Cost Estimator

Are you an experienced cost estimator looking for an opportunity to influence key investment decisions, support major projects, and help deliver value for money for the UK taxpayer? If you're looking to apply your expertise within a collaborative and growing profession, this could be the role for you.

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Cost Estimator to join our PMO function. Reporting directly to the Cost Estimating Lead, you will become part of a diverse and highly skilled estimating team, playing a key role in the continued growth of this centralised function. Your enthusiasm and conscientious approach will be essential in delivering high-quality estimating support across a wide range of projects and stakeholders.

As a Cost Estimator, you will provide estimating support across the organisation, working closely with project teams, Project Controls practitioners and wider stakeholders to help inform business cases, project decisions and delivery strategies. Estimating is critical to the success of NRS’ long-term strategy, and this role offers the opportunity to contribute to evidence-based decision-making within a complex, regulated and nationally significant project environment.

As a Cost Estimator, you will help projects understand the cost implications of their scope, options, risks and delivery choices. From concept development through to close-out, you will use appropriate estimating methods, data, lessons learned and professional judgement to support robust outputs that can be understood, challenged and relied upon by project teams and decision-makers.

You will also contribute to the ongoing development of the estimating function, supporting improved consistency, benchmarking capability, innovation and continuous improvement across the team.

• Develop, maintain and assure robust cost estimates across the full project lifecycle, supporting baseline change proposals, business cases, tender assessments and wider investment decisions with clear, evidence-based outputs.
• Work closely with project teams, Project Controls colleagues and senior stakeholders to provide cost estimating advice, communicate assumptions and rationale, and support effective challenge during project reviews, risk reviews and uncertainty assessments.
• Apply appropriate estimating methodologies, cost norms, lessons learned and benchmarking data to improve estimate quality, demonstrate cost implications, identify value-for-money opportunities and support consistent estimating practice.
• Contribute to the continued development of the estimating function by supporting Cost Breakdown Structures, alignment with Work Breakdown Structures, estimating standards, knowledge sharing, mentoring and training across the team.

We're looking for a motivated and commercially aware estimating professional who can bring both technical expertise and strong stakeholder engagement skills to the team. You'll have substantial experience working within complex project environments and a proven ability to develop robust estimates that support informed decision-making. Your ability to analyse data, challenge assumptions and communicate findings clearly will be key to success in this role.

You’ll also be comfortable working in a regulated environment, applying industry best practice and leveraging data, benchmarking and modern estimating tools to deliver high-quality outputs. Whether working independently or collaboratively, you’ll demonstrate a proactive approach and a commitment to continuous improvement.

You will have:

• Hold a relevant professional qualification (e.g. RICS, ACOSTE) or possess equivalent significant cost estimating experience.
• Demonstrate substantial experience producing and assuring estimates across complex projects within a project-based environment.
• Have a strong technical understanding of working within a highly regulated industry, including the use of benchmarking, cost norms and estimating methodologies.
• Experience and understanding of Earned Value Management, Planning and Cost Management and demonstrable experience of working on NEC contracts.
• Possess excellent analytical and communication skills, with proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Power BI, estimating software and other data analytics tools.

If you’re looking for a role where your expertise will directly influence major project decisions, drive value for money and contribute to the UK’s most important nuclear decommissioning and restoration programmes, we’d love to hear from you.