Senior Estimating Manager

Annual salary: up to £91,000.00

Location:
Homebased – Remote, with UK travel

Contract:
Full-time, Permanent

Hours: 40 per week, Monday to Friday

Salary:
Up to £91,000, plus £4,800 car allowance

The Senior Estimator is a key role within the commercial estimating and tendering function, responsible for producing high‑quality, competitive and compliant bids across all business streams. You will develop robust cost models, assess risk, collaborate with operational and commercial stakeholders, and ensure all estimating outputs meet the standards set by the Head of Estimating.

This role works closely with Business Development, Operations, Supply Chain and Finance to support sustainable growth and protect margin. You will report directly to the Head of Estimating.

• Lead the preparation of robust, compliant and competitive estimates aligned to company commercial strategy
• Ensure pricing, methodology, risk and assumptions are clearly articulated and aligned with operational delivery
• Provide analytical insight, industry knowledge and commercial judgement to support tender adjudications
• Contribute to continuous improvement of estimating processes, knowledge bases and governance frameworks

• Prepare detailed estimates and commercial submissions for tenders across Repairs & Maintenance (including M&E and Planned Works), Central Government housing and support, Decarbonisation and Net Zero programmes, and DLO support
• Build cost models from first principles with accuracy and commercial integrity
• Support value engineering, scenario modelling and pricing strategy development
• Analyse tender documentation, specifications and operational data to ensure deliverable proposals
• Provide clear written and verbal summaries of assumptions, pricing logic and risks

• Ensure all estimating outputs meet internal governance standards for completeness and compliance
• Support tender clarifications, RFIs and responses to client queries
• Assist with commercial review of contracts and legal documents alongside Legal and Operations
• Identify and document key financial and delivery risks for adjudication

• Work collaboratively with Business Development and Operations to ensure bids reflect operational capability
• Engage with supply chain partners to secure competitive quotations and maintain market intelligence
• Present estimating outputs and recommendations to senior stakeholders when required

• Support mobilisation teams post‑award, ensuring clarity of estimating assumptions
• Participate in post‑contract reviews and outturn cost analysis to improve future pricing
• Contribute to enhancements in systems, templates, cost databases and knowledge repositories

• Act as a senior technical resource, providing mentoring to junior estimators
• Promote accuracy, commercial discipline and collaborative working
• Deputise for the Head of Estimating when required

• Significant experience in social housing, R&M, planned works or related construction estimating
• Strong working knowledge of NHF Schedule of Rates
• Proven experience producing cost models and pricing strategies for medium‑large tenders
• Experience engaging with clients, supply chain and internal stakeholders
• Ability to manage multiple bids to tight deadlines
• Good understanding of NEC and JCT contract forms
• Strong analytical skills and commercial awareness

• Experience in a large contracting or housing services environment
• Familiarity with estimating software and data analytics tools
• Professional qualification in QS, Construction Management or similar (or working towards)

• Strong numerical ability and exceptional attention to detail
• Clear, confident communicator able to explain commercial reasoning to all audiences
• Proactive problem‑solver with a continuous improvement mindset
• Ability to interpret complex specifications and technical documentation
• Highly organised, deadline‑driven and able to prioritise effectively
• Collaborative team player with mentoring capability
• Strong…