Senior Estimator

Building Careers UK; Newton-le-Willows; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent Benefits Package

Job summary

Building Careers UK is seeking an accomplished Senior Estimator to deliver competitive bids for major build projects in the North West of the UK. You will work with Bid, Procurement and pre-construction teams to produce robust tenders and optimise pricing.

We require extensive estimating experience, first-principles costings, and strong negotiation skills to drive successful tender outcomes and mitigate commercial risk across diverse sectors.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 15 years' experience in the construction sector is essential.
• Proven experience as a Senior Estimator within a main contractor environment.
• Strong experience pricing major building projects.
• Experience across sectors such as commercial, education, healthcare, residential or industrial is advantageous.
• Strong first-principles estimating ability.
• Excellent understanding of construction methodology and sequencing.
• Strong knowledge of subcontractor procurement and supply chain pricing.
• Ability to undertake accurate quantity take-offs.
• Experience with labour, plant and material build-ups.
• Strong commercial awareness and attention to detail.
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills.
• Ability to identify project risks and value engineering opportunities.
• Experience contributing to tender adjudications and client interviews.

Responsibilities

• Review tender enquiries and develop bid strategy to gain competitive edge.
• Produce market-competitive, net cost estimates for traditional and non-traditional bids.
• Carry out accurate quantity take-offs for estimating purposes.
• Input labour, plant and materials into estimating systems.
• Issue and vet material and subcontract enquiries to support pricing.
• Liaise with Procurement to obtain quotations.
• Input tender data into adjudication and finalisation documents.
• Establish value engineering opportunities to improve bids.
• Identify risks within tender schemes and develop mitigation strategies.
• Prepare and check tender letters, notes and qualifications for issue.
• Attend client interviews as required.
• Prepare benchmarking reports to support bids.

Skills

Estimating

Tendering

Pricing

Excel

Negotiation

Team mentoring

Stakeholder management

Estimating software

Costing

Education

Construction qualification

Tools

Estimating software

Job description

Senior Estimator - Major Build Projects

Location - North West / UK

Salary/Package - £65,000 - £85,000 + Excellent Benefits Package

About the Company

Our client is a major UK construction business with extensive experience delivering complex building projects across a wide range of sectors, including education, healthcare, commercial, hospitality, industrial, affordable housing and private rented sector developments.

The business combines strong regional knowledge with the resources and systems of a national organisation, delivering projects ranging from smaller works through to major developments valued at £100m+.

With a strong pipeline of major projects, the business is now looking to appoint an experienced Senior Estimator to strengthen its pre-construction and commercial team.

The Role

As Senior Estimator, you will be responsible for producing competitive, accurate and commercially robust tenders across both traditional and non-traditional procurement routes. You will work closely with the Bid Manager, Procurement, Commercial and wider pre-construction teams to develop competitive bids and maximise opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

• Reviewing tender enquiries and developing a bid strategy with the Bid Manager to give a competitive edge
• Producing market-competitive, net cost estimates for both traditional and non-traditional bids in line with company processes and procedures
• Carrying out accurate quantity take-offs for estimating purposes
• Inputting labour, plant and materials into estimating systems to deliver a first-principles-based estimating approach
• Issuing and vetting material and subcontract enquiries where required to support net cost pricing
• Liaising with the Procurement Department to obtain material quotations
• Inputting into tender adjudication and finalisation documents for senior management approval
• Establishing value engineering opportunities to give bids a competitive edge
• Identifying risks within tender schemes and developing strategies to mitigate commercial exposure
• Preparing and checking tender letters, technical notes and qualifications for issue
• Attending client interviews as required
• Preparing benchmarking reports and data to support bids
• Inputting bid data into the CRM system where required
• Coaching, mentoring and assisting with the training of junior staff to support their development
• Complying with company QMS procedures
• Undertaking any other duties reasonably required by senior management

The Ideal Candidate

• A minimum of 15 years' experience working within the construction sector is essential, with experience across a variety of project types and project values
• Proven experience as a Senior Estimator within a main contractor environment
• Strong experience pricing major building projects
• Experience across sectors such as commercial, education, healthcare, residential, student accommodation or industrial would be advantageous
• Strong first-principles estimating ability
• Excellent understanding of construction methodology and sequencing
• Strong knowledge of subcontractor procurement and supply chain pricing
• Ability to undertake accurate quantity take-offs
• Experience with labour, plant and material build-ups
• Strong commercial awareness and attention to detail
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills
• Ability to identify project risks and value engineering opportunities
• Experience contributing to tender adjudications and client interviews
• Good Microsoft Excel and estimating software experience
• Ability to manage multiple tenders and deadlines effectively
• Experience mentoring or supporting junior members of an estimating team
• Relevant construction or commercial qualification would be advantageous

What's on Offer

• £65,000 - £85,000 salary
• Excellent package
• Opportunity to work for a major UK construction business
• Exposure to major build projects
• Strong pipeline of secured and upcoming work
• Opportunity to work on complex and high-value construction schemes
• Excellent career progression and professional development
• Supportive and commercially focused working environment
• Opportunity to work alongside experienced senior management and pre-construction teams

We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities. Our recruitment process is designed to ensure equal opportunities for all candidates.

Please Note: Due to high volume of applicants, only those shortlisted will be contacted.