Lead Cost Engineer Rate: £500 - £600 p/d (inside IR35) Location: Warwick – 3 days onsite, 2 days remote Duration: 6 months Our client is a leading telecommunications business who require a Lead Cost Engineer to join their costing team to support on a major high value complex Technology bid. The work will include the preparation of comprehensive estimates for works to be delivered, in accordance with the company's estimating / work-winning procedures and systems. The Lead Cost Engineer will work closely with other members of the team to understand and interpret customer / client requirements, develop effective solutions and accurately estimate the cost, time, materials, labour, equipment and supply chain inputs required to effectively deliver each opportunity. They will be responsible for evaluating tender specifications and pricing models, ensuring that we understand all elements required to bid successfully Key Deliverables The key deliverables of this role are as follows: Lead the production of accurate, thorough cost estimates, ensuring all risks, opportunities and assumptions are identified, recorded and appropriately managed Be ready to present the costing elements of the bid at adjudication / deal review and to client teams as part of their evaluation and award processes Undertake effective post-award handovers and provide ongoing assistance to delivery teams, including details of estimating assumptions and residual risks Responsibilities The responsibilities for this role include: Preparation of accurate, comprehensive estimates, taking into account all labour, plant, materials, equipment and subcontractors / supply chain partners required to deliver each area Liaison with tender teams, operational teams and senior management to understand customer / client requirements, and agree methodology, principles and strategies for each tender Evaluation of specifications, drawings, pricing models and other tender information to ensure a full understanding of all elements required to secure maximum marks on commercial submissions and bid successfully Use and development of appropriate, effective cost models, incorporating sensitivity analysis, rate factoring, etc. where required Working with all teams contributing to each tender (e.g., procurement, finance, HR) to ensure information required to produce estimates is provided in a timely manner and in the format required Identify and record risks and opportunities during the tender process, recommending actions to manage or mitigate Ensure all key assumptions within each estimate are recorded Populate pricing documents, BoQs, SoRs, etc for tender submissions Prepare elements of adjudication / deal review presentations that relate to tender pricing Present basis of tender estimates, key assumptions, pricing strategy etc at adjudication / deal reviews Attend client meetings to present and discuss pricing submissions during tender preparation, adjudication and evaluation processes, ensuring they have a comprehensive awareness of our approach and the advantages we offer Undertake post-award handovers to operational delivery teams, ensuring details of key assumptions and residual risks are passed on Provide ongoing assistance to and obtain feedback from operational delivery teams regarding estimating adequacy, current costs and comparison to tender pricing Ongoing liaison with business development teams, heads of business and line management for forward planning of workload Continuous liaison with procurement and finance teams to understand trends and risks relating to costs Qualifications / Skill Requirements Strong Engineering and/or Commercial background Strong Technology/IT background – experience working on large technology contracts Proven track record working on tenders for maintenance and technology contracts / frameworks ideally over £50M in value Commercially astute, with sufficient acumen to identify and capitalise on opportunities to improve profitability IT literate, familiar with estimating software and MS Office. Very strong Excel skills Strong numerical and analytical skills, able to dissect and understand complex models and develop winning strategies Confident self-starter, able to work effectively on their own and as part of a team Effective line manager, able to manage own workload and prioritise that of others Strong communication skills, able to concisely present/explain complex commercial concepts to senior internal and client personnel Educated to degree level in a related subject (e.g., Engineering, Commercial Management, Quantity Surveying) Experience in Highways or mission-critical technology would be highly advantageous Relevant professional membership (e.g., chartered/incorporated status with an appropriate institute) For more information on this role, please contact Scarlet Wilson.