Senior Quantity Surveyor

Serco Group; England; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

6% employer matched pension

25 days annual leave

Private medical cover

1 x professional subscription per year

Life assurance 2x annual salary

Job summary

VIVO Defence Services, a joint venture between Serco and EQUANS, is seeking a Senior Quantity Surveyor to lead commercial activities on UK defence estates. You will provide cost advice, maintain commercial control and support project teams across programmes from £100k to £20m in value.

Based mainly across the Midlands and Wales, with regular travel to sites, you will build strong relationships with clients, DIO, suppliers and end users, and help manage tenders, risk, and final accounts while

Qualifications

• Degree in Quantity Surveying or equivalent experience.
• 4+ years FM/construction experience, or 3 years MOD experience.
• Experience on major projects or multiple concurrent smaller projects.
• Knowledge of FDIS contracting and BS11000 Collaborative Business Relationships would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert cost advice and maintain commercial control.
• Support proposals and tenders and manage commercial risk.
• Monitor supplier performance and final accounts.
• Collaborate with DIO, area managers, site managers and end users.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Negotiation

Communication

IT skills

Education

Degree in Quantity Surveying or equivalent

Tools

Cost modelling tools

Excel / MS Office

Job description

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VIVO provides facilities management and accommodation maintenance for the UK military and its partners. VIVO embodies both experience and innovation.

What we do

We put our Customers and Families First. They are the driving force behind everything we do. We drive forward improvements for them to ensure the service they receive, whether reactive repairs or a major project, is completed safely and on time. In order to achieve this, we have 4 core values: open, caring, agile and collaborative. These are at the heart of everything we do.

Location: Home based, to cover Midlands and Wales

Permanent, Full Time

Are you an experienced Quantity Surveyor looking for a role where your commercial expertise can make a real difference? At VIVO, you’ll have the opportunity to work on a high-profile Defence estate, partnering with operational teams, clients, DIO and supply chain partners to deliver strong commercial outcomes across Core Services and Billable Works.

As a Senior Quantity Surveyor, you’ll play a key role within our Commercial team, providing expert cost advice, maintaining commercial control and helping our operational teams make confident, well-informed decisions. You’ll work across a varied portfolio of construction, refurbishment, facilities management and property maintenance activity, with projects ranging from £100k to £1m and larger programmes of up to £20m.

You’ll build strong relationships across the business and with our customers, working closely with Area Managers, Site Managers, Project Managers, DIO and End Users. From supporting the preparation of work proposals and tenders through to managing commercial risk, supplier performance, payments and final accounts, you’ll help ensure our services and projects deliver value for money while meeting contractual requirements.

This is a role where your commercial judgement will really matter. You’ll attend risk meetings, review risk registers, provide guidance on contract requirements and support the resolution and avoidance of disputes. You’ll also assist with change management in accordance with the FDIS contract, carry out Billable Works adjudications within delegated authority and contribute to monthly cost reporting and wider commercial risk management.

You’ll be encouraged to look beyond the immediate commercial requirement too. Working alongside our Service Delivery and Billable Works teams, you’ll help identify opportunities for continual improvement, alternative solutions and more sustainable approaches, supporting VIVO’s sustainability programme and the reduction of carbon emissions and utility consumption across the MoD estate.

You’ll also have an important role in supporting collaborative relationships with DIO and our supply chain, helping to strengthen partnerships in line with BS11000 Collaborative Business Relationships. Whether you’re providing commercial guidance, negotiating with stakeholders or helping colleagues navigate contractual requirements, your ability to communicate clearly and build trust will be central to your success.

The role is primarily based across the Midlands and Wales, with regular travel to sites within the West region. A full UK driving licence is therefore essential, and you’ll need to be able to meet the required security requirements.

About You

We’re looking for an experienced commercial professional with a strong background in construction, property maintenance, facilities management or a related environment. You’ll have excellent knowledge of commercial processes and be confident developing cost models, managing commercial risk, preparing work proposals and tenders, and supporting dispute resolution.

You’ll be a strong communicator and negotiator, able to build effective relationships with colleagues, customers, suppliers and senior stakeholders. You’ll be comfortable providing commercial advice, influencing decisions and negotiating outcomes while maintaining a collaborative approach.

Ideally, you’ll be degree qualified in Quantity Surveying, or have significant equivalent experience that has provided you with the knowledge and capability to operate successfully as a Senior Quantity Surveyor. You’ll have at least four years’ experience within the FM or construction sector, or three years where you have specific MOD experience, with experience across either major projects or multiple concurrent smaller projects.

Experience of working within a military environment, complex multi-site operations, FDIS contracting requirements or BS11000 Collaborative Business Relationships would be advantageous. Knowledge of utility reduction and carbon reduction initiatives would also be beneficial.

You’ll need strong IT and analytical capability, a proactive approach to problem solving and the confidence to work independently while contributing to a wider team. Health & Safety awareness training, evidence of CPD and professional body membership would be welcomed.

Most importantly, you’ll bring sound commercial judgement, strong relationship-building skills and the ability to influence and negotiate effectively. You’ll set high standards for quality, take ownership of your work and demonstrate the professionalism and commitment needed to deliver excellent outcomes for VIVO, our customers and the Defence estate.

What We Offer

• 6% employee matched pension contribution
• 25 days annual leave
• Single private medical cover
• 1 x professional subscription per year
• Life assurance 2x annual salary

VIVO Defence Services

The role you have applied for is with VIVO Defence Services, a joint venture between Serco and EQUANS.By applying for this role, please be aware that information contained within your CV may be shared between VIVO Defence Services, Serco and EQUANS during the recruitment process.

At VIVO, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. Therefore, we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool.

We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working and operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly a Disability Confident Leader. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.