JCT contracts and subcontract arrangements.
• Confident managing applications, variations, CVRs, forecasting, procurement and final accounts.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work closely with site and client teams.
• Proficient in MS Office (Excel) and typical QS software such as Causeway or similar.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel between sites along the M5 corridor.
• Relevant qualification (HNC/HND/Degree in Quantity Surveying or similar) is preferred but not essential.

What\’s On Offer

• QS: £45,000 – £50,000 basic + car / allowance
• Senior QS: up to £80,000 basic + car / allowance
• 20 days\’ holiday for QS roles, increasing by one day per year to a maximum of 25 days; 25 days for Senior QS positions.
• Pension scheme.
• The opportunity to work on major housebuilding projects with leading developers in the region.

Call to Action

If you\’re a Quantity Surveyor or Senior QS with a strong groundworks background and you\’re looking for a long-term role on major residential schemes in the South West, we\’d love to hear from you. Contact William at Engineered Connections on 020 3834 9649 to find out more.