Quantity Surveyor – Groundworks in Northampton, Northamptonshire

Quantity Surveyor – Groundworks
Location: Northamptonshire (office-based, with regular site visits)
Type: Permanent, full-time
Salary: £75,000 + bonus, company car or car allowance, and package

The company
Our client is an established, well-respected groundworks subcontractor working for main contractors on residential and commercial schemes. They run their own fleet of heavy plant and have a strong, steady pipeline of work.

The role
Reporting directly to the Director, you’ll take full commercial responsibility for groundworks packages, from tender through to final payment. You’ll price and secure profitable work, manage the supply chain and make sure every variation and pound is accounted for, protecting the company’s cash flow against the main contractor. The role has a strong focus on groundworks risk: ground conditions, plant output, muck-away, materials and tight weekly and monthly variation tracking.

What you’ll be doing

Tendering and pricing

• Reviewing tender documents, drawings and specifications
• Measuring quantities to produce bills of quantities and cost plans
• Pricing from first principles: earthworks, drainage, foundations, deep excavations, piling and concrete
• Obtaining and comparing subcontractor and supplier quotes
• Identifying commercial and technical risks, and maintaining risk registers
• Suggesting alternative methods or materials to cut costs without compromising quality

Pre-contract and procurement

• Producing accurate material take-offs from structural drawings: concrete, rebar, drainage runs and earthworks volumes
• Reviewing ground investigation reports to flag risks such as rock, high water tables or contamination
• Negotiating rates and securing supply for ready-mix concrete, aggregates, rebar and drainage systems
• Pricing the company’s own heavy plant (and hired-in plant) into tenders

Site commercial management

• Measuring and pricing ground condition variations before they’re covered up
• Auditing and reconciling muck-away waste transfer notes
• Submitting fully documented interim valuations to main contractors, and following them through to payment

What we’re looking for

• BSc in Quantity Surveying or Commercial Management, or HNC/HND backed by strong groundworks experience
• QS experience working directly for a groundworks or civil engineering subcontractor (ideally 3+ years)
• A proven track record on residential roads and sewers, commercial foundations or deep drainage
• Deep understanding of groundworks and civils methods, sequencing and structural requirements
• Strong earthworks estimating skills
• Able to read complex structural, drainage and levels drawings and check them against on-site topography
• Working knowledge of JCT (or equivalent) subcontracts
• Highly competent in Excel, with strong numerical skills and attention to detail
• Confident negotiator and communicator
• Full UK driving licence

What’s on offer

• £75,000 basic salary
• Agreed bonus
• Company car plus mileage, or allowance for your own vehicle
• Stakeholder pension
• 20 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
• Direct reporting line to the Director, with real influence on the business