Senior Quantity Surveyor

Balfour; Portsmouth; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading construction firm in England is seeking a Senior Quantity Surveyor to manage commercial aspects of contracts in Southampton and Portsmouth. This role includes collaboration with teams to ensure strong commercial performance and best value outcomes. The ideal candidate has robust commercial experience and knowledge of NEC4 contracts. This opportunity offers significant community impact and professional development in a hybrid working environment.

Benefits

Smart working with up to 40% remote opportunities

25 days paid annual leave

Family-friendly policies

Pension and recognition schemes

Qualifications

• Strong commercial and contractual experience, ideally in infrastructure.
• Detailed understanding of NEC4 contracts.
• Excellent planning and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage commercial aspects of Living Places contracts.
• Attend client meetings, promoting company values.
• Contribute to managing the contract risk register.

Skills

Commercial and contractual experience

Understanding of NEC4 contracts

Managing subcontractors

Planning and organizational skills

Influencing stakeholders

Strong IT skills

Education

Chartered or working towards RICS/ICES

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Senior Quantity Surveyor – Balfour Beatty plc (Southampton Office, hybrid – 2 days in the office) Balfour Beatty Living Places delivers essential highways, civils, public realm and port infrastructure services across Southampton and Portsmouth. Our long‑term partnerships with local authorities focus on maintaining, improving and transforming the places where communities live, work and travel. We are looking to appoint a Senior Quantity Surveyor to support the commercial delivery of our Southampton & Portsmouth portfolio, working closely with operational, finance and client teams to ensure strong commercial performance and best value outcomes.

About the Role

• Report to the Commercial Manager and play a key role in managing the commercial aspects of Living Places contracts.
• Support strategic decision‑making and ensure effective financial control across the project portfolio.
• Collaborate with colleagues, client partners and the supply chain to deliver commercially sound solutions that support long‑term contract success.

Responsibilities

• Commercial & Contract Management
  • Understand contract requirements, NEC4 provisions and tender strategies, ensuring compliance with all commercial processes.
  • Manage subcontractors effectively – engagement, variations, cost control and final accounts.
  • Support commercial reporting (WIP valuation, accruals, open‑book reporting, month‑end activities).
  • Assist in developing and implementing the commercial strategy for the contract.
• Client & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Attend and influence client meetings, representing Balfour Beatty professionally and positively.
  • Promote company values and objectives in all client discussions.
  • Support the identification, pricing and presentation of change (EWs & CEs) in line with NEC4 processes.
• Risk, Finance & Performance
  • Contribute to the management of the contract risk register, tracking risks and opportunities.
  • Support Operations and Finance teams to ensure solutions are financially robust and deliver best value.
  • Provide commercial documentation for disputes and maintain accurate audit trails.
• Supply Chain & Procurement
  • Work with procurement teams on the setup, administration and performance management of subcontract agreements.
  • Promote strong supply chain relationships to benefit the contract and wider Living Places business.

What You Need

• Strong commercial and contractual experience, ideally within highways, civils, infrastructure or public realm environments.
• Detailed understanding of NEC4 (or equivalent) contracts.
• Experience managing subcontractors, variations, cost control and change management.
• Excellent planning, organisational and communication skills.
• Ability to influence stakeholders and support commercial decision‑making.
• Chartered or working towards RICS/ICES (preferred).
• Strong IT skills (MS Office; commercial/costing systems).
• Commitment to integrity, teamwork and excellence.

Why Join Us?

• Long‑term, stable portfolio with meaningful community impact.
• Significant repeat business and strong local authority relationships.
• Hybrid working within a collaborative, supportive team culture.
• Professional development pathways, including chartership support.
• Opportunity to shape commercial performance on a major local contract.

Professional & Personal Development

The size and scale of Balfour Beatty provides opportunities across career stages. We encourage employees to take control of their career, explore different business areas and pursue suitable roles. Our 70:20:10 approach blends on‑the‑job learning, peer coaching and formal training.

Benefits

• Smart working with up to 40% remote opportunities.
• 25 days paid annual leave (pro‑rata).
• Family‑friendly policies: 28 weeks full pay maternity/adoption, 4 weeks full pay paternity/partners leave.
• Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and more.

Diversity & Inclusion

Balfour Beatty is committed to diversity and inclusion. We actively engage local communities, support EDI initiatives, and are a Gold‑Award holder in the Ministry of Defence – Employer Recognition Scheme. We welcome applications from Veterans, Armed Forces personnel, and disabled candidates.

Seniority Level, Employment Type & Job Function

• Seniority level: Mid‑Senior
• Employment type: Full‑time
• Job function: Management and Manufacturing
• Industry: Construction

EEO Statement

All applicants will be considered for employment on the basis of merit, without regard to individual characteristics such as race, colour, age, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, disability, or any other protected characteristic.