Chief Estimator

Involve Recruitment Ltd.; Exeter; On-site; GBP 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Involve Recruitment Ltd. seeks a Chief Estimator / Estimating Manager for a leading Tier 1 contractor in Exeter. You will lead the highways maintenance estimating function, drive pricing strategy, and ensure robust, deliverable cost estimates that support growth and profitability.

You will manage a large team of estimators, set standards, and provide senior assurance across major bids, frameworks and opportunities, collaborating across operations and commercial groups.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading estimating teams in highways maintenance or related sectors.
• Proven ability to price and win high-value frameworks and contracts.
• Strong knowledge of Local Authority and National Highways procurement environments.
• Experienced with NEC contracts, target cost models and alliance contracting.
• Commercial and strategic mindset balancing competitiveness, risk and margin.

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall estimating function with strategic direction and governance.
• Develop and oversee bid pricing strategies for major bids and frameworks.
• Provide senior estimating assurance across tenders from strategy to submission.
• Drive consistency in estimating processes, systems and reporting.
• Oversee risk and opportunity pricing, benchmarking and market analysis.
• Collaborate with Operations, Commercial, Procurement and Design teams.
• Develop estimating capability through coaching and succession planning.
• Maintain relationships with clients, partners and senior stakeholders.
• Provide executive reporting on major bids, pricing strategy and risks.

Skills

Estimating leadership

Bid pricing

Cost planning

NEC contracts

Strategic mindset

Stakeholder management

Team development

Tender submissions

Risk management

Job description

Our client is a leading Tier 1 national contractor with a significant presence across the UK highways and infrastructure sector. They are seeking an experienced Chief Estimator / Estimating Manager to provide strategic and operational leadership across their highway's maintenance estimating function. The Chief Estimator will be responsible for ensuring the development of competitive, commercially robust and deliverable cost estimates that support the organisation's strategic growth, work-winning and profitability objectives. Leading a large team managing estimators and their wider teams , the role will establish consistent estimating standards, drive best practice and provide senior-level assurance across major bids, frameworks and strategic opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the overall estimating function across the highways maintenance business, providing strategic direction, governance and technical leadership.
• Lead and develop a large team of managing estimators and estimators across highways maintenance frameworks, term service contracts and associated workstreams.
• Develop and oversee bid pricing strategies, ensuring submissions are competitive while appropriately managing risk, opportunity and margin.
• Lead estimating and pricing activity for major strategic bids with Local Authorities, National Highways and other key clients.
• Provide senior estimating assurance and challenge throughout the tender process, from initial strategy and solution development through to final submission.
• Ensure estimates are accurate, commercially robust, competitive and aligned with operational delivery requirements.
• Drive consistency in estimating processes, systems, methodologies, reporting and governance across the business.
• Oversee risk and opportunity pricing, benchmarking, cost intelligence and market analysis to strengthen commercial decision-making.
• Work closely with Operations, Commercial, Procurement, Design and Strategic Development teams to develop innovative, deliverable and value-focused solutions.
• Provide strategic input into business development, work-winning and growth plans across the highways maintenance portfolio.
• Monitor estimate accuracy, pricing performance, bid outcomes and profitability, using lessons learned and market intelligence to improve future submissions.
• Develop estimating capability across the business through effective leadership, coaching, succession planning and continuous improvement.
• Maintain strong relationships with clients, partners, supply chain organisations and senior internal stakeholders.
• Provide executive-level reporting and insight on major bids, pricing strategy, commercial exposure and key risks.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be an experienced r estimating professional with a strong track record within highways term maintenance frameworks or related sectors.

You will ideally have:

• Significant experience leading major estimating teams within highways maintenance, term service contracts or infrastructure frameworks.
• Proven experience pricing and securing high-value frameworks, term maintenance contracts and strategic projects.
• Strong knowledge of Local Authority and National Highways procurement and contracting environments.
• Extensive understanding of NEC contracts, target cost models, frameworks and alliance contracting.
• A strong commercial and strategic mindset, with the ability to balance competitiveness, risk, deliverability and margin.
• Experience developing pricing strategies for complex, multi-disciplinary bids.
• Strong understanding of cost planning, benchmarking, risk and opportunity management and supply chain pricing.
• Demonstrable leadership capability, with experience developing high-performing estimating teams and embedding consistent standards.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the credibility to operate effectively with senior executives, clients and delivery partners.
• The ability to operate within a large, complex Tier 1 organisation and influence decisions at both strategic and operational levels.
• A track record of contributing to successful work-winning strategies and delivering sustainable commercial outcomes.

Key Measures of Success

• High-quality, accurate and commercially robust tender submissions.
• Strong bid performance and successful framework and contract awards.
• Effective management of risk, opportunity and pricing strategy.
• Improved estimating consistency, governance and assurance across the business.
• Development and retention of a high-performing estimating function.
• Strong collaboration between estimating, commercial, operational, procurement and design teams.
• Contribution to sustainable revenue growth, profitability and long-term client relationships