Associate, Cost Management - (Water / Utilities)

Ridge & Partners Llp; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Ridge & Partners Llp (UK) is seeking an experienced Senior Associate to lead major cost management programmes for water utilities and environmental bodies. The role focuses on operational leadership, team development and delivering high-quality client outcomes.

You will support the Associate Partner as Operations Lead, ensuring teams are well resourced, aligned with business growth, and capable of delivering cost management services across the built environment and infrastructure sectors.

Qualifications

• Degree required in QS, engineering, environmental science, project management or related field.
• Chartered MRICS/FRICS or working towards is preferred.
• Experience leading, coaching and developing teams in a professional services environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead cost management teams with clear objectives, feedback and development plans.
• Oversee day-to-day operational performance and resource management across cost management services.
• Plan capacity, recruitment, succession and future skills aligned with business growth.
• Support project and framework delivery by resolving resourcing, process, quality or performance challenges.
• Promote consistent ways of working across cost planning, reporting, procurement advice and contract administration.
• Monitor performance indicators and client feedback, escalate risks and drive improvements.
• Lead governance, cost assurance and drive client relationships for growth.
• Collaborate across Cost Management, Project Management, Advisory and business support teams.

Skills

People management

Operational leadership

Cost management understanding

Consultancy experience

Commercial awareness

Communication and influence

Performance and quality focus

Problem solving

Client relationship management

Education

Degree in Quantity Surveying, Engineering, Environmental Science, Project Management, or related field

Chartered MRICS/FRICS or equivalent

Tools

NEC contracts

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Associate. You will shape and lead major programmes and frameworks for UK water utilities and environmental agencies. This is a senior management role requiring significant industry experience, commercial acumen, and the ability to mentor and develop high-performing teams.

The Senior Associate role will support the Associate Partner in leading the team as Operations Lead - to support the effective running, growth and development of our Cost Management service within a consultancy environment. This is a people-focused operational leadership role, responsible for ensuring teams are well supported, appropriately resourced and consistently delivering high-quality cost management services for clients across the built environment and infrastructure sectors.

The role can be based from any of our offices in: Cardiff, Bristol, London, Winchester, Reading, Oxford, Cheltenham, Cambridge, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester or Newcastle.

What you need to do to be effective in this role

• Lead, support and develop cost management teams, ensuring individuals have clear objectives, regular feedback, effective workload management and appropriate development plans.
• Build a positive, inclusive and high-performing team culture where people feel supported, accountable and motivated to deliver excellent client outcomes.
• Oversee day-to-day operational performance across the cost management service, ensuring work is appropriately prioritised, resourced and delivered to agreed standards.
• Work with senior leaders to plan team capacity, recruitment needs, succession planning and future skills requirements in line with business growth.
• Support project and framework delivery by helping teams resolve resourcing, process, quality or performance challenges quickly and constructively.
• Promote consistent ways of working across cost planning, cost reporting, procurement advice, contract administration support, change control and commercial assurance.
• Monitor performance indicators, workload pressures, commercial performance and client feedback, escalating risks and recommending practical improvements.
• Lead cost assurance and governance activities across the team, ensuing consistency and compliance with commercial performance indicators, workload pressures, commercial performance and client feedback, escalating risks and recommending practical improvements.
• Support collaboration between Cost Management, Project Management, Advisory and business support teams to improve delivery and client service.
• Contribute to leadership discussions, business planning, governance, risk management and service development.
• Lead major programmes and frameworks, ensuring delivery to time, cost, and quality standards.
• Drive capability development, mentoring and coaching senior cost managers and cost managers.
• Support the Associate Partner with client strategies, building strong relationships and identifying opportunities for growth.Lead client strategies in partnership with the Associate Partner, building strong relationships and identifying opportunities for growth.
• Provide expert advice on regulatory, commercial, and contractual frameworks, including NEC.
• Represent Ridge at industry forums and contribute to thought leadership.

The skills and experience you need to have for this role

• People Management: Proven experience leading, coaching and developing teams, including performance conversations, workload management, wellbeing awareness and career development.
• Operational Leadership: Strong ability to manage competing priorities, improve ways of working and create structure in a busy consultancy environment.
• Cost Management Understanding: Strong appreciation of quantity surveying and cost management services, including cost planning, procurement, contract administration, change control and project reporting. Strong understanding of NEC contracts, governance, and commercial frameworks
• Consultancy Experience: Experience working in a professional services, construction consultancy or client-facing delivery environment.
• Commercial Awareness: Ability to understand project profitability, utilisation, resourcing, fee management and the commercial impact of operational decisions.
• Communication and Influence: Confident communicator able to build trust with colleagues, senior leaders, clients and project teams.
• Performance and Quality Focus: Able to set expectations, monitor delivery standards and support teams to provide consistent, high-quality outputs.
• Problem Solving: Practical, calm and solutions-focused approach to resolving operational, people and delivery challenges.
• Client Relationship Management: Excellent communication and influencing skills with experience managing senior stakeholders.

Qualifications:

• Degree in Quantity Surveying, Engineering, Environmental Science, Project Management, or related field.
• Chartered RICS Professional MRICS/FRICS) or equivalent; or open to working towards a suitable qualification