Senior Estimator

Laing O'Rourke; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Laing O'Rourke is seeking a Senior Estimator to produce robust cost estimates for major infrastructure packages on Sizewell C. The role includes reviewing drawings, developing first-principles estimates, and supporting commercial submissions. You will mentor junior team members and present cost positions to stakeholders.

Hybrid London/Ipswich - travel and mobility support provided. You will collaborate with planning, procurement and delivery teams to ensure accurate, timely estimates aligned

Qualifications

• Proven experience in estimating within construction or major infrastructure.
• Strong cost planning and first principles estimating.
• Ability to engage with stakeholders and present cost positions confidently.

Responsibilities

• Prepare detailed cost estimates for major infrastructure work packages
• Review drawings and specifications to develop accurate pricing
• Develop estimates from first principles including labour, plant and materials
• Support tendering activities and commercial submissions
• Work closely with planning, procurement and delivery teams
• Identify risks, opportunities and key assumptions within estimates
• Track and manage changes to estimates as project information evolves
• Mentor and support junior members of the estimating team
• Present, justify and negotiate estimates with internal and external stakeholders

Skills

Estimating in construction

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical skills

Education

Chartered or working towards RICS/ICE/CIOB

Tools

Excel

Candy

CostX

Job description

Location: London or Ipswich (Hybrid working)

Project: Sizewell C – Civil Works Alliance

Reporting to: Lead Estimator

The Opportunity

This is a chance to join one of the UK's most significant infrastructure programmes – Sizewell C – a once-in-a-generation development set to provide clean energy to over 6 million homes for the next 60 years.

Working within the Civil Works Alliance (a partnership between Balfour Beatty, Bouygues Travaux Publics and Laing O'Rourke), you will play a key role in supporting the successful delivery of a complex, high-value infrastructure programme.

This role offers the opportunity to contribute to the development of project pricing and estimating strategy, working closely with senior stakeholders and influencing key commercial decisions.

The role can be based in London or aligned to the Ipswich project office, with hybrid working in place and flexibility for candidates across the UK. Travel and mobility support is provided where required.

The Role

As Senior Estimator, you will be responsible for producing and supporting robust estimates across a range of work packages, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and alignment with project requirements.

You Will

• Prepare detailed cost estimates for major infrastructure work packages
• Review drawings and specifications to develop accurate pricing
• Develop estimates from first principles including labour, plant and materials
• Support tendering activities and commercial submissions
• Work closely with planning, procurement and delivery teams
• Identify risks, opportunities and key assumptions within estimates
• Track and manage changes to estimates as project information evolves
• Mentor and support junior members of the estimating team
• Present, justify and negotiate estimates with internal and external stakeholders

What We're Looking For?

• Proven experience in estimating within construction or major infrastructure
• Strong understanding of cost planning and first principles estimating
• Experience working on complex, high-value projects
• Strong analytical and commercial skills
• Ability to engage with stakeholders and present cost positions confidently
• Proficient in Excel and estimating tools

Desirable

• Experience with Candy and/or CostX
• Chartered or working towards (RICS, ICE, CIOB or similar)

About Us

Laing O'Rourke are an international engineering and construction company delivering state-of-the-art infrastructure and buildings projects for clients in the UK, Middle East and Australia.

Certainty, reliability, quality – this is what our clients want. And at Laing O'Rourke, we have more than 150 years of experience delivering it. Laing O'Rourke's story is one of energy, passion, ambition, people and teamwork. We harness the power of our experience, stretching back over a century and a half to deliver certainty for our clients.

As part of the Disability Confident scheme, we would like to enable access to candidates with long term conditions and disabilities through the ‘Offer an interview scheme'. This supports applicants that meet the essential criteria by offering an interview for the advertised position. Please let us know if you would like to opt in to this scheme and let us know if you require any adjustments for the interview process.

We want to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to all.