Quantity Surveyor

United Infrastructure; Dartford; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

United Infrastructure in Dartford seeks a Senior Quantity Surveyor to lead commercial activities on long‑term social housing projects, including planned works and repairs. You will manage validation pricing, procurement, payments and client claims, while overseeing monthly reconciliations and cost control across multiple workstreams.

The role requires extensive experience in social housing contracts and a proactive, client‑facing commercial approach to maximise recovery and margins.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a Quantity Surveyor role within construction, social housing, maintenance or planned works.
• Strong experience in cost validation, reconciliation, forecasting and cash management.
• Experience administering subcontractor payments, claims and cost recovery processes.
• Advanced Excel user with strong data interrogation and reconciliation skills.

Responsibilities

• Validation pricing and monthly client cost advice.
• Planning applications procurement, payments and client claims.
• Open book reconciliation, audit and cost allocation control.
• Sole QS responsibility for planned maintenance leaseholder recovery.
• Subcontract and supply chain commercial management.
• Financial control, forecasting and reporting.
• Collaboration and stakeholder management.

Skills

Quantity Surveying

Cost Forecasting

Excel (Advanced)

Education

BSc in Quantity Surveying

Tools

Excel

Job description

Join the thriving and dynamic UI Social Infrastructure team in Dartford! As a rapidly growing business, we are excited to welcome a new Senior Quantity Surveyor to contribute to our success. If you're looking for a long‑term career opportunity with a Main Contractor, where you can develop your skills and be part of an industry‑leading organisation, this role is for you.

You are to be the commercial lead on a long‑term partnering framework and be responsible for the commercial success of the projects whilst adhering to commercial administration procedures. Experienced working within Social Housing, planned and responsive repairs.

To promote and deliver a collaborative environment with both the client and throughout the management of the subcontract / supply chain account.

Experience working on social housing contracts, including planned works and repairs.

Role Purpose

The Quantity Surveyor will take the on validation pricing and provide monthly cost advice to the client based on validation surveys produced. The role is also responsible for planning application workstream this is inclusive of Client valuations, procurement, payment and client claiming in line with agreed contract terms, as well as forecasting costs. The Quantity Surveyor will lead on compiling and managing open book reconciliation and audit information, maintain live monthly reconciliation through the live data sheet, identify unrecovered costs and claims (WIP), and redirect queries to the responsible QS / SQS and ensure actions are closed out in a timely manner.

Key Responsibilities

1. Validation Pricing and Monthly Client Cost Advice

   • Take lead responsibility for validation pricing activities.
   • Review validation survey outputs and advise the client monthly on costs, valuations and forecasted spend.
   • Ensure pricing submissions are accurate, commercially robust and aligned to agreed commercial processes and contract agreements.
   • Provide clear commentary on cost movements, risks, opportunities and recovery positions.

2. Planning Applications - Procurement, Payments and Claims

   • Take commercial ownership of planning application SOW procurement activities.
   • Manage procurement process for planning application works/packages, including enquiry, comparison and recommendation.
   • Administer payments and claiming from the client in line with agreed TCMs and contractual/commercial requirements.
   • Produce and maintain planning application forecasts, including cost‑to‑complete and cash forecasts.
   • Track and reconcile planning application spend against budgets and approved allowances.

3. Open Book Reconciliation, Audit and Cost Allocation Control

   • Lead on compiling reconciliation and audit information for internal and client review.
   • Ensure subcontractor costs are correctly allocated by team members against the correct IDs/cost codes.
   • Compile, maintain and run the sideways sheet to provide a live monthly reconciliation position.
   • Update adjustments and corrections in a timely manner to maintain accurate reporting.
   • Identify where subcontractor claims or costs have not been recovered and escape / redirect queries to the responsible QS or SQS. Support audit readiness by ensuring records, back‑up and reconciliations are complete and traceable.

4. — Sole QS Responsibility

   • Act as sole Quantity Surveyor for Planned Maintenance Leaseholder Recovery.
   • Manage commercial activities on these programmes from cradle to grave, including procurement through yearly close out.
   • Prepare and maintain valuations, variations, final accounts and supporting records as required.
   • Update forecasts regularly and manage cash flow/cash management across each programme.
   • Support operational staff with day‑to‑day commercial queries and contractual/commercial advice.
   • Maintain commercial records to support transparent reporting and recovery.
   • Manage commercial function on programme.
   • Ensure allocations and budgets are maintained and monitored against actual expenditure.
   • Identify and report any deviations from budget, including causes, impact and recommended corrective actions.
   • Support operational teams to ensure commercial controls remain effective across service delivery.

5. Subcontract and Supply Chain Commercial Management

   • Prepare subcontract enquiries, analyse quotations and support package procurement.
   • Value, negotiate and process subcontract applications/payments in line with agreed procedures and legislation.
   • Maintain clear records of subcontractor variations, claims and agreements.
   • Challenge, verify and resolve subcontractor cost claims to protect project margins and maximise recovery.

6. Financial Control, Forecasting and Reporting

   • Produce accurate monthly cost/value reconciliations, forecasts and cash projections.
   • Monitor project and programme budgets, allocations and recovery performance.
   • Highlight risks, unrecovered costs, overspends and margin erosion promptly to management.
   • Support monthly commercial reviews with clear, accurate data and commentary.

7. Collaboration and Stakeholder Management

   • Work collaboratively with Operations, QS/SQS colleagues, Commercial Management and client representatives.
   • Provide commercial guidance to operational staff on procurement, valuations, claims, budgets and reconciliations.
   • Ensure commercial queries are directed to and resolved by the appropriate responsible party where required.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a Quantity Surveyor role within construction, social housing, maintenance or planned works.
• Strong experience in cost validation, reconciliation, forecasting and cash management.
• Experience administering subcontractor payments, claims and cost recovery processes.
• Advanced Excel user with strong data interrogation and reconciliation skills (including live cost tracking spreadsheets).
• Good understanding of cost coding, allocation controls and audit trail requirements.
• Commercial awareness with sound contractual and valuation knowledge.
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams and provide clear client‑facing commercial advice.

Qualifications

• BSc in Quantity Surveying or similar commercial related qualification (desirable).
• Relevant industry experience in lieu of formal qualification will be considered.
• CSCS card at appropriate level (where required).
• Valid driving licence (where role requires travel).

Key Deliverables

• Accurate monthly validation pricing and client cost advice.
• Timely planning application procurement, payment and client claims in line with Main Contract Agreement.
• Reliable monthly live reconciliation via live data sheet and supporting audit information.
• Effective identification and escalation of unrecovered subcontractor claims/costs.
• Accurate forecasting and cash management.
• Maintained DLO gas allocations/budgets with clear reporting of deviations.

Additional Information

This job description is intended to reflect the current requirements of the role. Duties may be amended from time to time to support business and client needs.