Senior QS (Defence)

Senior Quantity Surveyor

Site-based in Barrow-in-Furness Permanent, full-time Circa £75,000 per annum, with flexibility for an exceptional candidate

Additional package including daily travel to and from site fully reimbursed, all reasonable expenses covered, private healthcare and a 4% employer pension contribution. Overnight accommodation options are also being considered.

Winsearch is proud to partner with a long-established specialist contractor looking to appoint an MRICS-qualified Senior Quantity Surveyor to support a major, long-term construction programme in Barrow-in-Furness.

The initial programme is expected to run for approximately six years, with further projects being pursued as part of the contractor’s plans to establish a substantial long-term presence in the area.

This is a senior, site-based commercial role requiring recent NEC contract experience and an advanced understanding of project costing. The successful candidate will take ownership of compensation events, project changes, cost build-ups and inflation or deflation adjustments across high-value packages.

The Role

You’ll lead the commercial management of roofing, cladding and associated construction packages across a large, highly regulated operational site.

The wider programme includes new-build and remediation works across storage facilities, specialist industrial buildings, hangar-style structures and supporting buildings. Packages will include several roofing and cladding systems, technically complex interfaces and some masonry solutions.

Reporting to senior commercial leadership, you’ll work closely with project teams, subcontractors, consultants and client representatives to maintain commercial control throughout procurement and delivery.

What You’ll Be Doing

Leading the commercial management of high-value construction packages Preparing and agreeing commercial strategies Administering NEC contracts and maintaining compliance with contractual timescales Managing early warnings, project changes and compensation events Producing detailed and properly substantiated compensation-event quotations Assessing labour, plant, material, programme and access implications Reviewing and validating estimates, cost build-ups and subcontractor pricing Calculating and evidencing inflation and deflation adjustments Managing subcontract procurement from enquiry through to appointment Preparing and issuing Invitations to Tender Negotiating subcontractor and supplier terms Producing forecasts, cost reports and commercial updates Managing valuations, applications for payment and subcontractor accounts Monitoring committed costs, liabilities and anticipated final outcomes Identifying commercial risks and recovery opportunities Supporting dispute avoidance and contractual assurance Maintaining accurate records to support commercial entitlement Negotiating variations and final accounts Liaising with the client, consultants, supply chain and internal teams Mentoring junior commercial staff where required

What They’re Looking For

MRICS qualification Significant experience as a Senior Quantity Surveyor or Commercial Manager Strong and recent NEC contract experience Detailed knowledge of early warnings, notices and compensation events Strong project-costing and cost-build-up experience Proven ability to price and negotiate high-value compensation events Experience costing project changes and variations Practical experience managing inflation and deflation within project costs Commercial responsibility for high-value construction projects or packages Background with a main contractor or specialist subcontractor Strong subcontract procurement and negotiation experience Ability to review and challenge estimates and commercial assumptions Strong forecasting, reporting and cost-control capability Confidence dealing with senior client and project stakeholders Ability to operate independently within a site-based commercial role Experience within roofing, cladding, waterproofing or the wider building envelope would be useful, but senior commercial capability and recent NEC experience are more important.

Experience within defence, nuclear, energy, infrastructure, industrial or similarly regulated environments would also be beneficial.

Qualifications

Essential

Mrics

Degree in Quantity Surveying or a closely related discipline Recent and practical NEC contract experience Full UK driving licence Eligibility to obtain the required security clearance

Desirable

Existing or previous security clearance Experience on major defence or infrastructure programmes Roofing, cladding or building-envelope commercial experience Experience mentoring junior Quantity Surveyors

Security Requirements

Due to the nature of the project, candidates must be eligible to obtain SC clearance.

Sole UK nationality is required for clearance eligibility. The appointment process will include the required identity, employment, residency and security checks.

About You

You’ll be commercially sharp, contractually confident and comfortable taking ownership of complex commercial matters.

The contractor needs someone who can assess the true cost of project change rather than simply process instructions. You should be able to build a detailed commercial position covering labour, materials, plant, access, programme effects and inflation or deflation.

You’ll need to remain close to project delivery, maintain accurate records and challenge commercial assumptions constructively. Strong relationships will be important, but you must also be confident protecting contractual entitlement and project margin.

How Success Will Be Measured

Commercial performance of assigned packages Quality and accuracy of compensation-event pricing Effective management of NEC timescales and processes Control of project changes and contractual entitlement Reliability of cost reports and forecasts Accuracy of inflation and deflation assessments Subcontract procurement outcomes Cash-flow and margin performance Timely agreement of variations and final accounts Quality of client and supply-chain relationships

What’s In It For You

Circa £75,000 salary, with flexibility for an exceptional candidate Daily travel to and from site fully reimbursed All reasonable business expenses covered Overnight accommodation options currently being considered 25 days’ annual leave plus statutory bank holidays £200 annual loyalty payment Additional half-day leave for your birthday Corporate private healthcare 4% employer pension contribution Senior responsibility on an initial six-year programme Potential involvement in further long-term regional projects Direct exposure to senior commercial leadership Opportunity to manage varied and technically demanding packages If you’re an MRICS-qualified Senior Quantity Surveyor with strong recent NEC experience and advanced project-costing capability, contact Winsearch for a confidential discussion.

Indwin

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