Costs Negotiator

Davies; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Davies Incentive Plan

Private medical insurance

Permanent health insurance

Critical illness cover

Health Care Cash Plan

Job summary

Keoghs in Southampton, part of The Davies Group, seeks a Costs Negotiator to handle high-value injury costs matters. You will manage your own caseload across EL/PL/RTA matters, negotiating fixed recoverable costs and hourly-rate work with a focus on accurate budgeting and strategic advice.

The role requires costs negotiation experience, strong communication, and the ability to work within a collaborative Costs team in a hybrid setup.

Qualifications

• Experience negotiating costs and guiding matters to settlement or assessment.
• Ability to manage own caseload with deadlines and SLAs.
• Strong written and verbal communication, and client liaison skills.
• Degree in law or equivalent; LPC/ALCD advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Reviewing, assessing and negotiating costs claims.
• Progressing cases through provisional and detailed assessment.
• Drafting costs budgets and related reports.
• Providing clear updates and advice to clients.
• Negotiating favourable outcomes for clients.

Skills

Costs negotiation

Caseload management

Written and verbal communication

Client liaison

Telephone negotiation

Education

Law degree or equivalent (LPC/ALCD advantageous)

Job description

Costs Negotiator

Application Deadline: 30 October 2026

Department: Legal

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Southampton

Reporting To: Team Leader

Description

Costs Negotiator - Complex Injury

Southampton | Full-time, 35 hours per week | Hybrid Working

We’re looking for an experienced Costs Negotiator to join our supportive Costs team in Southampton, working closely with colleagues across the wider Complex Injury Division.

This is a great opportunity to develop your technical ability through a varied caseload involving costs arising from high-value and complex injury claims, including Employers’ Liability (EL), Public Liability (PL) and Road Traffic Accident (RTA) matters. Your caseload will include a mixture of fixed recoverable costs and hourly-rate work, providing plenty of variety and scope to develop your experience.

What You’ll Be Doing

You’ll manage your own caseload, taking costs matters through to settlement or assessment, while working collaboratively with colleagues across the wider team. Key responsibilities will include:

• Reviewing, assessing and negotiating costs claims
• Preparing Points of Dispute and considering and responding to replies
• Progressing cases through provisional and detailed assessment
• Drafting costs budgets, Budget Discussion Reports and Precedent Ts
• Conducting costs budget negotiations
• Reviewing files, setting strategy and identifying key strengths and weaknesses
• Preparing and maintaining costs strategy reports throughout the life of a case
• Providing clear and accurate advice and updates to clients
• Negotiating positive and commercially effective outcomes for clients
• Managing your caseload effectively to meet deadlines and service-level agreements
• Drafting or opposing relevant applications and, where appropriate, supporting matters through detailed assessment

What we're looking for

We’re looking for someone with previous costs negotiation experience who is comfortable managing their own caseload. You’ll ideally have:

• Experience preparing Points of Dispute and considering replies
• Experience progressing matters towards provisional and detailed assessment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Previous client liaison experience
• Confident telephone negotiation skills
• The ability to organise and prioritise a busy workload
• Good decision-making skills and the ability to use your own initiative
• A collaborative approach and the ability to work effectively as part of a team

A degree, LPC, ALCD or equivalent qualification would be advantageous, as would previous advocacy experience.

Why join us?

• High-value, complex work – develop your technical ability through costs arising from complex EL, PL and RTA injury claims.
• A varied caseload – work across a mixture of fixed recoverable costs and hourly-rate matters.
• Wider team exposure – collaborate with colleagues across the Costs team and wider Complex Injury Division.
• Technical development – continue building your knowledge and confidence when dealing with higher-value costs matters.
• Client exposure – strengthen your experience of client liaison, providing clear advice and maintaining positive client relationships.
• A supportive team – work alongside experienced colleagues in an environment where knowledge and expertise can be shared.

At Keoghs, our values are at the heart of how we work: we are connected, we are dynamic, we are innovative and we succeed together.

Job Benefits

Working at Keoghs as part of The Davies Group, you will receive a host of benefits that can be flexed to suit your needs:

• Hybrid working
• Entry into the Davies Incentive Plan
• Private medical insurance
• Permanent health insurance
• Critical illness cover
• Health Care Cash Plan
• Holidays 25 days plus 8 bank holidays (opportunity to buy & sell 3 days), holidays rise to 26 days after 5 years’ service and 27 days after 10 years’ service
• Death In Service – after 1 yearEmployer Pension Contribution
• Cycle to Work Scheme, Tech Scheme, Season Ticket Loan, Gym Flex