Rider Levett Bucknall

Global construction and property consultancy services

Senior Cost Manager - Highways/Infrastructure

Construction ManagementUpdated on Nov 13

Full-timeBedford, UKNo salary listed

About the Job

Requirements

Proven cost management or quantity surveying experience on roads, highways, bridges, or major civil infrastructure projects in a client-side, consultancy, contractor, or public-sector infrastructure environment.
Experience working on complex multi-stakeholder programmes with statutory authority, utility, rail, and highways interfaces.
Robust financial management skills and commercial acumen, including Work Breakdown Structures, cost planning, estimating, cash flow forecasting, change control, cost-to-complete exercises, and monthly client reporting.
For Senior Cost Manager or Senior Quantity Surveyor level, ability to lead defined commercial workstreams and manage cost planning, procurement, and post-contract responsibilities with limited supervision.
Understanding of UK highways and infrastructure delivery requirements, including DMRB, local authority highways, and bridge-related design and delivery processes.
Practical understanding of working near operational railways, live highway environments, traffic management, and construction logistics.
Strong estimating, cost planning, procurement, NEC contract administration, change management, cost reporting, forecasting, stakeholder, and interface management capability.
Ability to translate technical, contractual, and financial considerations into clear advice for senior team members, clients, and external stakeholders.
Ability to operate with pace while maintaining safety, quality, and governance discipline.
Calmness under pressure and comfort working in complex, evolving programme environments.
Qualification in Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management, Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent infrastructure commercial experience.

Responsibilities

Lead or support leadership of client-side commercial management for the Roads & Bridges package from design, estimating, and procurement through construction, handover, and close-out.
Maintain ownership of defined cost, procurement, contract, change, risk, forecasting, and reporting outcomes proportionate to role level.
Coordinate commercial inputs across client, consultant, contractor, statutory authority, and internal RLB teams.
Establish clear commercial priorities, decision routes, and governance rhythms to support timely client decisions and effective cost control.
Provide commercial and cost management input for highways, roads, bridges, earthworks, drainage, utilities interfaces, and associated infrastructure works.
Apply knowledge of relevant UK infrastructure standards, including DMRB and local authority highway requirements.
Support cost assurance, design reviews, constructability reviews, estimating, procurement readiness, and commercial delivery readiness assessments.
Ensure design, procurement, and delivery solutions are commercially robust, buildable, cost-effective, and aligned to programme objectives.
Assess and manage commercial implications of works near operational railways, including possessions, access constraints, asset protection requirements, approvals, safety protocols, and interface risk management.
Assess and manage commercial implications of works affecting or adjacent to live highways, including traffic management, temporary works, site access, public interface, road safety, abnormal loads, and construction logistics.
Embed RLB’s major programme delivery model, using UK private-sector best practice as the starting point for excellence.
Champion early supply chain engagement, outcome-based delivery, fair risk allocation, value-based procurement, and disciplined change control.
Promote digital information management, BIM-aligned working, productivity measurement, modern methods of construction, and whole-life carbon awareness where appropriate.
Work with the Project Manager to ensure interfaces with National Highways, Network Rail, local authorities, utility providers, adjacent packages, and internal programme functions are managed and captured in budgets and cost forecasts.
Support procurement strategy, lead tender documentation, commercial evaluation, and appointment processes for design and construction contracts.
Administer or support commercial administration of NEC contracts, including early warnings, compensation events, payment assessments, change control, forecasting, and commercial issue resolution.
Work with cost management, project management, risk, and delivery colleagues to protect client outcomes and maintain clear commercial records.
Identify, manage, and escalate commercial, cost, contract, change, and programme risks.
Manage commercial reporting covering cost plans, cost forecasts, Value Engineering, cash flow drawdown, change, risk, and procurement status.
Support robust governance, cost assurance, change control, audit-ready records, lessons learned, and continuous improvement across the programme.
Coordinate closely with the client, statutory authorities, contractors, consultants, and RLB leadership.
Attend the Bedford project site at least three days per week once mobilised.

Desired Qualifications

Experience of NEC forms of contract, including early warnings, compensation events, payment assessment, and change management.
Membership of an appropriate professional body such as RICS.
Strong communication skills with internal teams and external clients and contractors.
Client-focused, collaborative, positive, and accountable approach.
Commitment to customer service excellence and strong commercial results.

Title: Senior Cost Manager

Sector: Highways & Infrastructure

Seniority: Senior Cost Manager

Discipline: Cost Management
Location: The project site is in Bedford; there will be at least three days per week required on-site, with hybrid working.

Project: Confidential Major Project subject to signed NDA

Why RLB?

At RLB, we live by four simple ideas: Truth, Trust, Together, Tomorrow. Four values that live at the heart of RLB. A place where People Make Progress.

We value your skills, talents and unique perspectives – we think they are priceless.

Bring them to RLB and you’ll be empowered to shape our future and your career in new and meaningful ways.

We’ll give you opportunities to work on some of the most ambitious and exciting projects currently being designed and developed in the built environment sector.

You’ll continue to learn and advance as everyone who works for us is provided with a tailored training programme. Our mentoring and reverse mentoring schemes will enable you to share your expertise while gaining fresh insights.

What makes RLB unique is our inclusive culture. As an independent, employee-owned business, teamwork and collaboration lies at the heart of everything we do. Hybrid and flexible working arrangements and family-friendly policies are just some of the ways we invest in employee wellbeing.

Join us and you will thrive personally as well as professionally.

RLB is acting as a strategic delivery partner for a major UK development programme. The commission includes programme-wide PMO, governance, reporting, project controls, risk and change management, digital tools, and the integrated delivery of individual packages including project management, cost management, procurement, design management, health and safety advisory and contract administration.

We are seeking and experienced client-side roads, highways and infrastructure cost management professional, at Senior Cost Manager / Senior Quantity Surveyor level, to support cost planning, estimating, procurement, commercial management, NEC contract administration and handover of a critical Roads & Bridges package.

The Roads & Bridges package is a core enabling package for the wider programme and will set important early commercial benchmarks for cost certainty, procurement discipline, risk management, collaboration, stakeholder engagement and delivery culture.

Role Responsibilities

1. Client-Side Commercial Leadership & Cost Management

Lead, or support the leadership of, client-side commercial management for the Roads & Bridges package from design, estimating and procurement through construction, handover and close-out.
Maintain ownership of defined cost, procurement, contract, change, risk, forecasting and reporting outcomes, proportionate to role level.
Coordinate commercial inputs across client, consultant, contractor, statutory authority and internal RLB teams.
Establish clear commercial priorities, decision routes and governance rhythms to support timely client decisions and effective cost control.

2. Highways, Bridges & Infrastructure Cost Assurance

Provide commercial and cost management input for highways, roads, bridges, earthworks, drainage, utilities interfaces and associated infrastructure works.
Apply knowledge of relevant UK infrastructure standards, including DMRB and local authority highway requirements.
Support cost assurance, design reviews, constructability reviews, estimating, procurement readiness and commercial delivery readiness assessments.
Ensure design, procurement and delivery solutions are commercially robust, buildable, cost-effective and aligned to programme objectives.

3. Operational Railway Interfaces

Assess and manage the commercial implications of interfaces where works are in proximity to operational railways, including possessions, access constraints, asset protection requirements, approvals, safety protocols and interface risk management.

4. Live Highways Environment & Logistics

Assess and manage the commercial implications of works affecting or adjacent to live highways environments, including traffic management, temporary works, site access, public interface, road safety, abnormal loads and construction logistics.

5. Best Practice Delivery & Productivity

Embed RLB’s model for major programme delivery, using UK private-sector best practice as the starting point for excellence.
Champion early supply chain engagement, outcome-based delivery, fair risk allocation, value-based procurement and disciplined change control.
Promote digital information management, BIM-aligned working, productivity measurement, modern methods of construction and whole-life carbon awareness where appropriate.

6. Stakeholder, Approvals & Interface Management

Work with the Project Manager to ensure the management of interfaces with National Highways, Network Rail, local authorities, utility providers, adjacent packages and internal programme functions, and ensure these are captured within the budget and cost forecasts.

7. Procurement, NEC Contract Administration & Change Control

Support procurement strategy, lead tender documentation, commercial evaluation and appointment processes for design and construction contracts.
Administer or support the commercial administration of NEC contracts, including early warnings, compensation events, payment assessments, change control, forecasting and commercial issue resolution.
Work closely with cost management, project management, risk and delivery colleagues to protect client outcomes and maintain clear commercial records.

8. Risk, Reporting, Governance & Assurance

Identify, manage and escalate commercial, cost, contract, change, and programme risks.
Manage the commercial aspects of reporting including cost plans, cost forecasts, Value Engineering, cash flow drawdown, change, risk, procurement status.
Support robust governance, cost assurance, change control, audit-ready records, lessons learned and continuous improvement across the programme.

Candidate Profile

Essential Experience

Proven cost management / quantity surveying experience on roads, highways, bridges or major civil infrastructure projects in a client-side, consultancy, contractor or public-sector infrastructure environment.
Experience working on complex multi-stakeholder programmes with statutory authority, utility, rail and highways interfaces.
Robust financial management skills and commercial acumen, including Work Breakdown Structures, cost planning, estimating, cash flow forecasting, change control, cost-to-complete exercises and monthly client reporting.
Experience of NEC forms of contract, including early warnings, compensation events, payment assessment and change management, is highly desirable.
For Senior Cost Manager / Senior QS level: ability to lead defined commercial workstreams and manage cost planning, procurement and post-contract responsibilities with limited supervision.

Technical Skills & Competencies

Understanding of UK highways and infrastructure delivery requirements, including DMRB, local authority highways and bridge-related design / delivery processes.
Practical understanding of working near operational railways, live highway environments, traffic management and construction logistics.
Strong estimating, cost planning, procurement, NEC contract administration, change management, cost reporting, forecasting, stakeholder and interface management capability.
Able to translate technical, contractual and financial considerations into clear advice for senior team members, clients and external stakeholders.

Behaviours

Client-focused, collaborative mindset, positive and accountable.
Strong communication skills to internal team and external client/contractors.
Able to operate with pace while maintaining safety, quality and governance discipline.
Calm under pressure and comfortable working in complex, evolving programme environments.
Committed to customer service excellence and strong commercial results.

Qualifications

Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management, Construction Management, Civil Engineering or related qualification preferred, or equivalent infrastructure commercial experience.
Membership of an appropriate professional body such as RICS is desirable.

Commitment

Full-time role aligned with the Birmingham team, in a Bedford-based project role.
Close coordination with client, statutory authorities, contractors, consultants and RLB leadership.
The wider team is generally London and Birmingham based; however, this role will require attendance in Bedford at least three days per week once mobilised.

Our culture is built around enabling you to fulfil your potential, so you can look forward to benefits that include:

Hybrid Working - Working patterns to support your work-life balance. As well as competitive maternity and paternity packages.

Well-Rewarded - A competitive salary and generous holiday entitlement. As well as the opportunity to purchase up to five extra days.

Focus On Wellbeing - We offer a number of health and wellness options, including gym membership and cycle to work schemes.

Healthcare Packages - Private healthcare insurance and medical support, including dental insurance and eyecare vouchers.

Personal Development - A continuous learning and development programme, including established APC and in-house mentoring schemes.

Additional Benefits - We offer a wide range of benefits including a season ticket loan and professional membership subscriptions.

Exceptional Exposure - You’ll have the opportunity to work on diverse projects across different sectors and regions.

Social Responsibility - We hold team and social events as well as charity fundraising and volunteering activities.

About the Company

Rider Levett Bucknall

Global construction and property consultancy services

Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) provides independent construction and property consultancy services for built projects around the world. Its work spans feasibility, cost planning, project management, procurement advice, contract administration, and asset management, guiding clients from early ideas through delivery and operation. The firm combines specialists across markets to deliver unbiased advice, using market data and project controls to help optimize cost, schedule, risk, and quality. RLB differentiates itself by its 240+ year track record, global network of about 4,500 professionals, and its emphasis on truth, trust, collaboration, and responsible impact, underpinned by a commitment to independence and straight talk. The goal is to help clients deliver successful projects efficiently while making a positive contribution to communities and the planet.

Company size: 1,001-5,000
Company stage: Not listed
Total funding: Not listed
Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
Founded: 1969

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