Senior Quantity Surveyor - Commercial, Estimating and Buying

Role Overview

In a Nutshell…

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Quantity Surveyor to join our team within Vistry West Yorkshire, at our Wakefield office. As our Senior Quantity Surveyor, you will work within our wider Commercial, Estimating and Buying team, you will be responsible for supervising, managing and advising on the financial and contractual aspects of multiple construction projects. You will take responsibility for the execution of the Quantity Surveying function on allocated contract/s, in order to fulfil the requirements of the Company in maximising quality of service and profitability. You will provide a range of cost control and financial reporting duties across all aspects of construction work undertaken by the company.

We value in-person collaboration and team culture, but we’re also committed to supporting flexible working where possible. We encourage you to raise any specific requirements during the interview process so we can explore how this could be accommodated.

Let’s cut to the chase, what’s in it for you…

• Competitive basic salary and annual bonus
• Company car, car allowance or travel allowance
• Up to 39 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• 2 Volunteering days per annum
• Private medical insurance, with employee paid cover
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• Competitive pension scheme through salary sacrifice
• Life assurance at 4 x your annual salary
• Share save and share incentive schemes
• Christmas company shutdown
• Employee rewards portal with many more benefits…

In return, what we would like from you…

• Behave in line with our company values – Integrity, Caring and Quality
• HNC / HND in Surveying or equivalent
• Proven experience as a PQS / SQS / Commercial lead working within a residential house builder (dependent on position level)
• Experience maybe gained from a similar position or promotion
• A good understanding or building regulations and legal obligations
• A good knowledge or construction methods and materials
• Strong mathematical and IT ability
• Ability to assess and analyse information
• Good business sense
• Good understanding of budget management
• Negotiating and networking skills
• Excellent communications skills
• Able to work under pressure, and accept criticism of work
• Good team working skills
• Accurate with an eye for detail
• A methodical approach
• Willing to work extra to meet deadlines as and when the business needs require it

Desirable…

• Degree in Surveying or similar
• Working towards being a Member of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), or Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

More about the Senior Quantity Surveyor role…

• Lead, support and coach your direct reports and the wider team to support their growth and development
• Be active in the recruitment of new starters to the team and then throughout the employee life cycle, including holding development reviews and succession planning exercises
• Working closely with other departments, including Land, Development and Construction, you will attend design meetings to advise on all areas that may have a cost implication
• Recognise and advise Site Managers on delays, extensions of time and loss and/or expense and ensuring relevant notices are issued.
• Attend development meetings when appropriate, contract pre-start and subcontract package review meetings
• Upon receipt of Contract Documentation, you will be responsible for checking all contract drawings to identify errors, omissions, anomalies and areas where unnecessary cost may arise
• Receive initial tender information and assist in the preparation of the proposed tender lists and updating of subsequent procurement programmes
• Distribute design information packages and tender drawings, whilst preparing all tender documentation and letters including carrying out preliminary checks on subcontractors
• Preparing construction cost analysis, which includes analysis of quotations resulting from the tender enquiry, requesting additional and outstanding information as required
• Assess site staffing levels and build programmes with the Construction Director to ascertain preliminary costs, including collating all cost information and preparing the start on site budget
• Arrange and adjudicate budget settlement meetings, with the support of the wider Commercial team
• Prepare stage payment schedules to assist in the financing of the works
•  Carry out pre-order meetings including all necessary Health & Safety requirements, finalising a tender sum and agreeing a stage payment schedule for payment purposes before preparing all contract documentation and placing the order
• Place subcontractor orders, including interviews and checking references on selected subcontractors. You will then negotiate the contract sum within the budget, including finalising costs to cover all late variations
• Issue variation orders and development changes alongside providing cost advice on major variations prior to issue. You will issue revised contract drawings to subcontractors; negotiating the cost of variations including liaising between Buyers and Build Managers. You will provide a full range of pricing information for purchaser’s extras
• Check all costs posted to each contract, collate and reconcile all costs resulting from subcontract works, variation orders, site instructions, material order and preliminary / running costs. This will include providing monthly analysis of costs and identify possible areas of over expenditure at future dates
• Check and arrange subcontractor payments, obtaining necessary authorisation for passing payments for all elements of subcontractor works. You will agree final accounts with subcontractors, ensuring all works have been carried out within budget and analysing costs to assist on future estimates
• Take responsibility for the preparation of documents for the basis of external valuation with the client’s agent (CSA, Stage payment schedule, Tick offs)
• Keep the RAMS schedule updated and issued to all relevant parties
• Preparation of financial reports including:
  • Internal Valuations/CVRs and subcontract liability reports in accordance with schedule of accounting period end dates and deadlines
  • Margin Analysis reports.
  • Commercial Analysis (final margin) forecasts and Cost to Complete forecasts
  • Cash Flow forecasts
  • Turnover forecasts
  • De-brief reports
• Compile and present CV2 tender summary sign-off in accordance with parameters determined in the Commercial Best Practice Manual. Compile and present CV1 tender summary sign-off in accordance with parameters determined in the Commercial Best Practice manual. Coordinate the activities of the Material Buyer and Company Estimator to achieve CV1 and CV2 sign-off.
• Obtain authorisation to ‘let’ all sub-contract orders valued over thresholds as noted in Commercial Best Practice Manual.
• Place and issue sub-contract orders in accordance with Group Policy and Commercial Best Practice to budget and within programme requirements. 
• Attend and minute all sub-contract order adjudication meetings.
• Compile reports on contract letting vs. estimate for each site periodically, as required.
• Liaise with build department on sub-contractors’ performance and compliance with order conditions.
• Ability to deal with complex consortium sites and attend relevant meetings.
• Attend and project team meetings as required.
• Complete sub-contract orders to accord with site programmed build requirements in accordance with Group Policy and Group Rebate schemes and fully adjudicate prior to issue of documentation.
• Set up and regularly review with the site management team the PPQA tick sheet to facilitate sub-contract contract work payment.
• To liaise with company management and provide all necessary forecast and site budget information to meet the business’s reporting requirements.
• Control and report post contract cost movements per development every month.  Update CV1 and CV2 site specific reports and provide details of all “unscheduled” and “scheduled” order revisions i.e. Site Instructions and site purchase orders.  To provide such monthly reporting as required by the Commercial Manager.
• Review professional fee provisions and statutory service cost, and credits, with the technical department.
• Ensure invoices/applications for payments are processed in accordance with Vistry Group Standard Terms and Conditions of Contract.
• Maintain a half yearly site reserve list.
• Issue Payment Withhold Notices, where a contractor application, or part thereof, is in dispute in accordance with Construction Act.
• Immediately advise management of notification of impending claim or legal action arising from a disputed claim or payment from a Sub-Contractor/service provider.
• Where necessary, determine a sub-contract order in accordance with Standard Terms and Conditions of Employment and liaise with Build Department in this respect.
• Diligently use the Vistry Group construction system to manage site project administration, including orders, variations, valuations, etc.
• Assist in the regular review of materials on-site and material valuations.
• Agree and process all sales variation requests, including works to show homes, stock plots and sales incentive works in accordance with group procedures.
• Properly categorise on the construction system “unscheduled” and “scheduled” order amendments.
• Settle all variation invoices/applications for payment in accordance with Vistry Group Standard Terms and Conditions of Contract.
• Process groundwork’s payments/applications for payment using the Vistry Group AGA payment system as outlined in Commercial Best Practice Manual.
• Ensure the collection of retention against all sub-contract orders in accordance with Group Policy.  Manage and certify retention releases on completion of the development.
• Complete and agree sub-contract final accounts within 6 months of the last legal completion on-site and prior to the first release of retention to the individual sub-contractors.
• Maintain final account schedule.
• Maintain completed development provision on CV1.
• Maintain CV2 reserves as part of the ‘Old Site Reserve’ central file.
• Liaise with the technical department to secure site adoptions and tender, let and administer maintenance orders, as required.
• Complete formal site closedown procedure in accordance with Group Policy.
• Assist the Commercial Director / Manager to ensure:
  • correct financial controls of sites is maintained at all times.
  • all sub-contract payments are recorded and processed through the surveyors and payments clerks in accordance with the general terms and conditions of purchase orders.
• Inform the management team of any abnormal cost or circumstances which will have a significant effect on cost or have long term cost implications.
• Ensure Quantity Surveyors are pro-active on sites within their daily control, advice and discuss any operation or method where cost savings could be achieved.
• Mentor, manage and develop assistant/ junior surveyors and ensure the efficient running of the surveying team.
• Ensure you keep up to date with legislation changes and attend training and technical training as and when require by the Company.
• Any other reasonable duties as directed by your line manager to support the wider teams

Finally, let’s tell you a bit more about us…

We build more than homes, we’re making Vistry. Being a responsible developer and award-winning employer means we live each day through our ethos - doing the right thing. Our behaviours reflect this, as well as our values of integrity, caring and quality. Shaping all we do; they empowerus to develop sustainable communities across affordable and private housing. We work in a partnership-led way, and you’ll recognise our renowned brands Bovis Homes, Linden Homes and Countryside Homes. Together with Vistry Works, our manufacturing operation, and the functional support of Vistry Services, we’re a proud UK Green Building Council member, UK top five housebuilder with a five-star House Builders Federation (HBF) customer satisfaction rating, and winner of many awards including Top Employer, Global Top Inspiring Workplaces, and Best for Talent Attraction and Outreach. 

Join us in making Vistry.  

#LI-AD1