Assistant Quantity Surveyor

Jack Rafter Ltd; Hove; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 41,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme with enhanced company贡献

WPA Cash Plan & Employee Assistance

Learning and development opportunities

Team social events and outings

Mentoring for QS career progression

Brighton office environment

Job summary

Jack Rafter Ltd in Brighton is seeking an Assistant Quantity Surveyor to join the commercial team. This hands-on role supports management of multiple carpentry projects from handover to final account.

You will work with the Commercial Lead, Operations and site teams to ensure projects are valued, costs controlled and commercial records maintained. A recognised QS qualification and 2-3 years' construction experience are required; strong numeracy and Excel skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Recognised Quantity Surveying qualification.
• 2-3 years’ experience in construction, ideally QS/commercial.
• Understanding of costs, valuations, variations and delivery.
• Strong numeracy and analytical skills.
• Good Excel skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Assist with monthly applications for payment and valuations.
• Collate site information to support applications and deadlines.
• Maintain variation records and cost-to-complete forecasts.
• Review drawings, quotations and tenders for commercial accuracy.
• Support final accounts and close-out documentation.
• Communicate with clients and site teams to manage deadlines.

Skills

Numerical skills

Analytical skills

Excel skills

Client communication

Organisation

Project coordination

Education

Quantity Surveying qualification

Tools

Excel

Project cost trackers

Job description

Hours

40 hours/week, Monday-Friday (flexible between 8am-5pm)

Salary

£37,000 per annum

Contract

Full-time

About Jack Rafter

Jack Rafter is a fast-growing commercial carpentry contractor based in Brighton, working with leading main contractors across Sussex and London.

We’re an ambitious, modern construction business with a strong focus on doing things differently. We use technology extensively, keep our management structure straightforward and give people the opportunity to take genuine responsibility as they develop.

As the business continues to grow, we’re looking for an Assistant Quantity Surveyor to join our commercial team.

About the Role

This is a varied, hands-on commercial role supporting the management of multiple carpentry projects from initial handover through to final account.

You’ll work closely with our Commercial Lead, Operations team, Contracts Managers and site teams to help ensure projects are properly valued, costs are controlled and commercial records are maintained throughout the life of each job.

We’re looking for someone who already has a recognised Quantity Surveying qualification and around 2-3 years’ experience within the construction industry, ideally within a QS or commercial role.

You’ll be given genuine responsibility from the outset, while still having the support and opportunity to develop towards independently managing your own projects.

What You’ll Be Doing

Applications & Valuations

• Assisting with monthly applications for payment
• Preparing valuations of work completed on site
• Collating information from site teams to support applications
• Tracking application dates, payment notices and payment deadlines
• Reviewing client valuations and identifying differences against our applications
• Assisting with resolving valuation queries and outstanding payments

Variations & Commercial Records

• Identifying and recording variations and additional works
• Maintaining variation and change-control registers
• Collating daywork sheets, site records, photographs and other supporting information
• Preparing variation quotations for review and submission
• Tracking submitted, agreed and outstanding variations
• Ensuring commercial records are maintained throughout each project rather than reconstructed at the end

Cost Control

• Maintaining project cost and value trackers
• Reviewing labour and subcontractor invoices against works completed
• Assisting with cost-to-complete forecasts
• Identifying potential overspends, commercial risks and opportunities

Project Commercial Support

• Reviewing project drawings, specifications, quotations and tender information
• Understanding the scope and commercial basis on which projects were priced
• Supporting the commercial handover of projects from estimating into delivery
• Assisting with procurement comparisons and subcontractor quotations where required
• Helping ensure important contractual and commercial deadlines are recorded and acted upon
• Supporting the wider project team with commercial queries throughout the life of each project

Final Accounts

• Assisting with the preparation and agreement of project final accounts
• Ensuring variations and outstanding commercial items are resolved
• Tracking retention payments and release dates
• Collating the information required to close projects commercially

What We’re Looking For

You’ll have:

• A recognised Quantity Surveying qualification
• 2-3 years’ experience within the construction industry, ideally within a Quantity Surveying or commercial role
• A good understanding of construction costs, valuations, variations and project delivery
• Strong numerical and analytical skills
• Good Excel skills
• Excellent organisation and attention to detail
• Confidence communicating with clients, site teams and colleagues
• The ability to manage several live projects and commercial deadlines at the same time
• A proactive attitude and willingness to take responsibility
• A desire to progress into a Quantity Surveyor capable of independently managing their own projects
• Experience working for a subcontractor or specialist contractor would be advantageous but is not essential.

Modern Tools & Technology

We believe technology should make construction management simpler.

• Microsoft 365, including Excel, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive
• Cloud-based construction management systems
• Client payment and project portals
• Digital project cost and commercial trackers
• Mobile systems connecting our office and site teams

We’re continually looking at how technology and AI can remove unnecessary administration and allow our team to concentrate on higher-value commercial work.

Development & Progression

This isn’t intended to be a role where you remain an Assistant QS indefinitely.

As your knowledge and experience develop, we’d expect you to take increasing ownership of:

• Applications and valuations
• Client commercial meetings

For the right person, the natural progression would be towards becoming a Quantity Surveyor with responsibility for their own portfolio of projects.

What Makes Us Different

• Growing business - You’ll be joining at a stage where you can genuinely influence how our commercial systems develop
• Responsibility - We don’t believe in keeping capable people at junior level unnecessarily
• Modern approach - We actively use technology and AI to improve how we work
• Direct communication - Small management team without layers of corporate hierarchy
• Varied projects - You’ll gain exposure to multiple commercial construction projects across Sussex and London
• Career development - Genuine opportunity to develop from Assistant QS into a standalone Quantity Surveyor

What You’ll Get

• Pension scheme with enhanced company contributions
• WPA Cash Plan & Employee Assistance Programme after probation
• Learning and development opportunities
• Team social events and company outings
• Support and mentoring as you develop your Quantity Surveying career
• A relaxed but ambitious working environment in our Brighton office

We’re looking for someone who wants to learn, take responsibility and grow with the business.