Quantity Surveyor

PURPOSE OF THE JOB Responsible for providing all quantity surveying duties in relation to housing survey, design, investment and asset management and providing professional guidance and support to the Quantity Surveyors. Provides professional quantity surveying principles and methodologies to facilitate valuation, cost planning and cost control of planned preventative maintenance, repairs and refurbishment programmes.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Provide expert and professional advice to other professionals and managers on quality surveying and cost planning aspects of planned preventative maintenance, repairs and refurbishment programmes, contracts and work packages.
• Provide high level expertise to ensure appropriate systems are in place so that senior managers are regularly briefed on performance, kept informed about progress and given timely advice on policy options and their implementation so that reports can be prepared for the council and others, including tenant groups.
• Responsible for the preparation of pricing documentation and management of budgets of up to £12m, and control budget expenditure by the careful management and costing of variations.
• Appoint and manage internal and external consultants and suppliers providing a range of services, including allocation of work to sub-contractors.
• Issue and receipt documents and/or work packages and preparation of tender reports and recommendations and responsible for preparing and agreeing service provider valuations, contract disputes and final accounts.
• Undertake Value Engineering and risk identification of project costs and to ensure risks are mitigated and the Council receives value for money.
• Preparation of estimates and notices for HOU/Leaseholders and final costs for HOU and preparing complex reports as an expert witness at the LVT.
• Give leadership to and manage, motivate and co-ordinate the work of internal and external consultants and/or staff responsible to the Quantity Surveyor including recruitment, appraisal, performance management and training and development.
• Advise on, and contribute to, the development of long-term strategic plans for the provision and maintenance of the housing assets. This should include preparation of medium to long-term capital expenditure forecasts to inform the Councils strategic planning.
• To calculate payments to internal and external consultants within prescribed authority limits. To comply with audit recommendations, in order to implement new financial controls and procedures and safeguard the Councils assets.
• Overarching responsibility for the cost control of contracts across the Housing Management Division, providing commercial advice on project costing and benchmarking information.
• Implement and manage a performance management framework to ensure that service design and specification provision achieves targets set and evaluate the effectiveness of contracts, service providers, products and consultants.

Knowledge, including educational qualifications:

• Knowledge of current relevant building contracts, building standards, housing legislation and social issues impacting on service design delivery.
• Knowledge of cost modelling systems and their implementation.
• Knowledge of leaseholder legislation and associated financial administration.
• Knowledge of procurement procedures and contract management in a construction environment.
• Knowledge of preparing complex tender and financial/cost reports.
• Educated to degree level in quantity surveying with a surveying qualification; e.g. RICS; or relevant experience working at a suitable level in a similar environment.

Experience:

• Extensive experience of working in a professional quantity surveying environment.
• Experience of successfully managing quantity surveying on large major works and related works programmes.
• Experience of preparing complex financial and cost reports.
• Experience of dealing with complex contractual and financial disputes.