Commercial Manager / Managing Quantity Surveyor
Main Contractor | Residential & Mixed-Use | London & South East
We are recruiting a Commercial Manager (or Managing Quantity Surveyor) to join a growing UK main contractor delivering residential and mixed-use schemes across London and the South East.
This role suits a commercially strong Quantity Surveyor who has progressed into a senior commercial position and is comfortable managing contracts, risk and commercial strategy on live projects. You do not need to be legally qualified, but you must have strong working knowledge of construction contracts and the confidence to handle commercial and contractual issues as they arise.
The Role
You will be responsible for:
* Leading commercial delivery across one or more live projects from award through final account.
* Managing contract administration under JCT (NEC knowledge beneficial).
* Owning CVRs, forecasting, valuations and change control with clear narrative.
* Managing and negotiating variations, loss and expense and commercial risk.
* Leading subcontract procurement, orders and commercial negotiations.
* Supporting project teams with contractual guidance and commercial discipline.
* Managing cashflow, applications for payment and commercial correspondence.
* Working closely with technical and site teams to protect margin and delivery.
This is a hands-on role within the contractor, not a consultancy position.
The Right Person
You will:
* Come from a Quantity Surveying or commercial surveying background, ideally contractor-side.
* Have experience operating at Commercial Manager, Senior Commercial Manager or Managing QS level.
* Be comfortable dealing with contractual matters, claims avoidance and commercial correspondence.
* Have strong experience on residential or mixed-use construction projects.
* Be confident challenging and negotiating while maintaining strong working relationships.
* Have a practical, delivery-focused mindset.
Experience working with external cost consultants or claims advisors is beneficial, particularly if you are now looking to bring commercial control in-house.
What’s on Offer
* Competitive salary depending on experience.
* Long-term permanent role with a stable contractor.
* Exposure to live projects with real commercial responsibility.
* Opportunity to influence commercial governance and improve outcomes.
Interested?
If you’re a commercially capable surveyor ready to step into a senior contractor-side role, we’d like to hear from you.
Apply with your CV or contact us for a confidential discussion.