Senior Mechanical Quantity Surveyor

Company Overview

Our client is an international tier 1 mechanical and electrical contractor with a long-established reputation for delivering major pharmaceutical and life sciences facilities. Their work sits at the technically demanding end of the market, covering process and utility systems within regulated manufacturing environments where quality, traceability and validation requirements shape every aspect of delivery.

The business holds long-standing relationships with a number of major international pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers, and is regularly appointed on the basis of demonstrated capability rather than price alone. Delivering successfully in GxP environments requires depth of experience that takes years to establish, and that experience is the foundation of their market position.

Ireland remains central to global pharmaceutical manufacturing, with continued capital investment into new capacity and the expansion and upgrade of existing facilities. Much of that investment sits outside Dublin, and our client has a substantial and sustained presence supporting sites throughout the region, which underpins a secure and visible workload.

This is a business that invests properly in its commercial function. Surveyors are given genuine ownership of their packages rather than being confined to administrative support, chartership and continuing development are actively supported, and there is a consistent record of progressing capable people into commercial management as workload expands.

Working Environment & Projects

You will take commercial ownership of substantial mechanical packages on pharmaceutical and life sciences projects, with scope typically spanning process and utility piping, high-purity systems, HVAC and cleanroom services, plantroom installations, and the associated testing, commissioning and validation activity that regulated facilities demand.

Mechanical and piping work in this sector carries commercial characteristics that set it apart. Specification and material grades are exacting, weld and traceability documentation is extensive, and change is frequently driven by process design development rather than by construction. Understanding how that translates into cost and entitlement is central to the role and is precisely the expertise the client is looking for.

The position is based in Kilkenny with project work across the surrounding region, offering the sector exposure of a major international contractor without the commute and living costs that come with the Dublin market. The south-east has become a genuine centre for pharmaceutical delivery in its own right, and this role provides career-grade experience while based in a considerably more manageable part of the country.

You will work closely with project managers, mechanical engineers, planners and site supervision, and engage directly with clients, main contractors and the specialist supply chain. In regulated environments the commercial function sits close to the technical detail, and the surveyors who succeed are those who understand what has been installed and why, not simply what has been measured.

Responsibilities

• Take commercial ownership of mechanical and process piping packages from procurement through to final account
• Prepare measurements, valuations, applications and payment certification across mechanical scope
• Manage subcontract procurement, package letting, terms negotiation and supply chain commercial performance
• Identify, substantiate and agree variations and change arising from process design development
• Prepare cost value reconciliations, cost reports, forecasts and cash flow projections
• Maintain the commercial risk and opportunity register, escalating exposure early and accurately
• Manage material and long-lead procurement commercially, including specification-driven cost implications
• Negotiate and settle final accounts with clients and subcontractors
• Support project and engineering teams with clear, practical commercial advice throughout delivery
• Mentor and support junior surveying staff within the commercial team

What You Need

• Minimum five years’ experience as a Quantity Surveyor or Senior Quantity Surveyor within an M&E or mechanical contracting environment
• Demonstrable experience delivering pharmaceutical, life sciences or similarly regulated process facilities
• Strong technical and commercial understanding of mechanical and process piping systems
• Solid measurement and valuation capability across mechanical scope, working from drawings and specification
• Experience managing subcontract procurement, variations and final account negotiation
• Confident communicator, comfortable holding a commercial position with clients and main contractors
• Degree in Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management or a related discipline preferred
• Chartered status (MSCSI / MRICS) or working towards chartership preferred
• Exposure to GxP, validation or qualification processes is beneficial but not essential
• Full driving licence and willingness to travel to project sites as required

What You'll Get in Return

A salary of €85,000 is on offer alongside a company vehicle, performance-related bonus and site and travel allowances, supported by pension, healthcare and structured assistance towards chartership and continuing professional development. Based outside Dublin, the package delivers considerably more in real terms than the equivalent figure would in the capital.

The technical return is the more significant part. Mechanical and process piping surveying within regulated pharmaceutical environments is a specialist discipline with a limited pool of genuinely experienced practitioners, and demand for it remains consistently strong across Ireland, mainland Europe and further afield. It is career currency that travels well and holds its value through wider construction cycles.

The client also has a clear track record of progression from senior surveyor into commercial management, supported by a secure pipeline of pharmaceutical workload rather than by speculative growth.

How to Apply

To explore this opportunity in confidence, please forward your CV or project profile to [email protected] or contact 07481 954446 for an initial confidential discussion.