principal quantity surveyor

The starting salary for this role is £46,634 per annum for working 36 hours per week.

Following a recent restructure an opportunity has arisen within Surrey County Council's Highways and Transport Service, based in Merrow, Guildford. We are looking for a highly motivated individual with relevant experience, who can make a valuable contribution towards improving the highway network.

About us

The Environment, Transportation and Infrastructure Directorate is a large and complex directorate, responsible for ensuring the effective management, maintenance and improvement of all highway and transport assets.

The highway is the most valuable asset managed by Surrey County Council, with a replacement value of approximately £7.5bn, and is critical to the economic growth of the County. It is regarded by elected members and residents as one of the most important services provided by the Council. As such, the service manages significant financial, health and safety, and reputational risks.

The service operates in an environment with significant political engagement, and has daily contact with MPs, Cabinet Members, backbench Members and committees.

Excellent customer service is standard; we put the customer at the heart of everything we do. The team is directly accountable to elected Members and residents to explain decisions and actions relevant to their roles.

About the role

As a Principal Quantity Surveyor, you will lead part of a small in-house team of Quantity Surveyors.

The role will see you responsible for the price analysis, cost development and pricing of 3rd party contracts to design and build the Surrey Highways construction delivery programme. You will develop and maintain pricing schedules to deliver highway schemes including agreement on rates and star rated items, production of bills of quantities through 'take off' from scheme designs, and production of estimated costs as part of the scheme development. You will also undertake re-measurement of works to agree interim and final accounts.

In addition to the above, you will undertake regular benchmarking of highway schemes to ensure client costs continue to deliver value for money.

The role will require you to work closely with colleagues within the design and construction teams; the design team works with clients to develop detailed design solutions while the contract and project management team provides contract administration and ensures schemes are built in accordance with the contract, to time, quality and budget along with estimating and finalising account. In this role, you will also collaborate with our partners on the partnering contract.

The role of Principal Quantity Surveyor will see you responsible for managing the team workload, programming works, direction of the Internal Quantity Surveyor and any additional contract quantity surveyor resource where necessary.

Though you will have no direct budget management responsibility, you will be accountable for ensuring that costs are accurately reflected in the estimates and payments, and that schemes are delivered within the budget allocation. You will work to ensure that correct contract scheme delivery costs (including interim and final accounts) are paid and reported to budget holders (individual scheme value up to £2.5m), which will include dispute resolution.

About you

To be considered for interview, your application will clearly evidence:

• Substantial practical or professional experience and detailed understanding of quantity surveying.
• A proven ability to apply quantity surveying principles and techniques to a wide range of complex projects and highway programmes.
• Flexibility to support and mentor more junior colleagues.
• A Quantity Surveying degree or equivalent qualification and / or membership of a professional institution with relevant experience.

As the role involves working and travelling across the county, you will require a full driving licence. There may also be the need for occasional weekend and evening working.

Hybrid working

The Operations and Infrastructure Group operates a hybrid working system, in accordance with the County Council's policy. This means that all Officers are expected to be available when needed, with flexibility to work from both Council offices and their home (or other suitable arrangements). It is expected that all Officers will regularly work from their designated office to maintain team working and as required by their manager. All Officers are expected to make themselves available to attend site and other meetings when needed.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 26/03/2023 with interviews to follow.

Benefits

From flexible working to job sharing (where possible) we are committed to providing a healthy work life balance. A laptop and mobile will be supplied if applicable to your role. You will benefit from 26 days' annual leave, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service, a generous local government salary related pension, as well as the option to join our car lease scheme. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit MyBenefits for Surrey County Council staff.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer of first choice reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all under represented groups.