At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead commercial strategies and manage risk in defence infrastructure projects.
- Company: Join Mott MacDonald, a leader in project and programme management.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, generous holiday, and health benefits.
- Other info: Flexible working options and strong focus on professional development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the defence sector while advancing your career.
- Qualifications: Degree qualified with significant quantity surveying experience and NEC accreditation.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 70000 £ per year.
- Recruiter contact: Aoife Cullen
- About the business unit
Mott Mac Donald’s Advisory and Programme Delivery (APD) unit delivers project, programme & commercial management (PPCM) services and advisory solutions across the built environment, defence, energy, water, environmental, transportation, health and care sectors.
Overview of the role
Due to continued growth in our defence portfolio, we are seeking an experienced Senior Quantity Surveyor to join our team.
This senior commercial leadership role supports complex programmes across defence infrastructure, defence equipment delivery, and defence nuclear environments.
You will play a pivotal role in delivering robust commercial strategies, managing risk, and acting as a trusted advisor to defence clients, ensuring value‑for‑money outcomes across critical national programmes.
- Defence sector focus
- Estate‑wide infrastructure modernisation programmes
- Support to defence equipment programmes and facilities integration
- Specialist defence nuclear infrastructure, including submarine and dockyard facilities
- Complex, multi‑year capital investment programmes
The Senior Quantity Surveyor will take a leading role in commercial delivery across defence programmes.
The role focuses on strategic cost management, NEC contract leadership, and client‑facing commercial assurance within complex and secure environments.
Key responsibilities and duties include
- Lead the administration of NEC3/NEC4 contracts across defence programmes
- Provide senior commercial leadership on infrastructure, equipment, and nuclear‑related projects
- Own cost forecasting, reporting and financial governance at project/programme level
- Lead valuation of works and ensure robust commercial reporting
- Act as a trusted commercial advisor to clients and stakeholders, including MOD‑facing teams
- Drive value engineering and commercial efficiency across delivery partners
- Lead change management, risk mitigation and contract compliance
- Mentor and support junior QS staff
- Ensure compliance with defence assurance, security and governance processes
- Candidate specifications
Essential
- Degree qualified (or equivalent)
- Significant experience in quantity surveying/commercial roles
- NEC ECC accreditation with strong senior‑level NEC3/NEC4 experience; Chartered (MRICS) or close to completion
- Experience delivering commercial management on complex, high‑value programmes in regulated environments
- Strong capability in cost control, forecasting and valuation across lifecycle stages
- Experience managing cash‑flow, governance and commercial risk; experience using CEMAR
- Strong stakeholder engagement and leadership capability
- Advanced Microsoft Office capability
- Hands‑on NEC ECC/PSC experience
Desirable
- Experience administering contracts using Thinkproject Contracts
- NEC Project Manager Accreditation
- Experience working within defence environments (infrastructure, equipment, or defence nuclear)
- Experience supporting programme‑level commercial delivery
- Experience mentoring or managing junior team members
Please note that offers for this role are conditional upon obtaining the appropriate level of security clearance.
Benefits
- Financial wellbeing
- Matching employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%
- Life assurance equal up to 4× basic salary; option to increase cover to 6× salary
- Income protection scheme with financial benefit and return‑to‑work support
- Flexible benefits including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing
- Annual bonus schemes shared by the business
- Health and wellbeing
- Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues
- Health cash plan for everyday health costs and treatments
- Wellbeing support through Peppy and comprehensive wellbeing programme
- Ability to flex salary to opt into a range of health benefits, many extendable to family
- Life‑style and family benefits
- Minimum of 33‑35 days holiday each year (inclusive of public holidays)
- 10 additional paid days for Armed Forces reservists and Cadet Force adult volunteers
- Holiday entitlement increases to 35 days after 5 years’ service
- Employee saving schemes and discounts from retailers
- Enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity leave (up to 26 weeks paid maternity, 2 weeks paid paternity)
- Additional days for caring responsibilities; some paid
- Policies supporting military families
- Learning and development
- Primary annual professional institution subscription
- Opportunities to enhance technical and soft skills through mentoring and formal training
- Equality, diversity, and inclusion
Mott Mac Donald promotes fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all.
We welcome and encourage diverse candidates, including those from under‑represented groups.
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Senior Quantity Surveyor employer: Mott MacDonald
At Mott MacDonald, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a collaborative and inclusive work culture that empowers our employees to thrive. With a strong focus on professional development, we provide ample opportunities for growth within the energy sector, particularly in high-voltage transmission systems. Our UK-wide presence allows for diverse project experiences, making it an exciting place to contribute to the global energy transition while working alongside industry experts.
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We think this is how you could land Senior Quantity Surveyor
✨Join Construction Networks
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We think you need these skills to ace Senior Quantity Surveyor
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Relevant Experience:In the construction industry, it's essential to highlight any hands-on experience you have. Whether it’s past projects you've worked on or specific roles you've held, make sure your CV emphasises your practical skills and contributions to construction sites.
Include Certifications and Qualifications:Don’t forget to list any certifications relevant to construction, like CSCS cards or other safety qualifications. These can really set you apart from other candidates and show that you’re serious about health and safety on-site.
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How to prepare for a job interview at Mott MacDonald
✨Brush Up on Technical Knowledge
For a construction role, it's crucial we have a solid grasp of industry standards, safety protocols, and specific tools used on-site. Make sure you're familiar with relevant regulations and can talk confidently about them, as these often come up in interviews.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Since this is a full-time position, be ready to discuss any previous construction projects you've worked on. Bring a portfolio or have detailed descriptions that highlight your role, the challenges you faced, and how you overcame them—this’ll show you’re not just book-smart but also practically savvy.
✨Understand the Team Dynamics
Construction is all about teamwork, so prepare to discuss how you interact with different stakeholders like architects, engineers, and contractors. Maybe think of examples from past experiences to illustrate your ability to communicate and collaborate effectively.
✨Prepare for On-the-Spot Problem Solving
Be ready for some practical questions or scenarios where you'll need to demonstrate your problem-solving skills. Interviewers might present you with a hypothetical construction issue to solve, so practice articulating your thought process clearly and logically—this could really set you apart!
