Pre-Construction Manager
Balfour Beatty plc
Get a reply from this employer — a resume and cover letter tailored to exactly what they’re hiring for.
Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Balfour Beatty plc is seeking a Pre-Construction Manager to lead the pre-construction phase for major geotechnical projects in the UK. You will develop target prices, programmes and estimating outputs, collaborating with commercial, technical, procurement, operations and clients to support delivery.
Based in Ipswich, you will manage governance, estimation records and robust first-principles cost build-ups with a focus on accuracy, risk management and stakeholder engagement.
Qualifications
- Proven experience leading pre-construction activity or estimating teams on major geotechnical, civil engineering or infrastructure projects.
- Strong understanding of planning, programming, progress monitoring, risk and opportunity management.
- Confident communicator able to collaborate, influence and engage with technical, commercial, operational and client-facing stakeholders.
- Strong management capability, including technical project management, change management, facilitation and team leadership.
- Highly numerate and analytical, with excellent attention to detail across quantities, rates, outputs and calculations.
- Ability to identify, manage and control risk, opportunity and change throughout the pre-construction process.
- Desirable experience includes Candy estimating software, NEC4, alliance working and chartership or progress towards chartership.
Responsibilities
- Define and agree the scope of works to be developed during the pre-construction phase.
- Lead the production of estimates and programmes in accordance with CWA requirements and GSA governance expectations.
- Review client drawings, specifications and technical information to support accurate first-principles cost build-ups for materials, labour, plant and equipment.
- Ensure pre-construction outputs are communicated clearly, accurately and on time to the wider GSA team, CWA and other key stakeholders.
- Identify, record and manage assumptions, risks and opportunities through the target price development process.
- Collaborate with project teams and the supply chain to develop and understand proposed methodologies, construction principles, interfaces and constraints relevant to GSA deliverables.
- Oversee robust first-principles development of labour, plant, materials and subcontract pricing within Candy estimating software, where required.
- Maintain appropriate control of data, information and estimating records within the GSA team.
- Apply rigorous review and checking processes to promote accuracy, consistency and confidence in all pre-construction outputs.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
Our projects are more than just your opportunity to make your mark. They’re an opportunity to stretch, test and develop your expertise. Join our Ground Engineering team as a Pre-Construction Manager and you’ll deliver complex work that really matters to our business, and the world around you.
This is an opportunity to take on a key leadership role in the pre-construction phase of one of the UK’s most significant infrastructure programmes. The Pre-Construction Manager will lead the development of robust target prices, programmes and estimating outputs for complex geotechnical work packages, working closely with commercial, technical, procurement, operations and client-facing teams to support successful project delivery.
Working as part of the central GSA Commercial team, the role will provide governance, oversight and coordination across key departments, while managing estimating activity and supporting transparent decision-making with senior leaders, the Alliance Manager, CWA and external partners. The role sits within the Geotechnical Sub-Contract Alliance, supporting specialist works for Sizewell C, and would suit an experienced pre-construction or estimating professional who is confident handling complex technical information, engaging stakeholders and leading disciplined estimating processes in a major project environment.
The successful candidate will:
- Define and agree the scope of works to be developed during the pre-construction phase.
- Lead the production of estimates and programmes in accordance with CWA requirements and GSA governance expectations.
- Review client drawings, specifications and technical information to support accurate first-principles cost build-ups for materials, labour, plant and equipment.
- Ensure pre-construction outputs are communicated clearly, accurately and on time to the wider GSA team, CWA and other key stakeholders.
- Identify, record and manage assumptions, risks and opportunities through the target price development process.
- Collaborate with project teams and the supply chain to develop and understand proposed methodologies, construction principles, interfaces and constraints relevant to GSA deliverables.
- Oversee robust first-principles development of labour, plant, materials and subcontract pricing within Candy estimating software, where required.
- Maintain appropriate control of data, information and estimating records within the GSA team.
- Apply rigorous review and checking processes to promote accuracy, consistency and confidence in all pre-construction outputs.
The successful candidate will have the following skills, knowledge and experience:
- Proven experience leading pre-construction activity or estimating teams on major geotechnical, civil engineering or infrastructure projects.
- Strong understanding of planning, programming, progress monitoring, risk and opportunity management.
- Confident communicator able to collaborate, influence and engage with technical, commercial, operational and client-facing stakeholders.
- Strong management capability, including technical project management, change management, facilitation and team leadership.
- Highly numerate and analytical, with excellent attention to detail across quantities, rates, outputs and calculations.
- Ability to identify, manage and control risk, opportunity and change throughout the pre-construction process.
- Proficient in MS Outlook, SharePoint, Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
- Good understanding of productivity, plant and labour build-ups, subcontract pricing, estimate assumptions, exclusions and clarifications.
- Relevant qualification in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying or a related discipline, with experience in specialist geotechnical contracting.
- Desirable experience includes operational site delivery, Candy estimating software, NEC4, alliance working and chartership or progress towards chartership.
Our people are our biggest asset and we focus on recruiting, training and developing the people who can apply innovation to deliver the infrastructure of the future. We nurture these talents, offer a great benefits package in addition to a competitive base salary and continually invest in developing the skills of our people at every level.
Some of our key benefits are:
- An attractive/negotiated salary;
- Medical health cover;
- Company car or car allowance;
- Discretionary annual bonus;
- 25 days annual leave + bank holidays;
- Pension savings schemes;
- Enhanced maternity/paternity and family friendly policies;
- Access to our Refer and Earn scheme;
- Discretionary annual salary reviews.
Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering is one of the UK’s leading specialist geo-technical contractors, providing innovative piling and ground improvement solutions across all sectors.
Our comprehensive ground engineering capabilities, equipment and experience provide the solid foundations for infrastructure and buildings of any height, ranging from city skyscrapers to cross-country rail and road projects.
Our reputation as one of the UK’s leading specialist geo-technical contractors is earned through the delivery of ground engineering solutions on some of the UK’s largest and most prestigious projects including HS2, The Shard, Wembley Stadium, Reading Station Viaduct, Marble Arch Place, Battersea Power Station redevelopment and the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement project.
Diversity and inclusion
At Balfour Beatty, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential components of any successful, happy workplace. Through our Value Everyone D&I Strategy and Action Plan, we are growing our diverse workforce and developing our inclusive culture where everyone is able to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of their identity or background. To find out how we are making this a reality, visit www.balfourbeatty.com/diversityandinclusion
We are a Gold Award holder in the Ministry of Defence 'Employer Recognition Scheme' and actively encourage applications from Armed Forces personnel, veterans and reservists.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to working with people who have disabilities and long-term health conditions to remove barriers for them in obtaining employment. We are also committed to offering applicants with a disability an interview if they meet the minimum requirements for the role. For more info, visit https://disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk/
#BBGE
'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M101.744%2012.4726L102.894%2016.1947L99.0021%2013.2201L101.744%2012.4726ZM105.3%208.40937H100.488L99.0026%203.59473L97.5116%208.41047L92.7%208.40385L96.5965%2011.3834L95.1055%2016.1942L99.0021%2013.2196L101.408%2011.3834L105.3%208.40992V8.40937Z'%20fill='white'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint0_linear_5593_1381'%20x1='90'%20y1='9.44471'%20x2='99'%20y2='9.44471'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%2300AD70'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='0.998594'%20stop-color='%2300B67A'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%23DCDCE6'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
