Estimator / Quantity Surveyor

BACKGROUND

The idea behind the Bristol Together model is simple: we are a social enterprise which creates full-time jobs for people with lived experience of the prison system through building contract work on live building sites, providing training, skills and vital work experience to help get their foot in the door of the construction industry.

We are achieving this through a commercially sustainable business model involving:

• Commercial contracting work through established partnerships with third sector organisations, housing providers and local authorities. This work spans from light touch residential refurbishments through to large scale commercial property fit outs of cafés to nursery schools.
• Specialist Accommodation refurbishment projects working alongside Bristol City Council and care providers to provide much needed homes for residents with disabilities or additional needs.

The profits from the commercial contracting business are re-invested in the company to support the training and supervision of people with lived experience of the prison system, who will generally be working in construction, or sometimes any industry, for the first time.

Our belief is that meaningful employment is key to rehabilitation and recovery: ultimately, recognising their future potential, not their past, is paramount to helping these individuals regain control over their lives.

Our work has had significant social impact in Bristol since 2011. We've seen over 120 people with lived experience of the prison system transform their lives, and our re-offending rate throughout this time has remained below 10% which is significantly below the national average of 46%. Furthermore, we do not choose 'easy' cases - 86% of our workers have been imprisoned for serious offences.

We are growing. With an annual turnover of £2–3 million, a strong pipeline of public sector, housing association and commercial work, and a clear ambition to scale our social impact, we are building the team that will take Bristol Together to its next stage.

We are looking for more than a Quantity Surveyor. You will work directly with our Managing Director, and together the two of you will form the management team of Bristol Together. This is a rare chance to shape the future direction of a growing social enterprise, and for the right person it is a pathway to Commercial Director.

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

Leading the estimating and commercial management of every Bristol Together project, from tender to final account. Alongside this, you will work with the Managing Director on strategy, winning new work and building the systems a growing business needs.

WHY JOIN US

• Work directly with the Managing Director as one half of a two-person management team
• A real voice in where we go next: the work we bid for, how we grow and how we measure our social impact
• Responsibility from day one on live projects ranging from £100,000 to over £1 million
• Mentoring from the Managing Director and access to experienced advisers through our investor network
• Support towards professional qualifications, and a clear route to Commercial Director as the business grows
• Work with genuine purpose: every project you win helps create jobs and second chances for people with lived experience of the prison system

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Pricing tenders from drawings, specifications and pricing documents, including measured take-offs and build-ups
• Obtaining, comparing and levelling subcontractor and supplier quotations, and raising RFIs and tender qualifications
• Preparing monthly valuations and applications for payment, and agreeing them with client representatives
• Keeping a variations register for each project, pricing variations and securing written instructions
• Producing monthly cost reports showing budget, committed cost, cost to complete and forecast margin
• Providing project cashflow forecasts to support the business-wide forecast prepared with our bookkeeper and accountant
• Working with the Managing Director on business planning, bidding strategy, growth targets and board reporting
• Building relationships with clients, partners and investors, and helping to develop new work
• Setting up subcontract and purchase orders, and helping to manage our supply chain
• Measuring and costing the social value of our work for tender returns and funder reporting
• Building the commercial systems and templates the business needs as it grows

CANDIDATE ATTRIBUTES & EXPERIENCE

A formal Quantity Surveying qualification is not essential. We are more interested in your estimating ability, your drive and your belief in what we do. The ideal candidate will have:

• Estimating experience in construction, or an estimating-related qualification such as an HNC, HND or degree in quantity surveying, construction or estimating
• Confidence working with numbers, drawings and specifications, with good Excel skills
• An understanding of how construction projects are delivered, ideally from a contractor, trade or site background
• The vision to see beyond the day-to-day numbers, with ideas about how a business can grow and improve
• Ambition to step into a leadership role, and the confidence to negotiate with clients and subcontractors
• A strong desire to help disadvantaged people and an affinity with the social objectives of the organisation
• Desirable: experience of valuations or variations, knowledge of JCT contracts, and a full UK driving licence

This role will suit someone who can see beyond the starting salary to the chance to help build and lead a growing, purpose-led business. We welcome applications from people with lived experience of the prison system.

Pay: £35,000.00-£45,000.00 per year

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Bristol (Bristol)