Estimator

Walker & Sloan; St Albans; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car allowance

6% matched pension

Annual bonus

Private healthcare

25 days annual leave

Job summary

Walker & Sloan in St Albans is seeking an Estimator to join the pre-construction team. You will take ownership of tenders from initial enquiry through to final submission and will develop pricing that is accurate, competitive and commercially robust.

Working closely with commercial, operational and supply chain colleagues, you’ll identify risks, opportunities and programme implications, ensuring bids are clearly understood before handover to delivery teams.

Qualifications

• 2+ years' estimating experience in main contracting.
• Degree or qualification in Quantity Surveying, Construction, or Engineering.
• Strong IT skills including Excel and Office.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of tenders from enquiry to submission.
• Develop accurate project pricing and identify commercial risks.
• Engage with supply chain and assess quotations.
• Collaborate with pre-construction and project teams to ensure robust bids.

Skills

Estimating

Tendering

Analytical thinking

Attention to detail

Communication

Education

Degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction, or Engineering

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Office

Job description

Estimator

Location: St Albans

Sector: Main Contracting / Construction

The Opportunity

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Estimator to join the pre-construction team of a growing main contractor delivering high-profile construction projects across the UK.

You'll become part of an experienced estimating team where you'll be given the opportunity to take ownership of tenders whilst continuing to develop your technical and commercial expertise. The focus is ultimately on producing profitable, de-risked and competitive bids, ensuring projects are accurately priced and commercially robust before being handed across to the delivery team.

This could be an excellent next move if you're currently working as a Junior Estimator or Estimator within a main contracting environment and want greater exposure to the complete tender process, larger projects and increased responsibility.

Role Overview

As Estimator, you'll take an active role in managing tenders from initial enquiry through to final submission, working closely with the wider pre-construction, commercial and operational teams.

You'll be responsible for developing accurate project pricing, interrogating tender information and identifying both commercial risks and opportunities throughout the process. You'll take ownership of relevant tenders, ensuring progress is carefully monitored and that the wider team has clear visibility over pricing, programme and outstanding information.

A major part of your role will involve engaging with the supply chain. You'll lead the enquiry process, obtain and assess current quotations and use framework rates and wider market intelligence to ensure your estimates accurately reflect current construction costs.

You'll also work collaboratively with colleagues across the wider business, bringing different disciplines together during the tender process and ensuring successful projects are handed over to the delivery team with a clear and detailed understanding of the commercial position.

Rather than simply measuring drawings and producing a price, you'll be encouraged to challenge information, identify opportunities to add value and consider alternative solutions that can improve both the competitiveness and commercial security of each bid.

About You

You'll ideally have already gained at least two years' experience within estimating, potentially having developed through a Junior Estimator position or another relevant construction discipline.

You are commercially aware, analytical and naturally methodical in the way you approach a tender. You'll have excellent attention to detail but also understand the wider construction process and how decisions made during pre-construction can influence the successful delivery and profitability of a project.

You'll be comfortable creating and following structured processes, working to deadlines and maintaining accuracy when tender periods become busy. You're also a strong communicator who enjoys working collaboratively with colleagues, subcontractors and suppliers rather than operating independently from the wider project team. These behaviours closely reflect the competencies set out within the original role profile.

Ideally, you'll hold a degree or equivalent qualification in Quantity Surveying, Construction, Engineering or another relevant discipline, alongside strong IT skills and confidence using Microsoft Excel and the wider Microsoft Office suite.

Company Profile

You'll be joining a growing main contractor delivering high-quality construction projects across the UK.

The business places a strong emphasis on collaboration between estimating, commercial and operational teams, allowing projects to be properly considered during pre-construction before progressing into delivery.

* You'll become part of an environment where commercial awareness, teamwork and continuous development are valued, with the opportunity to learn from experienced construction professionals while progressively taking greater ownership of the estimating process.

💰 Salary - Negotiable but very competitive

🚗 Car allowance

💷 6% matched pension

🎯 Annual bonus

🏥 Private healthcare

🏖️ 25 days annual leave, increasing after 3 years' service