Mechanical Estimating Manager

Location: Milton Regis

The Opportunity Our client, a long-established MEP engineering contractor, is opening a new operation in Trafford Park and is looking for a Mechanical Estimating Manager to lead the mechanical estimating function. The operation opens on a £350 million healthcare project. What it wins after that is the part you would decide. The work is large-scale MEP across healthcare, education, hotels and commercial developments.

On projects of that size the mechanical estimate has to be both competitive and deliverable, because the same business will be building it. The role carries the tender strategy as well as the numbers, working directly with senior management on what to bid and how, with further projects already pencilled into the pipeline behind the opening scheme. This is a permanent role in Trafford Park, £70,000 to £85,000 depending on experience, plus a full benefits package.

About the Business A new operation inside an established business is a particular kind of opportunity. The Trafford Park office is being built now, so the processes, the standards and the working relationships are still being set. What sits behind it is already there: the balance sheet, the supply chain and decades of delivered MEP projects. That combination is rare.

Most people get the ground-floor role or the established backing, not both. Our client is a long-established, family-owned MEP engineering contractor covering mechanical, electrical and public health, with over 150 directly employed staff and a subcontractor base of around 300. They have offices across Ireland and deliver projects throughout Ireland and Great Britain, through major projects, facilities management and specialist projects divisions, across commercial, education, healthcare, heritage, hospitality and leisure, life sciences and residential sectors.

The new Trafford Park operation is being established now rather than already running, and opens on a £350 million healthcare scheme in Manchester with further projects already pencilled into the pipeline. Family ownership shows up in how decisions get made. There is no quarterly reporting cycle dictating what gets committed to, which tends to mean longer views on people and on markets.

An expansion into Great Britain is exactly the sort of commitment that needs a long view to survive its first two years. What You'll Be Doing Pricing mechanical packages and change on the initial £350 million healthcare project, alongside the tenders that follow it Leading the mechanical estimating function and managing the tender process from initial enquiry through to submission Reviewing drawings, specifications, schedules and tender documentation to establish what a project actually requires Preparing accurate, competitive mechanical estimates covering labour, materials, plant, subcontractor and specialist costs Managing subcontractor and supplier enquiries, negotiations and commercial comparisons Working closely with pre-construction, design, commercial and operations teams to develop coordinated, deliverable proposals Identifying project risk, opportunity, exclusions and commercial considerations within each tender Making sure tenders are submitted accurately, competitively and within deadline Supporting senior management on tender strategy and on securing new business Mentoring junior estimators and providing technical and commercial guidance to the team Building and holding relationships with clients, consultants, suppliers and subcontractors What We're Looking For Significant mechanical estimating experience within an MEP or main contracting environment A strong grasp of mechanical building services, construction methods and current market costs Strong commercial awareness, with the attention to…