Managing Quantity Surveyor

Note for Recruitment Agencies: 

We prefer to hire directly, and we will be in touch with our PSL Agencies if this role is eligible for release. 

We do not accept speculative CVs from agencies. If speculative CVs are sent, no fee will be applicable – please direct all queries to the relevant Resourcing Partner. 

Managing Quantity Surveyor

Chichester, West Sussex
(with occasional travel to Southampton)

Our Environment Business delivers end‑to‑end asset solutions across the UK, supporting clients including Yorkshire Water, United Utilities, Anglian Water, Thames Water, Southern Water, Welsh Water, Northumbrian Water, Affinity Water and Scottish Water. Since AMP3, we have delivered more than £2bn of assets and continue to grow.

We operate two capital delivery frameworks for Southern Water (AMP7 and AMP8), with secured work until 2035. As our programme expands, we are looking for a Managing Quantity Surveyor to join our commercial team.

This role is based in the South East with flexibility to work between office, site and home. Experience with NEC contracts is essential, and sector experience within water is advantageous.

As Managing Quantity Surveyor, you will lead a commercial team and take responsibility for the commercial administration, reporting and overall performance of a major project or portfolio of works within the Southern Water frameworks.

The successful candidate will be proactive, dynamic, and committed to driving commercial performance to achieve financial targets. You will instil robust risk‑management practices, support the development of your team, and maintain strong oversight of cost control, contract/change management, and cash flow. Working closely with the commercial team and Project Leads, you will ensure effective project controls are in place and provide regular reporting to the Commercial Manager. You will also contribute to pre‑construction and tendering activities, reviewing prices, identifying onerous contract terms, and overseeing material and subcontract procurement with full compliance to governance processes. Accurate and timely submission of monthly CVRs and commercial reports is essential.

What you'll be doing:

• Creating and maintaining a knowingly safe working environment.
• Preparing subcontract documentation and leading negotiations on terms, conditions, pricing and programmes.
• Advising on procurement strategies across projects.
• Leading and supporting the commercial team, ensuring governance, process adherence and best practice.
• Issuing contractual notices to clients and subcontractors in line with the contract.
• Managing change processes, including preparation of Compensation Event quotations.
• Preparing, submitting and agreeing monthly applications for payment.
• Producing monthly reports and Cost Value Reconciliations (CVRs).
• Identifying and managing risks and opportunities to support margin improvement.
• Managing project cash flow effectively.
• Building and maintaining positive relationships with clients and key stakeholders.
• Ensuring accurate forecasting, cost plans and subcontractor liabilities within Oracle‑based systems.
• Identifying, evaluating and communicating changes to outturn forecasts.
• Working with senior leaders and project teams to implement improvements and change initiatives.
• Providing commercial expertise to estimating and bid teams.
• Leading, developing and supporting the commercial team to achieve high performance.

About you: 

• Professional qualification such as MCIOB or MRICS (incorporated or working towards full membership desirable).
• Experience working within a civil engineering environment (e.g., Highways, Rail, Water, Aviation).
• Experience managing and delivering large single projects or multiple smaller schemes.
• CSCS card (as appropriate).
• People management experience 
• Strong knowledge of standard forms of contract, in particular NEC3 and NEC4.
• Proficient IT skills, including Excel, Word and commercial systems (CEMAR, Fastdraft, Orbit).
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Solid understanding of construction processes.
• Excellent organisational and time management abilities.
• Proven experience in negotiation and final account settlement.

What We Can Offer in Return:

With an impressive order book of over £3.8 billion we are one of the industry’s leading principal contractors, affording you the opportunity to work on some of the UK’s most exciting projects offering you stability as well as the chance to stretch your capabilities and realise long held career goals. You will be joining diverse teams working at a high professional level with exceptional levels of commitment. With an ambitious strategy, we’re poised for further growth and success, so if you’re committed, talented and enthusiastic, Galliford Try is the right place for you.  

We are committed to maintaining the physical and mental wellbeing of all our people, through our ‘Be Well’ programme which offers discounts on certain products, advice and support for a range of issues.  

We invest in high-quality training for employees of all levels, from our leadership development framework to our apprenticeship programmes. Through our Career Paths initiative, individuals receive tailored training and support to fulfil their potential. 

Our industry is all about creating talented teams that excel in their areas of expertise. As an employer, we know you are most motivated to give your best when you feel valued and engaged.  

Our Agile Working programme empowers you with flexibility in when, where and how you work. Where appropriate, site and office-based employees can take advantage of a wide variety of working practices, offering different amounts of structure, regularity and flexibility to suit your needs as well as those of your wider team.

Our Benefits:

We put our people first and our benefits package reflects that by offering a comprehensive range of attractive options to help support your career on top of a competitive salary.

• Generous holiday entitlement, increasing with years of service, plus the opportunity to purchase further holidays
• A wide range of corporate discounts
• Cycle to Work schemes
• Comprehensive pension plan
• Regular Save as You Earn share purchase scheme
• Private medical scheme options are available for all salaried employees and our employee assistance programme also provides free 24/7 support to those who need it
• Paid for yearly membership to one recognised professional association relevant to your role

About us:

Our purpose is to improve people’s lives through building the facilities and infrastructure that communities need, providing opportunities for our people to learn, grow and progress, working with our supply chain to promote the very best working practice and caring for the environment in which we work. 

We do this by holding true to our values, delivering excellence for our clients and the community, being passionate about our role in providing vital services, putting integrity at the heart of our business by doing the right thing, and collaborating with our clients, supply chain and stakeholders to deliver lasting change and long-term value. 

For more information on this role or to enquire about other positions available within our business please contact charlotte.gornall@gallifordtry.co.uk 

Additional Information:

Galliford Try welcomes applications from candidates who would like to work full-time, reduced hours or flexibly and this will be discussed in more detail as part of the recruitment process.   

We encourage, and would be grateful if, you could confirm any requirements we can reasonably fulfil to make this application a positive experience for you.  

Don’t meet every requirement of the role? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Galliford Try, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement of the role, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. 

As a Disability Confident employer, we have committed to offer an interview to any candidate with a long-term health condition or disability that meet the essential criteria for the advertised position. Please contact the Resourcing Partner listed within the job advert if you believe this applies to you. We will also take the opportunity to discuss any adjustments required for your interview.

A full job description for this role is available upon request. 

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