Lead Estimator

As a senior member of the team, you will be an expert in the use of our water industry-specific cost estimation system, be able to produce new costing templates and be responsible for assisting in developing others. Your role will be instrumental in shaping our future investment plans and ensuring costing through the various stages.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who is looking to get into a Senior Estimating role within Thames Water.

What you’ll be doing as a Lead Estimator

• Review and check designer scope templates using the project brief, detailed drawings to ensure the scope is aligned to the EES coding structure. Ensure details are correct prior to costing for complex/high-value schemes, query as appropriate.
• Take the lead in providing database/non-database costing for complex schemes to key stakeholders, including business planning, early stage estimating, benchmarking and PR submissions.
• Create new bottom-up estimates for non-database costs for use by the wider team, gather information from various sources and build up a rate, and seek sign-off from the manager when required.
• Lead the review to enable the quarterly updating of the unit cost database for equipment level only.
• Challenge key stakeholder project costs through ‘value for money’ statement development for Large/complex schemes, helping drive through commercial cost efficiency challenges.
• Lead stakeholder (project) meetings in relation to coding and costing activities at key project milestones.
• Review target cost vs final account accuracy and implement a process whereby lessons are learnt for future target cost setting for non-database items.
• Proactively identify further opportunities to improve the end-to-end process.
• Ensure all stakeholders are actively engaged to meet agreed KPI’s.

What you should bring to the role

• Extensive estimating experience, with a proven track record of accuracy, analytical thinking, and the ability to perform under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Solid background in the construction industry, with a thorough understanding of cost estimation principles, project delivery, and commercial awareness.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence, collaborate, and build strong relationships across all levels.
• Highly organised and adaptable, able to prioritise, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and deliver high-quality outputs efficiently.
• A strong team player, contributing positively to a collaborative, high-performing environment.

What’s in it for you?

• Daily Pay rate: up to £1000 per day
• IR35 determination: Inside IR35
• Location: Hybrid – Clear Water Court, Reading
• Length of assignment: 18 months
• Required Start date: As soon as possible

Who are we?

At Thames Water, our purpose is crystal clear - to deliver life’s essential service so our customers, communities and planet can thrive.
 
Water is life’s great leveller. Every living thing needs it, every single day. From people to plants, birds to bees, farms to factories, we all need it to thrive, and we’re committed to taking care of it for us all.
 
But keeping water flowing is becoming harder. From scorching summers to wetter winters, extreme weather affects everything from our pipes to our local rivers. We need to keep millions more kettles boiling, public services operating, washing machines spinning, showers running and more, so every drop is more precious than ever. Are you ready to play your part?

Working at Thames Water

At Thames Water we recognise that people are at the heart of our business. To help us succeed in providing life's essential service, we need a range of skills and capabilities, representative of society throughout our business.

We seek to attract and retain a cultural mix of people who can offer different but complementary attitudes, values, talents, and knowledge. We understand the importance of appreciating and harnessing the unique skills, experiences, background, and differences that each individual brings.

Our overarching diversity and inclusion aim is to ensure Thames Water is a diverse and inclusive great place to work. We encourage applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process.

Find out more about working at Thames Water.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business, meet colleagues and earn some extra money along the way.

Disclaimer: Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.