Lead Quantity Surveyor

Apple Technical Recruitment (UK); Hertford; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple Technical Recruitment (UK) is seeking a Lead Quantity Surveyor for a permanent role in Hertfordshire. The position involves leading a commercial team on projects valued around £30m–£60m, with a mix of office and site work and flexibility for home-based arrangements.

The role requires a degree in Quantity Surveying or related field and extensive main-contractor experience. You will manage procurement, cost planning, value engineering, and risk management, while leading a team and

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience as a Quantity Surveyor for a Main Contractor.
• Excellent negotiation skills and experience procuring subcontractors.
• In-depth knowledge of quantity surveying and JCT contracts.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end procurement of work packages and manage subcontractor tendering.
• Control project budget from design to pre-construction and final profit projections.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and drive design for buildability within budget.

Skills

Leadership

Negotiation

Communication

Education

Degree in Quantity Surveying or Construction Management

Tools

MS Excel

MS Word

MS PowerPoint

MS Project

Job description

Vacancy Summary

Job Title: Lead Quantity Surveyor

Job Type: Permanent

Job Ref: #1439

Location: Hertfordshire (Mix of Office & Site Based with occasional flexibility for home working)

Start Date: ASAP

Salary: c£85,000-£100,000 basic (DOE) plus competitive package inc car or allowance, healthcare, pension, performance bonus.

Company & Project

A profitable and stable Tier 1 Main Contractor operating across Hertfordshire and bordering counties are currently looking to grow their commercial team with a Lead Quantity Surveyor.

Our client has a busy order book and especially in the local market across multiple sectors including Education, Healthcare, Commercial and Leisure. The Lead Quantity Surveyor will be working on projects valued at c£30m-£60m, joining at the pre-construction stage.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Supply Chain Procurement: Lead the end-to-end procurement of work packages. This includes defining scopes, identifying suitable subcontractors, tender reconciliations, and establishing excellent supply chain relationships to ensure on-time delivery.
• Cost Planning : Manage the project budget as the design progresses from RIBA Stage 3 to 4, maintaining accurate CVC reports to reflect real-time positions and final profit projections.
• Value Engineering: Proactively identify cost-saving opportunities, encourage buildability solutions, and align design with the client's budget without compromising quality.
• Risk Management: Quantify commercial risks, resolve potential disputes and legal matters in a timely manner, and assist in implementing new systems, controls, and change within the business.
• Design Liaison: Coordinate with the design team, managing subcontractor design fees and liabilities. 2nd-Stage Negotiation: Act as the commercial lead in transitioning the project to the main contract. You will negotiate preliminaries, overheads, and profit to secure a fair and profitable Second Stage award.
• Leadership & Team Management: Provide commercial expertise, technical support, leadership, and motivation to surveying staff. Identify recruitment needs and undertake interviews to grow and retain the team.
• Managing all daily commercial management functions, including but not limited to; Measurement & valuations. Applications for payment. Reconciling accounts. Dealing with sub-contract orders and enquiries, through to practical completion of the project. Settling final accounts.

Desirable Experience

Minimum 10 years+ experience as a Quantity Surveyor working for a Main Contractor.

Excellent negotiation skills and previous experience procuring subcontractors.

Comprehensive technical knowledge of quantity surveying and a deep understanding of JCT forms of contract.

Proven track record of managing, monitoring, and reporting on multiple projects simultaneously under tight deadlines. Proficiency in relevant software including MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and MS Project.

Previous Roles: Senior Quantity Surveyor OR Project QS OR Commercial Manager OR Senior Cost Manager OR Managing Quantity Surveyor.

Qualifications & Skills

Degree in Quantity Surveying or Construction Management or comparable qualification including HNC, BTEC, NVQ or MSc.