Senior Quantity Surveyor

Novax Recruitment Ltd; Wakefield; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days' holiday

Group pension

Medicash

Life Assurance

Employee assistance

Job summary

Novax Recruitment Ltd is seeking a Senior Quantity Surveyor to take ownership of the commercial performance on major structural steel and construction projects across the UK. The role involves cost control, forecasting, valuations, and final accounts, working closely with PMs, engineers, procurement and site teams.

You will manage budgets and cash-flow, identify risks and opportunities, and provide regular commercial reporting to senior management.

Qualifications

• Experience managing projects from contract award through to final account.
• Strong knowledge of project cost control, forecasting and commercial reporting.
• Experience with valuations, applications for payment, variations and final accounts.
• Strong contract administration and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Take full commercial responsibility for allocated structural steel and construction projects.
• Manage projects from contract award through to completion and final account.
• Establish and maintain project budgets, cost plans and commercial controls.
• Monitor project performance and forecast final costs and margins.
• Prepare CVRs, cost reports and cash-flow forecasts.
• Identify commercial risks and opportunities early.

Skills

Cost control

Valuations & final accounts

Contract administration

Subcontractor management

Excel

Education

Degree/HNC/HND in QS/Construction Management

MRICS or working towards chartership

Tools

Excel

Job description

Senior Quantity Surveyor - Structural Steel

Location: Wakefield

Salary: Competitive, depending on experience

Employment: Full-time, permanent

Sector: Structural Steel / Construction

Are you an experienced Senior Quantity Surveyor looking for an opportunity to take genuine ownership of the commercial performance of major structural steel and construction projects?

This is a chance to join a well-established UK structural steel and construction business delivering complex, technically demanding projects across the UK.

With work spanning structural steel, specialist construction, rail, nuclear, parking and other technically challenging sectors, you'll be joining a business where no two projects are necessarily the same.

The Role

As Senior Quantity Surveyor, you'll take responsibility for the commercial management of allocated projects from contract award through to final account.

You'll work closely with Project Managers, Contracts Managers, Estimators, Engineers, Procurement, Fabrication and Site teams to ensure projects are commercially controlled and the business receives its full contractual entitlement.

This is a hands‑on senior position where you'll have responsibility for cost control, forecasting, contractual administration, procurement, valuations, variations, claims and final accounts.

What You'll Be Doing

• Take full commercial responsibility for allocated structural steel and construction projects.
• Manage projects from contract award through to completion and final account.
• Establish and maintain project budgets, cost plans and commercial controls.
• Monitor project performance and forecast final costs and margins.
• Prepare and maintain accurate CVRs, cost reports and cash‑flow forecasts.
• Identify commercial risks and opportunities at an early stage.
• Provide regular commercial reporting to senior management.
• Work closely with project and operational teams to achieve commercial objectives.
• Identify opportunities for value engineering and cost savings.
• Review contract documentation and identify key commercial obligations.
• Manage variations, claims, compensation events and extensions of time where applicable.
• Prepare, submit and negotiate applications for payment.
• Review and agree client valuations.
• Manage contractual correspondence and commercial notices.
• Ensure contractual deadlines and notice requirements are met.
• Assist with contract negotiations and assessing commercial risk on new projects.

Procurement & Subcontract Management

You'll also play a key role in managing the commercial side of the supply chain, including:

• Preparing and issuing subcontractor and supplier enquiries.
• Analysing quotations and making commercial recommendations.
• Negotiating subcontract and supplier terms.
• Placing and managing subcontract orders.
• Monitoring subcontractor performance and financial position.
• Managing subcontractor valuations, payments, variations and final accounts.
• Ensuring procurement decisions align with project budgets and programme requirements.

Client & Commercial Management

You'll develop strong working relationships with main contractors, clients and professional teams while maintaining a commercially focused approach.

You'll be involved in:

• Commercial and project meetings.
• Presenting commercial information to clients and senior stakeholders.
• Negotiating valuations, variations, claims and final accounts.
• Managing contractual and commercial issues.
• Identifying and resolving potential disputes before they escal…

About You

We're looking for an experienced Quantity Surveyor / Senior Quantity Surveyor with strong commercial management experience across live UK construction projects.

You’ll ideally have:

• Proven experience managing projects from contract award through to final account.
• Strong knowledge of project cost control, forecasting and commercial reporting.
• Experience with valuations, applications for payment, variations and final accounts.
• Strong contract administration and negotiation skills.
• Experience managing subcontractors and suppliers.
• Excellent understanding of commercial risk and margin protection.
• Strong communication and stakeholder‑management skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and organisation.
• Strong Microsoft Office and Excel skills.
• The confidence to work independently and take ownership of projects.
• The ability to work effectively with technical, operational and senior management teams.

Your Background

Experience within structural steel or specialist construction would be particularly relevant.

This could include:

• Structural steelwork
• Steel fabrication
• Steel erection and installation
• Specialist subcontracting
• Architectural metalwork
• Rail structures
• Industrial structures
• Major construction projects
• Design‑and‑build
• Precast concrete
• Specialist engineering or construction packages

A background working for a steelwork contractor, specialist subcontractor or major construction contractor would be well suited to the role.

Contract Experience

You'll ideally have experience working with UK construction contracts, including some knowledge of:

• JCT
• NEC
• Subcontract agreements
• Framework agreementsBespoke main‑contract terms

Strong knowledge of contractual notices, variations, payment mechanisms, claims and final accounts would be advantageous.

Qualifications

• Degree, HNC or HND in Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management, Construction Management or a related discipline preferred.
• MRICS or working towards chartership would be advantageous but isn't essential.
• Relevant industry experience will be considered alongside formal qualifications.

What's on Offer?

• Competitive salary based on experience.
• Permanent, full-time position.
• Opportunity to work on complex and technically demanding UK projects.
• Exposure to a diverse range of structural steel and construction sectors.
• Genuine ownership of project commercial performance.
• Close involvement with project, engineering, fabrication and site teams.
• 25 days' holiday plus Bank Holidays.
• Group personal pension scheme.
• Medicash.
• Life Assurance.
• Employee assistance support.
• Career development opportunities within a diverse structural engineering and construction business.

If you're an experienced Senior Quantity Surveyor with the commercial confidence to challenge costs, manage contractual obligations and protect project margins, we'd be interested in speaking with you.