Pre-Construction Manager

About The Role

Our projects are more than just your opportunity to make your mark. They’re an opportunity to stretch, test and develop your expertise. Join our Ground Engineering team as a Pre-Construction Manager and you’ll deliver complex work that really matters to our business, and the world around you.

This is an opportunity to take on a key leadership role in the pre-construction phase of one of the UK’s most significant infrastructure programmes. The Pre-Construction Manager will lead the development of robust target prices, programmes and estimating outputs for complex geotechnical work packages, working closely with commercial, technical, procurement, operations and client-facing teams to support successful project delivery.

Working as part of the central GSA Commercial team, the role will provide governance, oversight and coordination across key departments, while managing estimating activity and supporting transparent decision-making with senior leaders, the Alliance Manager, CWA and external partners. The role sits within the Geotechnical Sub-Contract Alliance, supporting specialist works for Sizewell C, and would suit an experienced pre-construction or estimating professional who is confident handling complex technical information, engaging stakeholders and leading disciplined estimating processes in a major project environment.

What you’ll be doing

• Define and agree the scope of works to be developed during the pre-construction phase.
• Lead the production of estimates and programmes in accordance with CWA requirements and GSA governance expectations.
• Review client drawings, specifications and technical information to support accurate first-principles cost build-ups for materials, labour, plant and equipment.
• Ensure pre-construction outputs are communicated clearly, accurately and on time to the wider GSA team, CWA and other key stakeholders.
• Identify, record and manage assumptions, risks and opportunities through the target price development process.
• Collaborate with project teams and the supply chain to develop and understand proposed methodologies, construction principles, interfaces and constraints relevant to GSA deliverables.
• Oversee robust first-principles development of labour, plant, materials and subcontract pricing within Candy estimating software, where required.
• Maintain appropriate control of data, information and estimating records within the GSA team.
• Apply rigorous review and checking processes to promote accuracy, consistency and confidence in all pre-construction outputs.

• Proven experience leading pre-construction activity or estimating teams on major geotechnical, civil engineering or infrastructure projects.
• Strong understanding of planning, programming, progress monitoring, risk and opportunity management.
• Confident communicator able to collaborate, influence and engage with technical, commercial, operational and client-facing stakeholders.
• Strong management capability, including technical project management, change management, facilitation and team leadership.
• Highly numerate and analytical, with excellent attention to detail across quantities, rates, outputs and calculations.
• Ability to identify, manage and control risk, opportunity and change throughout the pre-construction process.
• Proficient in MS Outlook, SharePoint, Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Good understanding of productivity, plant and labour build-ups, subcontract pricing, estimate assumptions, exclusions and clarifications.
• Relevant qualification in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying or a related discipline, with experience in specialist geotechnical contracting.
• Desirable experience includes operational site delivery, Candy…