Senior Estimator

We are currently recruiting for an experienced Senior Estimator / Senior Cost Planner to join our Construction South business – based out of our Dartford Office. We deliver projects across multiple sectors, and this will be a hybrid role with a mix of office-based and remote working. It\’s an exciting time to join our business, which has a solid current workbook, coupled with a strong pipeline portfolio for the next 2 to 3 years and beyond.

As the successful Senior Estimator, you will calculate the build cost for our customers, ensuring we deliver the right net cost, on time, and to the highest quality for cost accuracy. You will collaborate with the wider preconstruction team and supply chain partners to ensure that we provide an accurate cost in line with the customer’s requirements, project scope and current legislation. Ensuring the service and standards we provide place customer value at the forefront of delivering a perfect product.

The Project

Some of the key duties/responsibilities will include:

• Ensure that all costs on the project are in accordance with the project scope, the customer’s requirements and current legislation.
• Collaborate with the wider preconstruction team to secure and convert tender projects.
• Create robust accurate cost plans through the various design gateways up to target price.
• Guide the design team and inform the customer with respect to affordability.
• Use technical experience to identify opportunities and risks along with solutions to add value.
• Support the design discipline by costing change control items as identified and track through the RIBA Stages.
• Complete or manage project take–offs to the required level of detail (SMM7/NRM2/building quants).
• Provide a complete and robust cost information pack during the substantiation process to the commercial build team at handover, to include completed comparisons, bills of quantities, tender book and quotations.
• Collaborate with the design lead to capture and include design fees in the tender summary book (consultants, statutory authorities, surveys, schedules, and the like).
• Assist in the change control process, identifying design changes between RIBA stages, advising on the impact of the change and approximate cost.
• Carry out cost assessments on alternative design solutions to inform the final design and project/customer budget.

Essential and Desirable Criteria

• Strong end to end tendering – Conquest or similar
• Cost Planning – MS Excel or similar
• Measurement – use of Cost X or similar
• Good numeracy skills and written and spoken English.
• 5 GCSEs (A-C Grade) or equivalent, including maths.
• A BTEC in Building Studies, Building Engineering or Building Management or a HNC/HND/Degree in Quantity Surveying/Construction Management/Civil Engineering (or equivalent work experience)

• Working towards MCIOB / MRICS.

Personal Qualities

• Lead by example, take responsibility to make things happen and hold myself accountable for delivering work to the highest standards.

• Skilled communicator, able to deliver messages effectively and understand others through open and honest conversations.

• Embrace challenges, learn from setbacks, and consistently seek new ways to make our business more successful.

• Analytical skills – ability to analyse project specifications and technical documents to accurately estimate cost.

• Attention to detail – precision in reviewing project details and understanding scope of work and considering all relevant factors that affect cost.

• Mathematical proficiency – strong mathematical skills are essential for calculations.

• Resourcefulness – ability to gather and utilise information from multiple sources.

• Time management – efficiently manage time to meet deadlines and deliver estimated cost on time.

Additional Information

Willmott Dixon embraces diversity in the workplace and will consider flexible and agile working. We are a disability confident employer.

Benefits: In return we reward our people generously with a competitive package that gives you flexible benefits to fit your lifestyle and priorities. This includes but is not limited to, an enhanced pension scheme, full / heavily discounted private medical, life assurance, incentive bonus and a car scheme which will make us a market leader in sustainable company travel. Applicable roles will benefit from a motoring expenditure allowance (MEA) and everyone can access a new generation of low carbon and electric cars via the Willmott Dixon run car leasing scheme.

About Us

With over 170 years of rich history, Willmott Dixon’s purpose is beyond profit; delivering brilliant buildings, transforming lives, strengthening communities and enhancing the environment so our world is fit for future generations. Ensuring that we add lasting value to the neighbourhoods we work in; our values, people, innovation, partnerships and focus on sustainability has allowed us to build a successful and solid privately owned business where our people can thrive.

Willmott Dixon was recognised by The Sunday Times as one of the Top 10 \”Big\” Companies to Work For in 2025, named among the Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality in 2024, and ranked in the Top Five of Europe’s 1,000 best workplaces by the Financial Times in 2025.

Willmott Dixon is also the first major contractor and developer to win a King\’s Award for Enterprise in the category of sustainable development.

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