About the Role
As Head of Estimating, you will take ownership of developing robust, compliant and commercially competitive bids across a wide range of workstreams, including Repairs & Maintenance (such as M&E and Planned Works), Central Government housing and support services, Decarbonisation and Net Zero programmes, and DLO support. You will shape the commercial strategy behind each opportunity, building cost models from first principles, driving value engineering, and ensuring risks and assumptions are clearly understood. Working closely with Business Development, Operations and Legal teams, you will influence strategic bid decisions and ensure our proposals support sustainable growth and margin protection. Your leadership will set the standard for commercial governance, pricing excellence and the continuous improvement of our estimating function.
Key Responsibilities
Commercial Leadership
1. Lead the creation of high‑quality commercial proposals tailored to individual opportunities
2. Develop cost models from first principles and drive pricing strategy and value engineering
3. Provide senior leadership with clear commercial analysis, risk positions and recommendations
4. Partner with internal teams to shape strategic bid decisions and contract risk assessments
Tender Governance & Risk Management
5. Ensure all submissions are compliant, well‑documented and commercially sound
6. Lead competitive dialogue, clarifications, RFIs and post‑tender negotiations
7. Oversee commercial review of contracts and legal documentation
8. Enhance estimating methodologies, tools, templates and documentation standards
Stakeholder Engagement
9. Present commercial proposals to Directors and the Senior Management Team
10. Embed tender assumptions and methodologies into mobilisation and operational teams
11. Engage with supply chain partners to secure competitive and deliverable pricing
Mobilisation & Continuous Improvement
12. Play a key role in mobilisation of successful tenders, challenging assumptions to drive profitability
13. Translate estimating assumptions into operational cost monitoring
14. Analyse outturn performance to inform future bids and build a commercial knowledge base
People Leadership
15. Lead, mentor and develop the Estimating Team, fostering technical excellence and collaboration.
16. Identify capability gaps and champion learning, systems improvement and performance management
Essential Experience
17. Extensive experience in social housing estimating, including expert knowledge of NHF Schedule of Rates.
18. Proven ability to develop pricing strategies and deliver value engineering solutions.
19. Strong track record in post‑tender negotiations and contract award processes.
20. End‑to‑end tender lifecycle experience, from pricing to mobilisation.
21. Strong working knowledge of standard forms of contract
22. Experience presenting commercial proposals at senior leadership level.
23. Ability to manage multiple bids under demanding deadlines.
24. Demonstrable leadership experience in building high‑performing teams.
Desirable
25. Experience at Head of / Senior Manager level within a large contracting or housing services organisation
26. Familiarity with sector‑standard estimating systems and analytical tools
27. Professional qualification in Quantity Surveying or Construction Management
Key Skills & Attributes
28. Strategic commercial thinker with strong influencing capability
29. Excellent communicator, able to simplify complex commercial reasoning
30. High numerical accuracy and attention to detail
31. Proactive problem solver committed to continuous improvement
32. Collaborative leader with a passion for developing people
Benefits:
33. Family friendly policies, including enhanced maternity/paternity leave and much more
34. 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
35. 3 x Life assurance
36. Family private medical
37. £6,900 car allowance
38. Generous Pension Scheme and sick pay
39. Employee Assistance Programme
40. Mears Rewards – discount voucher scheme for a host of household name retailers, including supermarkets, offering savings on purchases
41. Excellent training and development opportunities
42. Mears Fun Day - Our annual Fun Day is organised as a massive thank you from the Executive team for all the hard work! Previous years include, Alton Towers, Drayton Manor etc
43. Volunteering Leave - Mears supports employees to undertake volunteering in the community for two days per year, in support of our social value commitment
If you’re ready to shape the future of estimating at Mears Group and lead a high‑performing team in a role with real strategic influence, we’d love to hear from you.
All our roles require candidates to have the entitlement to work within the UK, Mears does not currently offer visa sponsorship.
To drive a Mears vehicle, you must be aged over 21 have held your licence over 3 months and have less than 9 points.
Candidates should be aware that all our roles are subject to relevant Background, Identity & Security checks before commencement of employment.