The Lignum Group
Quantity Surveyor
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Senior Quantity Surveyor
Location: UK (Office-Based)
Hours: Full-time, Monday to Friday
Reports To: Commercial Manager
Role Purpose
The Senior Quantity Surveyor plays a critical role within the Commercial Department and is responsible for the commercial management and financial control of specialist construction projects throughout the full project lifecycle.
Working under the direction of the Commercial Manager, the Senior Quantity Surveyor will manage project costs, contractual compliance, valuations, variations, and final accounts to ensure projects are delivered profitably and in accordance with contractual obligations.
The role requires strong commercial judgement, contractual awareness, and the ability to work collaboratively with operations, design, procurement, and client teams to ensure the organisation's commercial interests are protected while maintaining positive working relationships with clients and main contractors.
This is a senior operational commercial position within the business and will play an important part in supporting the Commercial Manager with the day-to-day commercial management of projects.
Succession & Career Development Pathway
This role has been created as part of the organisation's commercial succession planning strategy.
The Senior Quantity Surveyor position is designed to provide a development pathway into a Commercial Manager role, with an expected development horizon of 6–18 months, subject to individual performance and business requirements.
During this period, the successful candidate will be expected to:
- Demonstrate the ability to independently manage multiple projects commercially.
- Develop deeper capability in contractual negotiations and commercial strategy.
- Contribute to commercial reporting and risk management at a departmental level.
- Support the Commercial Manager in mentoring junior Quantity Surveyors.
- Begin to take ownership of commercial leadership responsibilities on larger or higher-risk projects.
The intention is to provide structured exposure to the responsibilities of a Commercial Manager, enabling the development of future leadership capability from within the commercial team.
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This role represents a significant career progression opportunity for an experienced Quantity Surveyor seeking to move into commercial leadership within the specialist construction sector.
Key Responsibilities
Project Commercial Management
- Manage the commercial performance of allocated projects.
- Ensure projects are delivered within agreed budgets and commercial targets.
- Maintain clear visibility of project cost positions and forecast outcomes.
- Ensure projects remain financially controlled throughout the delivery lifecycle.
Contract Administration
- Review and understand contractual obligations under JCT, NEC and bespoke subcontract agreements.
- Ensure contractual entitlements are protected and obligations are complied with.
- Support contract negotiations where required.
- Maintain accurate commercial records of all contractual agreements.
Valuations & Applications
- Prepare and submit monthly payment applications in line with contractual requirements.
- Monitor certification of applications and proactively manage under-certification risks.
- Track payment status and support credit control activities where required.
Variations Management
- Identify, price and negotiate variations as they arise.
- Ensure variations are agreed and instructed wherever possible prior to implementation.
- Maintain variation registers and ensure variations maintain target project margins.
Cost Control & Reporting
- Monitor project costs and track performance against budgets.
- Assist in preparing monthly commercial reports and work-in-progress updates.
- Provide commercial input into project reviews and performance discussions.
Final Account Management
- Proactively manage the final account process throughout the project lifecycle.
- Ensure commercial issues are resolved progressively rather than left until project completion.
- Aim to achieve agreement of final accounts prior to project completion wherever possible.
Risk Management
- Identify commercial risks on projects and escalate where appropriate.
- Support the management of risk on higher-value projects.
- Ensure operational teams are aware of contractual constraints and commercial obligations.
Collaboration with Internal Teams
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- Work closely with:
- Operations teams
- Design teams
- Estimating teams
- Procurement teams
- Provide commercial input during project delivery and assist in resolving commercial issues.
Client Relationship Management
- Build and maintain professional working relationships with clients, contractors and consultants.
- Represent the business in a professional and commercially focused manner.
- Support the maintenance of strategic client relationships.
Supporting Commercial Department Development
- Assist in improving commercial processes and systems.
- Share best practice with other members of the commercial team.
- Support and mentor junior Quantity Surveyors where appropriate.
Qualifications
Required
- A-Level education or equivalent.
Desirable
- Construction-related qualifications.
Experience
Required
- Minimum of 5 years' experience in a similar role.
Desirable
- Strong educational background.
Knowledge & Skills
Required
- Understanding of cost versus programme considerations.
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail.
- Understanding of cash flow and its impact on business performance.
- Strong contractual understanding of JCT, NEC and bespoke forms of contract.
Desirable
- Strong financial awareness.
Personal Qualities
- Excellent communication skills and ability to work effectively with a range of stakeholders.
- Self-motivated and proactive.
- High attention to detail.
- Calm and resilient under pressure.
- Strong personal integrity and professionalism.
- Skilled negotiator with the ability to secure commercial outcomes while maintaining positive client relationships.
- Able to demonstrate initiative and sound judgement in challenging situations.
Core Values
The post holder will be expected to operate in line with the organisation's core values, including:
- Adopting a customer-first mindset and responding proactively to client needs.
- Maintaining close attention to project detail while taking a broader commercial view when making decisions.
- Demonstrating ownership, accountability and commercial awareness in all aspects of the role.
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