Estimator (Cost Engineer)

About the job. 

National Highways are tasked with managing and maintaining the Strategic Road Network across England with a budget in excess of £5bn annually. The Commercial Services Division offer support to the business by providing estimating capability and intelligence, that allows for informed investment decisions to be taken and ongoing budget control. 

We are looking for a Civil Engineering Estimator/Cost Engineer to join our team!

• Taking-off and/or validating bills of quantities. Production of estimates using a variety of digital platforms and using a mixture of supplier framework rates, rates derived from cost intelligence and new rates built from ‘First Principals’.


• Provide a level of ‘sense checking’ that rates and prices are within market norms both in terms of cost and output. 


• To consider programme durations, construction and non-construction costs, risks, ‘whole-life-cost’ principals and ‘Options Assessment’. 


• Presentation of completed estimates for review with peer groups, Estimating Managers or Head of Cost Planning as well as undertake peer level reviews of others estimates.


• Interaction with asset owners, project managers and other construction staff to discuss scheme requirements, buildability, risks/opportunities and to provide a level of advice.

About you.

• Appropriate professional qualification and/or degree in Civil engineering/Quantity surveying/Estimation (or working towards).


• Experience of estimation and cost engineering techniques (top down and bottom up) including knowledge and understanding of the Specification for Highway Works (SHW) and Method of Measurement for Highway Works (MMHW). 


• Attention to detail and perceptive to risks and buildability issues.


• Clear and concise communicator, both orally and in writing, with confidence to work with project stakeholders.


• Good time management skills to allow for multiple projects to be worked on within service delivery deadlines.

About us.

Here at National Highways, we manage and improve England’s motorways and major A roads, helping our customers have safer, smoother and more reliable journeys. Our priorities are safety, customers and delivery, and at the core of this, are our values of passion, integrity, safety, teamwork and ownership.

Operations is at the heart of keeping the strategic road network moving and ensuring our customers get the best possible experience when using our roads.

We address over 39,000 customer enquiries every month, plan and deliver all maintenance activities on the network, drive efficiencies and improvements across our systems and roads, and respond to incidents across 4,500 miles of motorways and major A-roads that we manage. All to make sure National Highways customers have safer, smoother, and more reliable journeys.

External candidates will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of the pay scale, while current employees will be appointed in accordance with our established pay policy.

We are committed to creating a diverse environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds