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Location: Chorley, UK
Our client is a privately owned, highly respected, and award-winning infrastructure contractor operating across the public, private, and third sectors. Experiencing rapid expansion across the North West, they have earned a national reputation for delivering safe, high-quality civil engineering, highways, water, energy, and infrastructure projects on time and to budget.
The business is built on a strong, down-to-earth culture centered around core values of trust, hard work, pride, and collaborative success. They foster a supportive environment where staff are nurtured, developed, and given the operational autonomy to deliver results.
ROLE PURPOSE
The Estimator will play a central role in the company's work-winning strategy, taking ownership of the full tendering process from initial enquiry through to tender submission and project handover.
Operating within a collaborative pre-construction team, the successful candidate will prepare accurate, first-principles estimates for varied infrastructure schemes. This role is vital to securing profitable growth, developing value-engineering solutions, and ensuring seamless transitions to post-award delivery teams.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
- Tender Ownership & Management: Lead and manage the full tendering process from initial client enquiry and allocation through to final submission.
- First-Principles Estimating: Produce detailed, accurate, and competitive cost estimates based on direct pricing of labour, plant, materials, subcontractors, preliminaries, temporary works, and production outputs.
- Documentation & Technical Reviews: Analyze drawings, specifications, contract documents, and Bills of Quantities (BOQs) using recognized industry methods of measurement (e.g., CESMM, MCHW).
- Commercial Strategy & Risk Management: Identify, evaluate, and manage tender risks, opportunities, exclusions, and commercial assumptions. Participate actively in bid/no-bid decisions, risk reviews, and tender settlement meetings.
- Supply Chain Engagement: Issue enquiries to sub-contractors and suppliers, critically analyzing and negotiating quotes to ensure optimal value and compliance.
- Client & Stakeholder Relations: Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with clients, consultants, and internal project delivery teams. Present and defend tender pricing strategies during internal adjudication and client clarification meetings.
- Project Handover: Lead internal tender handover meetings with Quantity Surveyors, Contracts Managers, and operational teams upon project win, producing detailed documentation on price breakdowns, assumptions, and risks.
- Continuous Improvement: Support ongoing enhancements to estimating templates, historical cost databases, and work-winning workflows.
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CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS & CRITERIA
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Mandatory Requirements:
- Experience / Qualification: HNC/HND or Degree in Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, or a related discipline OR 5+ years of proven estimator experience within the construction/civil engineering sector.
- Sector Background: Proven track record estimating within civil engineering, highways, earthworks, drainage, reinforced concrete, water, energy, or general infrastructure projects.
- Pricing Methodology: Demonstrated experience producing competitive tenders from first principles rather than relying solely on high-level rates or historical estimates.
- Procurement Knowledge: Sound understanding of construction methodology, programme build-up, labour/plant productivity rates, material pricing, and sub-contractor procurement.
- IT Capability: Advanced skills in MS Excel and proficiency with recognized estimating software systems (e.g., Causeway, Candy, Conquest, Trimble, Benchmark, or similar cost models).
- Commute & Mobility: Practical commute distance to Chorley, Lancashire, with a full UK driving licence to facilitate occasional site visits and client meetings.
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