Senior Design Change & Commercial Lead

Smart 4 EPC; Hounslow; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Smart 4 EPC seeks a commercially astute Senior Quantity Surveyor to lead the management of design-related changes across major Heathrow programmes. You will identify, price, negotiate and secure agreement of changes arising from design development, client instructions, and programme impacts.

The role requires strong NEC contract knowledge, commercial negotiation, and the ability to translate complex design issues into robust commercial narratives for value protection and agreement.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a Senior Quantity Surveyor or Change Management role within major infrastructure programmes.
• Strong experience managing commercial impacts arising from design development and engineering change.
• Experience working within consultancy, client-side, or complex programme environments.
• Detailed knowledge of NEC contracts, particularly compensation events and change mechanisms.
• Ability to interpret engineering designs, scope documentation, technical reports, and design deliverables.
• Experience of working in multidisciplinary design environments.
• Strong commercial negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience supporting major rail, transport, utilities, aviation, highways, or infrastructure projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead the commercial assessment of design development and design change across HS2 programmes.
• Prepare and manage change submissions, compensation events, instructions, and variation proposals.
• Act as a trusted commercial partner to design managers, discipline leads, and project managers.
• Build strong working relationships across HS2, delivery partners, consultants, contractors, and project stakeholders.

Skills

Design commercial management

Change control and governance

NEC contract administration

Cost planning and forecasting

Engineering and design understanding

Commercial negotiation

Risk and opportunity management

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic thinking

Leadership and mentoring

Education

MRICS or MCICES or equivalent professional qualification

Job description

Smart 4 EPC seeks a commercially astute Senior Quantity Surveyor to lead the management of design-related changes across major Heathrow programmes. You will identify, price, negotiate and secure agreement of changes arising from design development, client instructions, and programme impacts.

The role requires strong NEC contract knowledge, commercial negotiation, and the ability to translate complex design issues into robust commercial narratives for value protection and agreement.