Senior Estimator
Expanded | Dartford | Experienced hires welcomed at Senior level and above
Want to estimate work where you can really get into how it will be built?
At Expanded, we do more than price construction work. As Laing O'Rourke's specialist structures and civils business, we self-deliver complex civil engineering and concrete structures, bringing estimating much closer to engineering, methodology and delivery. The existing role profile specifically highlights Expanded's self-delivery model and its links with specialist capabilities including geotechnical, precast manufacturing and stone.
We're looking for an experienced Senior Estimator to strengthen our team in Dartford.
We're deliberately keeping an open mind on level. If you're an established Senior Estimator ready for more scope, or an experienced Principal, Lead or senior estimating professional looking for your next challenge, we'd like to hear from you.
Why Expanded?
Variety. Scale. Proper first-principles estimating.
You could find yourself working across power and energy, healthcare, major London developments, defence, bridges and infrastructure, rail or justice, with opportunities spanning both Laing O'Rourke and external clients.
Bid values can range from around £20m to £40m for independently led bids, through to major programmes worth £100m, £200m and £500m+.
Rather than keeping people in one sector, we want our estimators to build breadth. You'll have opportunities to move across markets, tackle different technical challenges and build experience on increasingly complex work.
What you'll be doing
Depending on your experience, you could:
- Take bids from first principles through to executive settlement
- Develop robust prime cost estimates covering labour, plant and materials
- Shape bid strategy, methodology, risk and opportunity
- Lead tender activity and bring together commercial, engineering, procurement, planning and delivery expertise
- Challenge how work could be delivered more efficiently through self-delivery, engineering and innovation
- Work directly with clients and external consultants
- Support larger and more complex bids and, at the more senior end, help develop capability across the estimating team
This builds on the role's existing responsibility for the estimating process, tender settlement, client liaison and cross-functional work winning.
What we're looking for
The key thing for us is credible, hands-on estimating experience.
You'll ideally bring:
- Strong first-principles estimating capability
- Experience in civils, structures, concrete frames, groundworks, infrastructure or another relevant self-delivery environment
- The ability to understand the detail behind labour, plant, materials, productivity and construction methodology, an expertise specifically identified in the existing Expanded role profile
- Experience taking estimates through the full tender lifecycle and into settlement
- Confidence using a recognised estimating system. We currently use Candy/CCS
- The confidence to work with a good degree of independence and take ownership of your work
You don't need to come from a major Tier 1 contractor.
We're equally interested in people from specialist civils, groundworks, concrete frame, structures or similar businesses where you've developed strong technical estimating capability.
Already operating above Senior Estimator level?
Please still talk to us.
We have opportunities to strengthen our estimating capability at several levels and are particularly interested in experienced people who can bring depth of knowledge, lead complex work and help develop others.
If you have significant estimating experience, including rail or major infrastructure, we'd be keen to explore where your experience could fit.
Location
The priority for this recruitment is Dartford, working closely with our estimating, engineering and delivery teams.
We know experienced estimators may have different circumstances, so we'd encourage a conversation about what could work rather than ruling yourself out.
Interested?
If you enjoy getting into the detail of how something will actually be built, not simply applying rates to a spreadsheet, this could be a great next move.
Come and bring your experience to Expanded, while gaining exposure to some of the UK's most complex and ambitious construction and infrastructure opportunities.
Apply now or get in touch for an informal conversation.
Diversity & Inclusion
At Laing O'Rourke and Expanded, we want our opportunities to be accessible to people from different backgrounds and career routes. If you have the relevant estimating capability but your experience doesn't match every point above, we'd still encourage you to apply. We're interested in what you can bring, including transferable experience gained outside traditional Tier 1 contractors.
Don't match all the criteria? We are open and always happy to hear from people with transferable skill sets and a commitment to learning.
Certainty, reliability, quality – this is what our clients want. And at Laing O'Rourke, we have more than 150 years of experience delivering it. Laing O'Rourke's story is one of energy, passion, ambition, people and teamwork. We harness the power of our experience, stretching back over a century and a half to deliver certainty for our clients.
As part of the Disability Confident scheme, we would like to enable access to candidates with long term health conditions and disabilities through the ‘Offer an interview scheme'. This supports applicants that meet the essential criteria by offering an interview for the advertised position. Please let us know prior to interview what adjustments are required as well as discussing how we can support you in the workplace.
