Senior Estimator
Leading International Engineering Contractor | Nuclear Infrastructure | Workington-based | Staff Role | Competitive Salary
The Opportunity
We're recruiting a Senior Estimator to prepare detailed and accurate pricing for major tenders and support clients with pricing on early contractor involvement projects. You'll be responsible for comprehensive cost estimation across labour, plant, materials, subcontracts and preliminaries, working closely with bid managers, planners, procurement and technical teams to deliver competitive, robust pricing submissions.
Position Details: Permanent Staff Role | Competitive salary | Based in Workington | Full-time office based with 1 day per week remote working post-probation | SC clearance required (ability to obtain) | Reports to Head of Bid Management
This is a senior technical role for an experienced estimator with nuclear industry background. You'll manage pricing strategy, develop cost estimates, lead supplier and subcontractor negotiations, and ensure all bids are competitively priced and compliant with client requirements. You'll manage assistant estimators and collaborate across bid management, planning, procurement and operations teams.
What You'll Be Doing
Estimate Preparation & Pricing Strategy
1. Prepare detailed and accurate pricing for major tenders
2. Develop cost-effective design options and price alternatives
3. Ensure company governance procedures and competitive pricing methodologies are followed
4. Agree estimation methodologies and outputs with planners, bid managers and design teams
5. Provide cost advice to bid and design managers on value engineering opportunities
Labour Costing
6. Develop local and build-up rates for self-delivered labour
7. Ensure compliance with Working Rule Agreements and client-specific requirements
8. Prepare scheme-specific labour rate calculations
9. Coordinate staffing levels and labour programme with operations teams
10. Manage shift patterns and overtime rates in compliance with Working Time Directive
Plant & Equipment
11. Develop local and build-up rates for plant and equipment
12. Liaise with planners to reconcile plant resource levels
13. Ensure plant requirements are appropriately costed and resourced
Materials & Procurement
14. Prepare material comparison sheets considering unit rates, wastage, waiting times and part loads
15. Liaise with procurement to identify and select appropriate suppliers
16. Review supplier quotations for sufficiency and compliance
17. Agree material supplier selections with procurement and bid team
18. Manage material cost management and supplier negotiations
Subcontract Management
19. Liaise with procurement and bid team to identify and select subcontractors
20. Review subcontractor quotations for sufficiency and compliance
21. Prepare subcontractor comparison sheets with rate adjustments/deletions
22. Agree subcontractor selections with procurement and bid manager
23. Manage subcontract cost negotiations and inclusions/exclusions
Preliminaries & Temporary Works
24. Coordinate with planners and temporary works coordinators on extent and cost of temporary works
25. Agree temporary works costs and methodology
26. Liaise with planners to determine preliminary duration and overall project timescales
27. Ensure all client requirements are included (CCS, CEEQUAL, etc.)
Risk & Value Management
28. Input into tender risk and opportunity registers with bid manager and risk team
29. Identify and quantify cost risks and opportunities
30. Contribute to value engineering and cost optimisation discussions
Tender Submission & Settlement
31. Prepare top-sheet tender summaries and supporting cost build-up sheets
32. Present pricing build-up at pre-settlement and settlement meetings
33. Prepare adjustment sheets reflecting settlement decisions
34. Prepare final pricing documentation ensuring positive cash flow throughout project lifecycle
35. Coordinate contract data and form of tender documentation with bid manager
36. Address post-tender clarifications and amendments from clients
Post-Tender Activities
37. Prepare handover pricing documentation for project managers and commercial managers
38. Attend handover meetings with bid managers on successful bids
39. Coordinate bid reviews and feedback analysis on unsuccessful tenders
About You
Essential Qualifications & Experience
40. Degree in quantity surveying, construction management or related discipline - or equivalent professional qualification
41. MUST HAVE: Nuclear industry experience - demonstrated background estimating on nuclear or similar regulated infrastructure projects
42. Minimum 8-10 years' estimating experience on major infrastructure tenders
43. Proven track record on competitive tenders for Tier 1 or Tier 2 contractors
44. Expert-level knowledge of: Labour cost build-ups and compliance (WRA, London Living Wage, etc.)Plant and equipment costingMaterial procurement and supplier managementSubcontract assessment and cost managementTemporary works and preliminaries pricingRisk identification and quantification
45. Strong understanding of: Tender procedures and client requirementsCommercial and contractual mattersWorking Time Directive and labour complianceCost control and value engineering principles
46. Proficiency in estimating software - Comapny systems, Excel and cost management tools
47. Excellent communication skills - confident presenting pricing at settlement meetings and liaising with multiple stakeholders
48. Collaborative approach - comfortable working across bid teams, procurement, planning and operations
49. Attention to detail - accuracy essential in cost build-ups and tender documentation
50. Strategic thinking - ability to develop competitive, risk-aware pricing strategies
Desirable
51. Chartered Surveyor (RICS) or equivalent professional qualification
52. Experience managing assistant estimators or junior team members
53. Familiarity with collaborative working on early contractor involvement projects
54. Experience on large, complex nuclear or infrastructure projects
55. Knowledge of client value frameworks (CCS, CEEQUAL, etc.)
56. Experience with 4D scheduling and time-related cost management
57. Value engineering and cost optimisation expertise
Security Clearance
You must be able to obtain SC (Security Clearance) to work on nuclear infrastructure projects. BPSS is the minimum starting point.
The Role in Practice
You'll be based in Workington, working as part of the bid management team. You'll report to the Head of Bid Management and manage assistant estimators, collaborating closely with bid managers, planners, procurement teams and operations leads.
This is hands-on estimating work on strategically important nuclear infrastructure tenders. You'll be producing detailed cost estimates, managing supplier and subcontractor negotiations, presenting pricing at settlement meetings, and ensuring bids are competitive and compliant. Your estimating expertise, attention to detail and ability to work collaboratively across multiple functions directly impact bid success and project profitability.
Why This Role
You'll be working for a leading international engineering contractor on major nuclear infrastructure programmes. This is professional estimating work where your expertise in cost analysis, supplier management and value engineering is genuinely valued. You'll be working with experienced bid teams on strategically important, complex tenders where technical accuracy and commercial thinking matter.
The role offers a competitive permanent salary, career development on significant UK nuclear projects, and the opportunity to influence how major infrastructure programmes are costed and delivered.