Senior Estimator
2 days ago
City of London
Senior Estimator / Estimator – Pre-Construction Commercial Location: London / South East Salary: • Senior Estimator: £70,000 – £85,000 Start: January Division: Pre-Construction / Concrete Structures Overview Our client, a leading contractor specialising in RC frame, groundworks and complex basement structures, is seeking to appoint an Estimator or Senior Estimator to join their Pre-Construction Commercial team. This is a key strategic hire to replace a senior member of the department in January, with an expectation that the successful individual will quickly take ownership of tenders, support junior staff and develop into a senior presence within the team. The role is suited to a commercially minded QS/Estimator who can confidently engage with clients, present pricing, challenge assumptions and operate effectively in a fast-paced tendering environment. This is not a traditional site QS role, it is fully pre-construction focused, covering tendering, pricing, scope interrogation and package management. Key Responsibilities Tendering & Pricing • Lead or support pricing for RC frame, groundworks, basement and temporary works packages., • Deliver tenders within typical 4-week cycles, managing up to 10 tenders per month., • Build and manage pricing spreadsheets, including collating and analysing subcontractor quotations., • Identify scope gaps, clarifications and commercial or technical risks., • Produce clear, structured cost breakdowns for internal review and client presentations. Pre-Construction & Client Interface • Attend and contribute to client meetings, explaining pricing rationale and cost drivers., • Present tender submissions and respond confidently to commercial or technical questions., • Challenge incomplete tender information and proactively request missing details., • Support bid strategy development, including value engineering opportunities. Package & Scope Management • Manage pricing and scope analysis for packages including scaffolding, piling, RC frame, basements and temporary works., • Interrogate drawings and specifications to ensure accuracy of pricing., • Compare, rationalise and negotiate subcontractor prices., • Maintain clear documentation and pricing audit trails. Team & Leadership • Support and mentor junior estimators where required., • Take responsibility for tender ownership and task allocation., • Step into a senior role within the pre-construction team during the transition period., • Maintain strong organisation, communication and commercial standards. Experience Required • Experience as a QS or Estimator within civils, RC frame, groundworks or structural concrete., • Strong understanding of slipform, jumpform, basement works, temporary works and concrete structures., • Proven ability to price RC frame and groundworks packages, someone who understands concrete, • Confident in client-facing communication and commercial discussions., • Ability to discuss methodology, buildability and sequencing at a pre-construction level., • Strong Excel and pricing competency. Attributes & Behaviours • Confident, articulate communicator as this is a client facing role., • Comfortable challenging assumptions and asking open questions., • Commercially aware with a strong pre-construction mindset., • Organised, proactive and able to take ownership of workload., • Professional presence suitable for client meetings and presentations. What This Role Is Not • Not a live-site QS role., • No valuations, monthly applications or site commercial management., • No requirement for daily site presence. This is a pure pre-construction role focused on pricing, tenders and commercial clarity.