Estimating Lead

Grade 20 - Internal promotions will be aligned to the pay policy

Location: The role requires a minimum of three days per week office attendance .

Location: Birmingham or London

The role is responsible for providing strategic leadership and governance for the HS2 estimating function at a directorate level for example Main Works Civils, Stations, etc; setting standards, methodologies, and assurance frameworks that ensure consistent, high-quality cost forecasting, ensuring these are effectively executed in the specific directorate.

The role will also provide functional leadership at a directorate level, and direction of a team of discipline subject matter experts that can be located across multiple locations.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential. In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

About the role:

- Define, develop and implement the estimating strategy, standards, and methodologies across their dedicated directorate; ensuring a consistent, high quality approach to cost forecasting and assurance.

- Provide leadership and governance for all estimating activities in their dedicated directorate, ensuring outputs are robust, transparent, and aligned with organisational and programme objectives.

- Establish and maintain assurance frameworks, including benchmarking, validation, and independent review processes, to ensure estimate credibility at a directorate level.

- Lead engagement with senior internal and external stakeholders, providing authoritative cost advice and influencing key strategic decisions based on their specific directorate.

- Work closely with the directorate level cost, risk, schedule, and scope teams to enable an integrated approach.

- Champion and support Head of Estimating in continuous improvement in estimating capability, including tools, data, systems, and professional development of the estimating community.

- Ensure effective use of cost data, analytics, and lessons learned to enhance accuracy, predictability, and value for money at a directorate level.

- Ensuring consistency and benchmarking is undertaken at a directorate level, to drive uniformity and best practice.

- Build and lead a high-performing team to delivery deliverables at a directorate level including; ensuring appropriate resourcing, capability, and succession planning.

- Actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

About you:

Skills:

- Clear Direction - Defining and prioritising objectives, analysing inputs, assessing data, defining strategies and supporting rationales.

- Ability to direct the broader team on the actions needed to manage and mitigate any critical issues at a directorate level.

- Communication - effective and proven communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage and influence senior internal and external stakeholders.

- Ability to assimilate large volumes of detail, drawing out the key issues in a clear and concise way, suitable for all audiences.

- Relationship skills – can build and maintain effective relationships with diverse stakeholder groups.

- Ability to deliver Cost Estimation or Project Controls roles in large, complex projects through line and matrix team arrangements utilising directly employed staff or contract-based provision.

- Ability to generate, manage, and maintain cost estimations for large projects using appropriate cost estimation systems.

Knowledge:

- Knowledge of building, maintaining cost estimates using supplier information, market intelligence and industry standard estimating databases.

- Knowledge of Project Controls, Commercial and Finance processes with a view of how these operate within complex organisations.

- Knowledge and commercial awareness of multiple construction contract types (including, NEC contracts, amendments, early warning notices and the work flows of communications between contractor and client) and their respective benefits to client organisations.

- Knowledge of the related core Project Controls disciplines, including; Schedule Management, Change Management and Risk Management.

- Knowledge of baseline development and maintenance of baselines on a major programme.

Type of experience:

- Experience on developing and leading estimates in major projects or programmes.

- Experience of operating effectively as a senior leader, undertaking significant value programmes of work which are subject to external scrutiny.

- Experience of leading and developing a team within a major project or programme.

- Experience of advising senior stakeholders around cost performance and complex issues and appropriate resolution.

- Experience of dealing with External Stakeholders such as the Department of Transport.

- Preferrable experience of operating and managing a ticketing resource system.

- Significant experience of achievement in the management of cost estimation services within major projects, preferably with a formal cost estimation qualification or equivalent experience.

The post-holder is expected to behave at all times in a manner consistent with the HS2 values of Safety, Leadership, Integrity and Respect. It is expected that you will actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

We ask for a variety of detail in your online application, however we perform the first assessment of suitability for a role based solely on the information in your CV. In a further development of our efforts to create a more diverse workforce, your CV will be anonymised and personal information will be removed during the first stage of the application review. This removes bias from the process and makes it even more important that you attach an updated word version of your CV for each new application ensuring you include evidence directly related to the criteria in the job advert. Watch this video on how we remove bias in the recruitment process: Removing bias in the recruitment process - YouTube

We review applications on a rolling basis and may close the advert early if we receive a high number of suitable applications. To ensure your application is considered, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Any applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application. However, due to the volume of applications we receive, we are unable to provide individual feedback.