Construction Assurance Manager

Hickton Quality Control; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 83,000 - 129,000; Full time

Job summary

Hickton Quality Control is seeking a Construction Assurance Manager to oversee a major capital programme in Derby for a defence sector client. The role requires implementing the construction assurance plan, ensuring quality, safety and regulatory compliance on site, with a formal NEC Supervisor function.

You will coordinate with client teams, delivery partners and supplier chains, ensuring robust documentation, hold points and inspections align with contract commitments and project schedules.

Qualifications

• Degree in engineering, construction management or a related discipline, or demonstrable equivalent experience.
• Chartered or professional status such as CEng, MCIOB, MRICS or MICE, or equivalent experience.
• Ten years or more of managing and assuring construction delivery on major programmes.
• Experience in construction assurance, quality management and compliance monitoring in a client-side role.

Responsibilities

• Implement the construction assurance plan within the client team, ensuring as-built solutions meet contract, standards and regulatory requirements.
• Monitor and verify contractor methods, quality plans and inspection and test plans against contract and specs.
• Audit contractor records, certificates, test results, material approvals and non-conformances; issue a gap list with actions and priorities.
• Verify works conform to engineering specs and regulatory approvals; escalate where needed.
• Agree high‑risk packages with client, designers and contractors; maintain a hold point plan with evidence.
• Set inspection priorities on site and direct inspection resources accordingly.
• Manage non-conformance from raised to root cause and close‑out.
• Monitor progress against programme; oversee Construction Management Plan.
• Act as client representative on site; foster collaboration and safety culture; manage incidents and investigations.
• Fulfil NEC Supervisor role and lead the buildings/infrastructure workstream; liaise with client and supply chain.
• Coordinate with in-house teams to ensure right-sized assurance capability, including nuclear standards where required.
• Provide clear, evidence-based reports to leadership and regulators; capture lessons and review handover evidence.

Job description

Construction Assurance Manager / NEC Supervisor

Freelance

3 days onsite

Hickton Quality Control supplies quality control and inspection services as an external appointment to developers, principal contractors, social landlords, funders and warranty providers. Championing Excellence in the Built Environment.

We are appointing a Construction Assurance Manager to a major capital programme in Derby, delivered for a defence sector client on a site subject to nuclear regulation. The role is responsible for all construction assurance activities on the project, interfacing with the client team functions, the delivery partners and their supply chains, so that built solutions deliver against the client requirements and meet the required quality and regulatory compliance, evidenced by records produced as the work proceeds rather than assembled at the end.

This is a role that sets the approach to quality and then assures it, not one that only carries out inspections. You will sit within the client team, implement the construction assurance plan, hold the contractors to it, and execute the formal contractual role of NEC Supervisor. You will report to the Head of Project and to the client assurance lead.

What you will do

• Implement the construction assurance plan within the client team, so that as-built solutions deliver on contractual commitment, corporate standards and the relevant regulatory and legislative requirements.
• Monitor and verify that contractors implement approved construction methodologies, quality management systems and inspection and test plans. Review each quality plan and inspection and test plan against the contract and specification, and comment in writing on what has to change.
• Audit contractor records, inspection records, certificates, test results, material approvals and non-conformances, and issue a gap list setting out what is in place, what needs strengthening and the order in which it will be put right.
• Verify that the works conform to engineering specifications, design intent and statutory approvals, escalating where required.
• Agree the higher-risk packages with the client, the designers and the contractors, and maintain a hold point plan tied to the programme showing who gives notice, who inspects, who releases each hold point and the evidence required.
• Set the inspection priorities on site, direct the inspection resource against the plan, take their findings back into it, and identify where specialist building services or fire attendance is needed.
• Run non-conformance from raising through root cause and corrective action to evidenced close-out.
• Monitor construction progress and productivity against the programme, highlighting variances and potential risks, and oversee and accept the Construction Management Plan.
• Act as client representative on site, fostering collaboration between all parties, and champion a strong health and safety culture. Manage and support project incidents, ensuring health, safety and environment investigations are carried out in accordance with the client requirements and communicated as appropriate.
• Execute the formal contractual role of NEC Supervisor, and fulfil the buildings and infrastructure workstream lead role within the client project management framework, liaising with key client-side and supply chain partners and acting as the contact point with the client’s central property function.
• Work with supply chain partners and existing in-house capability to ensure a right-sized construction assurance capability, suitably qualified and experienced, including to the nuclear standard where the programme requires it.
• Provide clear, evidence-based reports to leadership, boards and regulators, capture lessons learned and review the handover evidence before practical completion while there is still time to close gaps.

What we are looking for:

• Degree in engineering, construction management or a related discipline, or demonstrable equivalent experience.
• Chartered or professional status, for example CEng, MCIOB, MRICS or MICE, or equivalent experience.
• Significant experience, ten years or more, of managing and assuring construction delivery on major programmes.
• Track record in construction assurance, quality management and compliance monitoring in a client-side assurance role, with familiarity with construction governance frameworks and regulatory interfaces.
• Writing and reviewing inspection and test plans and setting hold and witness points against a construction programme.
• Auditing quality records and certification evidence against contract and specification requirements and identifying non-conformances and defects.
• Strong knowledge of construction methods, sequencing, risk management and safety requirements, with breadth across civils, structures, building fabric and building services.
• Able to influence contractors and designers without authority over them, and to hold a position on evidence when pressed.
• Clear, concise written reporting to senior stakeholders, boards and regulators.
• Recognised health, safety and environment qualification, NEBOSH or IOSH.
• Training in, and working knowledge of, quality management systems and construction standards, ISO 9001 or equivalent.

These requirements are set by the client, and there is no flexibility on them.

• Due to the nature of the work and the protection of certain assets, you have to be a UK national, or in MoD-approved cases a dual national from a non-ITAR country.
• The post sits on the client's nuclear baseline and is subject to the suitability and competence requirements that follow from it.
• You must be able to satisfy the client site access, vetting and security requirements, including vetting where it applies.
• Familiarity with ONR nuclear site licence conditions.
• Previous work in a regulated, defence or high-security client environment.
• NEC Supervisor accredited, with a clear understanding of the boundary between the Supervisor and the Project Manager.
• Experience of more than one digital field management platform.
• Experience of hold point regimes on high-voltage electrical installation and commissioning.