Senior Quantity Surveyor

AW Recruitment; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

AW Recruitment is seeking an experienced Senior Quantity Surveyor to join a growing construction business delivering a diverse portfolio across London.

You will lead the commercial management of multiple live projects, building strong procurement strategies, cost control and value optimisation while reporting directly to the company Director. This is a high-autonomy role with end-to-end commercial responsibility.

Qualifications

• Around 8+ years' Quantity Surveying experience.
• Senior Quantity Surveyor level experience or operating independently as the commercial lead.
• Experience managing projects of a similar size and complexity.
• Background within a main contractor, developer, consultancy or construction management environment.
• Strong new-build construction experience.
• Experience across structural works including groundworks, brickwork and steel frame construction.
• Exposure to refurbishment and/or high-quality fit-out projects.
• Strong subcontractor procurement and account-management experience.
• Good knowledge of CVRs, forecasting and cost reporting.
• Experience taking projects from procurement through to final account.
• Strong contractual and commercial awareness.
• The ability to deal directly with clients, consultants and senior stakeholders.
• The ability to manage multiple projects and competing commercial priorities.
• A commercially astute, proactive and hands-on approach.

Responsibilities

• Act as commercial lead across three live projects valued at circa £15m combined
• Manage projects commercially from pre-construction and procurement through to final account
• Develop and implement appropriate procurement strategies
• Prepare subcontractor tender packages and manage tender processes
• Analyse tenders and lead subcontractor negotiations
• Prepare and manage subcontractor appointments
• Manage subcontractor accounts throughout the project lifecycle
• Assess valuations, variations and change
• Prepare and maintain CVRs and detailed project cost reports
• Produce accurate cost forecasts and cash-flow information
• Monitor project budgets, commitments and expenditure
• Identify and manage commercial risks and opportunities
• Protect project margins and identify opportunities to maximise value
• Drive value engineering and cost-efficiency initiatives
• Manage contractual and commercial correspondence
• Negotiate and agree subcontractor final accounts
• Work closely with construction, design, consultant and client teams
• Provide clear commercial advice and reporting directly to the company Director
• Maintain strong relationships with clients, subcontractors and the wider supply chain

Skills

Quantity Surveying

Senior QS

Commercial lead

Procurement

Cost reporting

CVRs

Job description

Position

Permanent

The Opportunity

An excellent opportunity has arisen for an experienced Senior Quantity Surveyor to join a growing, privately owned construction and development business delivering a diverse portfolio of high-quality projects across London.

The business takes a hands‑on, design‑led approach to project delivery and works across new‑build construction, refurbishment, structural works and high‑quality internal fit‑out.

This is a commercially significant position offering considerably more autonomy than a traditional package‑based Senior QS role.

You will take the commercial lead across three live projects with a combined construction value of approximately £15m, managing the commercial process from procurement and subcontractor appointment through to project delivery and final account.

Working directly with the company Director, clients, consultants and project teams, you will have genuine influence over commercial strategy, procurement, cost control, risk management and overall project profitability.

For an experienced QS looking for greater autonomy and exposure to the complete commercial lifecycle, this represents an excellent opportunity to become a key member of a growing business.

The Role

As Senior Quantity Surveyor, you will take responsibility for the commercial management of multiple live projects simultaneously.

You will be expected to establish strong commercial controls, maintain accurate forecasting and provide senior management with clear visibility of project performance.

Rather than simply administering individual packages, you will take ownership of the overall commercial position of your projects, proactively managing cost, risk, change and subcontractor performance throughout the project lifecycle.

Projects include a varied combination of new‑build construction, groundworks, structural steel, brickwork and high‑quality fit‑out, providing broad technical and commercial exposure.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as commercial lead across three live projects valued at circa £15m combined
• Manage projects commercially from pre‑construction and procurement through to final account
• Develop and implement appropriate procurement strategies
• Prepare subcontractor tender packages and manage tender processes
• Analyse tenders and lead subcontractor negotiations
• Prepare and manage subcontractor appointments
• Manage subcontractor accounts throughout the project lifecycle
• Assess valuations, variations and change
• Prepare and maintain CVRs and detailed project cost reports
• Produce accurate cost forecasts and cash‑flow information
• Monitor project budgets, commitments and expenditure
• Identify and manage commercial risks and opportunities
• Protect project margins and identify opportunities to maximise value
• Drive value engineering and cost‑efficiency initiatives
• Manage contractual and commercial correspondence
• Negotiate and agree subcontractor final accounts
• Work closely with construction, design, consultant and client teams
• Provide clear commercial advice and reporting directly to the company Director
• Maintain strong relationships with clients, subcontractors and the wider supply chain

About You

The successful candidate will ideally have:

• Around 8+ years' Quantity Surveying experience
• Proven experience working at Senior Quantity Surveyor level or operating independently as the commercial lead
• Experience commercially managing projects of a similar size and complexity
• A background within a main contractor, developer, consultancy or construction management environment
• Strong new‑build construction experience
• Experience across structural works including groundworks, brickwork and steel frame construction
• Exposure to refurbishment and/or high‑quality fit‑out projects
• Strong subcontractor procurement and account‑management experience
• Good knowledge of CVRs, forecasting and cost reporting
• Experience taking projects from procurement through to final account
• Strong contractual and commercial awareness
• The confidence to deal directly with clients, consultants and senior stakeholders
• The ability to manage multiple projects and competing commercial priorities
• A commercially astute, proactive and hands‑on approach

Why Join?

This position offers a level of autonomy that can be difficult to find within larger construction businesses.

You will not simply form part of a large commercial team managing isolated packages. Instead, you will have genuine responsibility for the commercial performance of multiple projects and direct access to the senior decision‑makers within the business.

The opportunity includes:

• Salary up to £80,000 + package
• Commercial responsibility across circa £15m of live projects
• Genuine end‑to‑end project ownership
• Direct reporting line to the company Director
• Significant client‑facing exposure
• Input into procurement and commercial strategy
• Varied portfolio rather than being tied to a single project type
• Exposure from structural construction through to premium internal fit‑out
• Opportunity to influence project performance and profitability
• Long‑term position within a growing, privately owned business
• Opportunity to become a key member of the company's commercial function