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- Tasks: Lead the creation of competitive bids and develop pricing strategies for various projects.
- Company: Join Mears Group, a leader in social housing and community support.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days annual leave, private medical, and a generous pension scheme.
- Why this job: Shape commercial strategies and make a real impact in the housing sector.
- Qualifications: Extensive estimating experience in social housing and strong leadership skills required.
- Other info: Flexible remote work with opportunities for professional development and community volunteering.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Location: Homebased – Remote, with UK travel
Contract: Full-time, Permanent
Hours: 40 per week, Monday to Friday
Salary: Competitive, plus £6,900 car allowance
About the role
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
- Commercial leadership
- 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
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 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.
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 in Gloucester employer: Mears Group PLC
Contact Detail:
Mears Group PLC Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Estimating in Gloucester
✨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 the company inside out. Understand their projects, values, and recent news. This will help you tailor your responses and show them you’re genuinely interested in being part of their team.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how your experience aligns with their needs, especially around commercial strategy and estimating methodologies. Confidence is key, so rehearse until it feels natural.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way in keeping you top of mind. Plus, it shows your enthusiasm for the position and the company.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Estimating in Gloucester
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 projects you've led. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: As a potential leader, it's crucial to demonstrate your ability to mentor and develop teams. Share examples of how you've built high-performing teams and fostered collaboration in your previous roles. We love seeing that passion for people development!
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. Use clear language to explain your experience and achievements, especially around pricing strategies and value engineering. We appreciate clarity and precision!
Apply Through Our Website: Don't forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way to ensure we receive your details directly. Plus, it shows you're keen on joining our team at Mears Group!
How to prepare for a job interview at Mears Group PLC
✨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 delivered 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 technical excellence within your team, as well as how you identify and address capability gaps.
✨Understand the Tender Lifecycle
Familiarise yourself with the end-to-end tender lifecycle, from pricing to mobilisation. Prepare to discuss your experience in post-tender negotiations and how you've ensured compliance and sound commercial proposals in previous roles.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
You'll be presenting commercial proposals to senior management, so practice simplifying complex commercial reasoning. Think about how you've engaged with internal teams and supply chain partners to shape strategic bid decisions and secure competitive pricing.
