Summer Placement Quantity Surveyor

Balfour Beatty plc; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 21,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

25 days’ holiday (pro rata)

Learning and development opportunities

Job summary

Balfour Beatty plc is offering a 2027 Summer Placement as a Quantity Surveyor in Edinburgh. You will gain hands-on experience, taking on real responsibility and working with experienced teams on major infrastructure projects during the eight-week placement window.

You’ll be part of a supportive early careers community, develop technical and professional skills, and have opportunities to progress to future placements or graduate roles. Join a leading UK infrastructure group.

Qualifications

• Be studying towards a degree in Quantity Surveying.
• Be available to complete a minimum of an 8-week summer placement between June and September.

Responsibilities

• Gain insight into the commercial management of major infrastructure and construction projects.
• Learn cost reporting, forecasting, valuations, and financial monitoring.
• Assist with procurement processes, contract administration, and project controls.

Skills

Curiosity

Proactivity

Problem solving

Communication

Teamwork

Ownership

Resilience

Education

Degree in Quantity Surveying (in progress)

Job description

About the role

We are Balfour Beatty. You may not know us by name, but you’ll recognise what we do. We’re a leading international infrastructure group, building, maintaining and improving infrastructure that supports communities for generations to come.

As a Summer Placement Quantity Surveyor, you'll join our 2027 Summer Placement Programme and gain hands‑on experience while contributing to some of the UK's most significant infrastructure projects. From day one, you'll take on real responsibility, develop technical and professional skills, and work alongside experienced colleagues who will support your growth. You'll also be part of a supportive early careers community, building valuable industry experience and developing the knowledge and skills needed for your future career.

In this role, you'll join one of our UKCS - Regional Scotland teams, based in Edinburgh.

What you’ll be doing

As a Summer Placement Quantity Surveyor, you'll gain insight into the commercial management of major infrastructure and construction projects. Working alongside experienced Quantity Surveyors and project teams, you'll be introduced to the processes, systems, and activities used to manage costs, contracts, procurement, and financial performance throughout the project lifecycle.

During your placement, you'll gain exposure to how commercial teams support successful project delivery while developing an understanding of cost management, procurement, contracts, and project controls within a live project environment.

You’ll get exposure to:

• How project costs, budgets, and financial performance are managed across construction projects
• Cost reporting, forecasting, valuations, and financial monitoring activities
• Commercial documentation, contract administration, and project record management
• Procurement processes, subcontractor engagement, and supplier management activities

Who we’re looking for

We are looking for students currently enrolled on a university degree programme, with a genuine interest in our industry.

To be eligible, you’ll need to:

• Be studying towards a degree in Quantity Surveying.
• Be available to complete a minimum of an 8‑week summer placement between June and September.

We’d love to receive your application if you:

• Are curious, proactive and motivated to develop professionally.
• Enjoy solving problems and finding practical solutions.
• Work well with others and build positive relationships.
• Communicate clearly and confidently with different people.
• Take ownership, adapt to challenges and are committed to achieving results.

Why work for us as a Summer Placement Student

• Work on high-profile projects that make a real difference, while gaining valuable industry experience with one of the UK’s leading infrastructure groups.
• Be part of a supportive early careers network, with structured training and coaching from experienced industry professionals.
• Build practical skills, expand your professional network and gain valuable insight into a career in infrastructure.
• Successful summer placement students may have the opportunity to be considered for future placement or graduate opportunities with Balfour Beatty.

What we can offer you

• Competitive salary and flexible benefits, giving you the freedom to shape a rewards package that works for you.
• 25 days’ holiday (pro rata for the duration of your placement).
• Access to learning, development and networking opportunities throughout your placement.

About us

The Regional Scotland business delivers the buildings and infrastructure that communities across Scotland rely on every day. It plays an important role in supporting economic growth, improving public services and creating lasting social value.

At Balfour Beatty, we have been delivering complex and critical infrastructure across Scotland for more than a century, from healthcare and education facilities to transport and civil engineering projects.

Our award‑winning sustainable projects, including active travel, Passivhaus and retrofit schemes, demonstrate our commitment to supporting Scotland’s transition towards a more sustainable future.

At Balfour Beatty we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential components of any successful, happy workplace. Through our Value Everyone Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan, we are growing our diverse workforce and developing our inclusive culture where everyone is able to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of their identity or background. To find out how we are making this a reality, visit www.balfourbeatty.com/diversityandinclusion

To help and support us with our desired commitment to create an inclusive culture we are members of WISE, enei, Business Disability Forum and the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE). In 2020, we signed the Audeliss and Involve Open Letter to demonstrate our commitment to taking key long term and sustainable actions on Black Inclusion. Balfour Beatty is also a Gold Award holder in the Ministry of Defence ‘Employer Recognition Scheme’ and actively encourage applications from Armed Forces personnel, veterans and reservists.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to working with people who have disabilities and long‑term health conditions to remove barriers for them in obtaining employment. For more info, visit https://disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk/

We’re committed to making our recruitment process as inclusive as possible. If you need any adjustments, please let us know at any stage of the process.