Senior Quantity Surveyor (Estimator)

Auckland Council; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 106,000 - 149,000; Full time

Job summary

Auckland Council’s Healthy Waters and Flood Resilience Department has an opportunity for a Senior Quantity Surveyor within the Design & Delivery unit. This 12-month fixed-term hybrid role is based in Central Auckland with flexible working arrangements and a salary from NZD 105,579 to 149,050 plus KiwiSaver.

You will provide cost estimates and commercial guidance across a large capital programme, review complex variations, and support project managers to improve cost certainty and

Qualifications

• Significant experience preparing and reviewing cost estimates for horizontal infrastructure projects.
• Ability to develop robust estimates with incomplete information.
• Strong understanding of infrastructure construction methodologies and cost drivers.
• Proven commercial judgement to identify cost risks, opportunities and value-for-money initiatives.
• Advanced analytical and Excel skills.
• Experience advising project managers, engineers, and stakeholders.
• Experience developing estimates for business cases, funding, design, and tender evaluation.
• Experience with NZS 3910 and infrastructure procurement practices.

Responsibilities

• Procure and contract manage external quantity survey support.
• Coordinate development of standard approaches to scheduling, measurement, and payment for different projects within the department.
• Establish and maintain a database of costs for typical infrastructure assets and monitor price trends for various project delivery components.
• Engage in value engineering during project scoping, design, business case development, and procurement to ensure projects deliver value for money.
• Define an internal audit scope to measure and monitor supplier performance, ensuring high-quality services and value for money.
• Coach and mentor program and project managers on best delivery practices and whole-of-life project costs.

Skills

Infrastructure cost estimation

Cost risk assessment

Stakeholder communication

Excel proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Quantity Surveying / Engineering / Construction

Tools

NZS 3910

Cost data analytics

Job description

• Provide technical expertise to support the delivery of stormwater infrastructure projects


• 12 months fixed term h ybrid role with flexible working and based in Central Auckland


• Salary will be $105,579 to $149,050 plus KiwiSaver contribution

Auckland Council’s Healthy Waters and Flood Resilience Department has an opportunity for aSenior Quantity Surveyorwithin the Design & Delivery unit.

This role will suit a Quantity Surveyor with substantial infrastructure estimating experience who is passionate about developing reliable project cost estimates and improving cost certainty across a large capital works programme.

Reporting to the Manager Project Services, you will be responsible for providing support to project and programme managers regarding the timely provision of robust cost estimates for new capital and renewals projects throughout the delivery stages. This will include the review and evaluation of complex contract variations and claims.

You will also work across the department to provide cost advice so that estimates for future project budgets are well defined, robust, and sufficient for inclusion in business cases, business plans and the Long-Term Plan and Annual Plan.

• Procure and contract manage external quantity survey support when additional estimating capacity as required.


• Coordinate the development and ongoing improvement of standard approaches to scheduling, measurement, and payment for different projects within the department.


• Establish and maintain a database of costs for typical infrastructure assets and monitor price trends for various project delivery components.


• Engage in value engineering during project scoping, design, business case development, and procurement to ensure projects deliver value for money.


• Define an internal audit scope to measure and monitor supplier performance, ensuring high-quality services and value for money.


• Coach and mentor program and project managers on best delivery practices and whole-of-life project costs.

An experienced Quantity Surveyor with a strong infrastructure estimating background and the ability to provide commercially sound advice across the full project lifecycle. You will be comfortable developing robust cost estimates from early business case development and concept design through to detailed design, procurement, and tender evaluation.

You will have a strong understanding of infrastructure construction methodologies, cost drivers, risk, and contingency assessment, and estimate assurance practices. You will be confident working with incomplete information, identifying risks and opportunities, challenging assumptions, and improving cost certainty to support effective decision‑making.

Alongside strong relationship management skills, you will have the ability to advise on multiple diverse projects simultaneously and communicate effectively with project managers, engineers, and senior stakeholders. A good understanding of health and safety legislation and industry best practice is essential for this role.

Key Requirements

• Significant experience preparing and reviewing cost estimates for horizontal infrastructure projects, preferably within stormwater, water, transport, or utilities.


• Demonstrated ability to develop robust project estimates where scope and design information may be incomplete.


• Strong understanding of infrastructure construction methodologies and associated cost drivers.


• Proven commercial judgement and ability to identify cost risks, opportunities, and value-for-money initiatives.


• Advanced analytical and Excel skills, including the ability to interpret cost data and market trends.


• Experience providing cost advice to project managers, engineers, and senior stakeholders.


• Experience developing cost estimates for business cases, funding approvals, detailed design, and tender evaluation within a capital infrastructure environment.


• Experience with NZS 3910 and infrastructure procurement practices.

Key qualifications that we will be looking for include:

• Bachelor’s level degree or relevant tertiary qualification (e.g. quantity surveying, engineering, construction, or architecture) or at least 7 years relevant experience


• Professional body registration (e.g. NZIQS)

We will offer you a career enhancing opportunity, competitive remuneration and to be part of Auckland’s meaningful history. You will be given the opportunity to be part of a team that is dynamic and passionate about what they do. You will play a crucial role, not only in Healthy Waters and Flood Resilience but across Auckland Council.

This is an opportunity to contribute to initiatives that impact more than 1.8 million Aucklanders.

Applications close:Wednesday 16 September at 11:59pm

This role is deemed safety sensitive and, in line with Auckland Council policy, you will be required to complete pre-employment drug & alcohol testing.

Auckland Council is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) and we are committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application to assist you through the recruitment process.