Cost Manager
Manchester
Permanent
Competitive Salary + Car/Car Allowance + Flexible Benefits
Summary
This is an exciting opportunity to take full accountability for regional Cost Management and Cost Engineering, ensuring the delivery of accurate, competitive prime costs and high‑quality, compliant tenders.
As Cost Manager, you will lead and develop the cost engineering function, oversee pricing from pre‑tender through PCSA and into delivery alignment, and take ownership of the overall project price. You will work collaboratively with regional work‑winning teams, supporting Bid Management, Pre‑Construction and Operations to ensure clear visibility of cost drivers, risks, opportunities, and assumptions throughout the project lifecycle.
This role plays a key part in helping secure new business, strengthening client relationships and enabling well‑informed decision‑making at a senior level.
Responsibilities
Provide effective leadership and development of the cost engineering team to achieve sales and gross profit targets.
Ensure consistent and compliant pricing across all pre‑construction activities, in line with NG Bailey processes and delegated authority requirements.
Work with Pre‑Construction Leads to define clear pricing strategies focused on profit, risk management and client value.
Report monthly on tenders and PCSA activity, including progress against programme and any required mitigation actions.
Collaborate with Operations, Commercial, Cost, Design & Technical, Procurement, Planning, and project teams to shape and communicate tender pricing strategy.
Deliver effective cost planning services and maintain accurate historic cost data across project types and sectors.
Maintain a detailed understanding of market pricing, competition, risks, market activity, and key stakeholders.
Work with Procurement and technical leads to validate quotations, apply optimal buying strategies and maintain supply chain compliance.
Maintain accountability for Estimation, SharePoint and related systems, ensuring timely production of required monthly reports.
Following contract award, organise and ensure thorough handover of winning bids to Operations, providing clear evidence of tender basis, commercial opportunities and risk areas.
Maintain the highest levels of commercial confidentiality in all aspects of employment.
Requirements
Management experience and/or 5+ years as a Senior Estimator.
Experience leading cost engineering and/or estimating teams (desirable).
Strong commercial and financial acumen with the ability to influence at all levels.
Experience in cost planning, pricing strategy, and risk management.
Knowledge of procurement and supply chain engagement best practice.
Evidence of Design and Commercial training (essential).
Evidence of Management training (essential).
Evidence of Health & Safety training (essential).
Professional Management qualification (desirable).
Qualifications in Design and/or Commercial disciplines (desirable).
Benefits
Financial compensation if working away from home
25 days holiday per annum, plus bank holidays
Pension with leading provider and up to 8% employer contribution
Private healthcare
Free 24/7 365 Employee assistance program to support mental health and wellbeing (including counselling sessions and legal advice)
Discounts
Personal development programme
Flexible Benefits
Car/Car Allowance
Next Steps:
As a business, we’re on a journey to build on our culture where everyone is included, treated fairly and with respect. This starts with recruitment and how we bring people into the organisation.
We’ll do our best to outline the recruitment process to you ahead of time with plenty of notice. If you require any accommodations to participate in the application or interview process, please let us know and we will work with you to ensure your needs are met.
About Us:
We are one of the leading independent engineering and services businesses in the UK. Founded in 1921, with a turnover of £500m and 3000 employees, we are proud of our history of developing great people through our investment in training.
Working across a variety of sectors within the building and infrastructure industry, our innovative, responsible and forward-thinking approach allows us to work on fantastic ground-breaking projects, providing solutions using the latest tools and technologies.
Progression is something we value, and we will make sure that when you join us you have a clearly defined development path, supported by regular reviews, training and ongoing support to enable you to be the best you can be.
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