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- Tasks: Lead the estimating team and develop competitive bids for major contracts.
- Company: Join Mears Group, a leader in social housing and community services.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, generous leave, and family-friendly policies.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on the future of estimating and drive excellence.
- Qualifications: Extensive experience in social housing estimating and strong leadership skills.
- Other info: Remote work with UK travel and excellent career development opportunities.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
Mears Group is seeking an exceptional Head of Estimating to lead our commercial estimating and tendering function at a strategic level. This is a pivotal senior leadership role, shaping how we price, win and mobilise major contracts across the organisation. If you are commercially astute, influential at senior levels, and passionate about driving excellence in tendering, this is an opportunity to make a significant impact on the future growth of our business.
As Head of Estimating, you will take ownership of developing robust, compliant and commercially competitive bids across a wide range of workstreams, including Repairs & Maintenance (such as M&E and Planned Works), Central Government housing and support services, Decarbonisation and Net Zero programmes, and DLO support. You will shape the commercial strategy behind each opportunity, building cost models from first principles, driving value engineering, and ensuring risks and assumptions are clearly understood. Working closely with Business Development, Operations and Legal teams, you will influence strategic bid decisions and ensure our proposals support sustainable growth and margin protection. Your leadership will set the standard for commercial governance, pricing excellence and the continuous improvement of our estimating function.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the creation of high-quality commercial proposals tailored to individual opportunities
- Develop cost models from first principles and drive pricing strategy and value engineering
- Provide senior leadership with clear commercial analysis, risk positions and recommendations
- Partner with internal teams to shape strategic bid decisions and contract risk assessments
- Ensure all submissions are compliant, well-documented and commercially sound
- Lead competitive dialogue, clarifications, RFIs and post-tender negotiations
- Oversee commercial review of contracts and legal documentation
- Enhance estimating methodologies, tools, templates and documentation standards
- Present commercial proposals to Directors and the Senior Management Team
- Embed tender assumptions and methodologies into mobilisation and operational teams
- Engage with supply chain partners to secure competitive and deliverable pricing
- Play a key role in mobilisation of successful tenders, challenging assumptions to drive profitability
- Translate estimating assumptions into operational cost monitoring
- Analyse outturn performance to inform future bids and build a commercial knowledge base
- Lead, mentor and develop the Estimating Team, fostering technical excellence and collaboration
- Identify capability gaps and champion learning, systems improvement and performance management
Essential Experience
- Extensive experience in social housing estimating, including expert knowledge of NHF Schedule of Rates
- Proven ability to develop pricing strategies and deliver value engineering solutions
- Strong track record in post-tender negotiations and contract award processes
- End-to-end tender lifecycle experience, from pricing to mobilisation
- Strong working knowledge of standard forms of contract
- Experience presenting commercial proposals at senior leadership level
- Ability to manage multiple bids under demanding deadlines
- Demonstrable leadership experience in building high-performing teams
Desirable
- Experience at Head of / Senior Manager level within a large contracting or housing services organisation
- Familiarity with sector-standard estimating systems and analytical tools
- Professional qualification in Quantity Surveying or Construction Management
Key Skills & Attributes
- Strategic commercial thinker with strong influencing capability
- Excellent communicator, able to simplify complex commercial reasoning
- High numerical accuracy and attention to detail
- Proactive problem solver committed to continuous improvement
- Collaborative leader with a passion for developing people
Benefits
- Family friendly policies, including enhanced maternity/paternity leave and much more
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
- 3 x Life assurance
- Family private medical
- £6,900 car allowance
- Generous Pension Scheme and sick pay
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Mears Rewards – discount voucher scheme for a host of household name retailers, including supermarkets, offering savings on purchases
- Excellent training and development opportunities
- Mears Fun Day - Our annual Fun Day is organised as a massive thank you from the Executive team for all the hard work!
- Volunteering Leave - Mears supports employees to undertake volunteering in the community for two days per year, in support of our social value commitment
If you’re ready to shape the future of estimating at Mears Group and lead a high-performing team in a role with real strategic influence, we’d love to hear from you.
All our roles require candidates to have the entitlement to work within the UK, Mears does not currently offer visa sponsorship.
To drive a Mears vehicle, you must be aged over 21 have held your licence over 3 months and have less than 9 points.
Candidates should be aware that all our roles are subject to relevant Background, Identity & Security checks before commencement of employment.
If you need any help with your application process, we are here to support you. We will be accessible every step of the way.
At Mears Group, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, we are a Disability Confident employer, valuing individuality and ensuring equal opportunities for all.
We proudly support the Armed Forces Covenant and are honoured to have achieved the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) to coincide with this, we hold an Endorser Award for the Career Transition Partnership, recognising our commitment to veterans transitioning into civilian careers.
In our continued effort to promote social mobility, we invite applicants to voluntarily share their background information during the application stages to help us better understand the diverse experiences of our candidates. This is to ensure we are committed to improving social mobility.
Head of Estimating employer: Livin Housing Limited
Contact Detail:
Livin Housing Limited Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Estimating
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend relevant events, and don’t be shy about asking for introductions. The more people you know, the better your chances of landing that Head of Estimating role.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching Mears Group thoroughly. Understand their projects, values, and recent news. This will help you tailor your responses and show that you're genuinely interested in shaping their estimating future.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to discuss your experience in social housing estimating and how you can drive value engineering. Highlight your leadership skills and how you’ve built high-performing teams in the past.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email reiterating your enthusiasm for the role can set you apart from other candidates. Plus, it shows your proactive attitude, which is key for a senior position like this.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Estimating
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Head of Estimating role. Highlight your experience in social housing estimating and any relevant leadership roles you've held. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; share specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to develop pricing strategies and lead successful tenders. Use numbers and examples to make your case compelling—this is your chance to shine!
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. Avoid jargon unless it's industry-specific and relevant. We appreciate straightforward communication, so make sure your key points stand out!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website for the best chance of success. It’s the easiest way for us to track your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. Don’t miss out!
How to prepare for a job interview at Livin Housing Limited
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Head of Estimating, you'll need to demonstrate your numerical accuracy and attention to detail. Brush up on key metrics and cost models relevant to the role. Be prepared to discuss how you’ve developed pricing strategies and value engineering solutions in past projects.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role requires strong leadership capabilities. Think about examples where you've led teams or mentored colleagues. Be ready to share how you foster collaboration and drive performance improvements within your team.
✨Understand the Tender Process
Familiarise yourself with the end-to-end tender lifecycle. Be prepared to discuss your experience with post-tender negotiations and how you've ensured compliance and sound commercial proposals in previous roles.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
You'll be presenting proposals to senior management, so practice simplifying complex commercial reasoning. Think of ways to effectively communicate your ideas and engage with various stakeholders, including internal teams and supply chain partners.
