Cost Engineer

 

Leeds

 

Permanent

 

Competitive Salary + Car/Car Allowance + Flexible Benefits

 

Summary

This is a great opportunity to support the delivery of robust, accurate and timely prime costs across a wide range of business projects, covering all stages from pre‑tender through post‑tender.

 

As a Cost Engineer, you will play a vital part in developing reliable and defensible prime cost build‑ups that strengthen the competitiveness of our bids and support informed commercial decision‑making. You will work collaboratively with colleagues across the business, ensuring our tender solutions are accurate, compliant, and aligned with client expectations and company standards.

 

This role is ideal for someone looking to progress their career in a dynamic, high‑performing work‑winning environment.

 

Responsibilities

• Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of the company’s Health & Safety and environmental performance to support credible client discussions.
  • Support the Cost Engineering team in delivering accurate prime costs that contribute to achieving the region’s sales plan.
  • Collaborate with colleagues to assess strategic options within each cost build‑up, ensuring competitive and commercially aligned pricing.
  • Maintain awareness of market trends, pricing levels, competitor activity and industry workload to inform consistently competitive cost proposals.
  • Prepare tenders in a consistent and accurate format, aligned with company policies, standards and processes.
  • Effectively manage time to meet adjudication and submission deadlines.
  • Engage proactively with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring timely and accurate inputs.
  • Produce accurate take‑offs and measurements and input them into relevant software systems to validate project prime costs.
  • Support Procurement by preparing enquiry packs via the Local Supply Chain system, managing quotation returns, and assisting with adjudication.

 

Requirements

• 2–3 years’ experience as a Trainee Estimator or similar role within a construction environment.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to plan, prioritise and anticipate project milestones.
• Strong awareness of how decisions impact others and the ability to work collaboratively.
• Evidence of initiative, ownership and value‑adding behaviours.
• Understanding and commitment to company values, standards and culture.
• Flexibility in approach and the ability to adapt to changing information or circumstances.
• GCSE English and Maths (Grade C or above) plus five additional graded GCSEs.

 

Desirable:

• Design skills and/or commercial experience.
• Design qualification.
• Commercial training certification.

 

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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