Highways Senior Quantity Surveyor

Overview

Job Title:

Senior Highways Quantity Surveyor

Location:

Edinburgh
Salary: £65,000 - £70,000 + car allowance & benefits

Purpose of the Role:
This is a senior-level opportunity for an experienced Quantity Surveyor to take a leading role in the commercial management of highways projects and frameworks. The Senior Quantity Surveyor will provide strong commercial leadership, mentor and develop junior team members, and work closely with operational and client teams to ensure robust commercial control, profitability, and long-term client relationships.

• Lead the preparation, review, and management of detailed cost estimates, budgets, and forecasts.
• Maintain full commercial responsibility from tender stage through to final account settlement.
• Monitor project expenditure, analyse variances, and implement cost control and value engineering measures.
• Manage work in progress to achieve and maintain accurate cash flow forecasts.
• Produce, review, and present accurate monthly CVRs and financial reports to senior management.
• Proactively manage and agree Compensation Events (CEs), maintaining accurate CE registers via CEMAR or equivalent systems.
• Oversee the preparation and administration of contract documentation, including bills of quantities and scopes of work.
• Provide expert oversight of NEC contracts, ensuring compliance with contractual, legal, and company requirements.
• Lead the management of variations, claims, and dispute resolution where required.
• Ensure timely applications for payment and responses to client queries to protect cash flow and commercial position.
• Act as a senior commercial point of contact for clients, consultants, and key stakeholders.
• Build and maintain strong, collaborative client relationships while protecting company commercial interests.
• Represent the business at client meetings, commercial reviews, and progress meetings.
• Ensure a professional, solutions-focused approach to client and stakeholder challenges.
• Lead, mentor, and develop assistant and intermediate quantity surveyors.
• Promote best practice, commercial awareness, and continuous improvement within the team.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing commercial team culture.

Education:

• BSc in Quantity Surveying or equivalent (RICS accreditation desirable but not essential).

Experience:

• Significant post-qualified experience as a Quantity Surveyor within civil engineering or highways infrastructure.

• Strong working knowledge of NEC contracts; experience using CEMAR is highly desirable.

• Experience working within self-delivery or principal contractor environments is advantageous.

• Confident, professional, and commercially astute.
• Strong leadership and mentoring capability.
• High levels of integrity, discretion, and professionalism.
• Proactive, solutions-driven, and client-focused.

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