The posting
Lanes Group plc is a leading nationwide utility services provider with c.5000 dedicated employees. Our diverse subsidiaries drive our success across various sectors, contributing to a remarkable turnover of over £650 million. We are committed to excellence and innovation, ensuring we provide industry leading services to our clients and stakeholders. Join us to be part of a dynamic and growing team that values diversity and fosters professional growth.
Department:
Sapphire Utility Solutions, a Lanes Group Company specialise in multiple divisions.
Commercial works closely with operational, delivery, and support teams across the business, providing commercial oversight, contract management, financial control, and strategic guidance to ensure projects are delivered efficiently, profitably, and in line with contractual obligations.
The team is responsible for protecting and enhancing business value through effective cost management, risk mitigation, procurement support, and stakeholder engagement. By driving commercial best practice and informed decision-making, they help maximise project performance, support sustainable growth, and ensure the business delivers outstanding outcomes for customers and partners.
Location: Leyland (Hybrid & Travel to sites required)
Hours: 40 Hours
Purpose of the role:
The Senior Quantity Surveyor is required to support capability, contract and commercial management delivery within our Wastewater Capital Delivery team. This is a key support role within the Capital Commercial Team framework project delivery for the largest of business clients.
The role will work closely with the Commercial and Operational Leads and wider project delivery teams ensuring projects are effectively managed. A key focus of the role will be a conduit between the Commercial Manager and the existing team ensuring all matters of principal, sub-contract, legislative and internal reporting matters are concluded timeously with accuracy.
The successful candidate will need strong quantity surveying / commercial management experience, sound NEC ECC contract management knowledge (Options A, C & E), practical understanding of wastewater or capital project delivery and previous experiences of managing a team of subordinates.
Key Responsibilities:
Commercial Management Support
- Support the Commercial Manager with all contract and commercial management requirements. Managing a developing team of subordinates ensuring all required parameters of principal, sub-contract, legislative and internal reporting deliverables are achieved.
- Support and manage key commercial processes, including:
- Framework set up
- Compensation Event review
- Applications for Payment
- Cashflow forecasting
- Cost control and value management
- Risk and opportunity tracking
- Support Final account preparation
- Commercial governance
- Support monitoring project costs, value, risk and margin performance with escalation as required.
- Support and ensure commercial reporting is accurate, timely and evidenced.
- Support CVR reviews, updates on project performance, risks, opportunities and required actions.
- Support the maintenance of strong records, audit trails and supporting documentation across contracts.
Contract and Change Management
- Support the administration of NEC ECC contract requirements (Options A, C & E).
- Support Compensation Event management, ensuring cost build-ups are accurate, evidenced and submitted within contractual timescales.
- Support Early Warning Notices management where required, ensuring risks are identified and communicated promptly.
- Support CEMAR management for Early Warnings, Compensation Events and other contract records.
- Support the management of variations, scope changes and programme impacts are captured, evidenced and progressed.
- Support the operational teams ensuring commercial entitlement is protected.
- Support subcontract management, procurement activity, tender reviews and final account processes where required.
Commercial Management and Reporting
- Support the management of principal, sub-contract, supplier and professionally biased contracts and associated applications for payment and notices in line with contract requirements.
- Support accurate cash forecasting, revenue recognition and cost reporting.
- Monitor WIP, ensuring aged balances are reviewed, challenged and progressed.
- Track and validate cost allocations, variations, change controls and project movements to develop & manage a cost to value rate analysis.
- Support accurate billing, cost recovery and commercial audit readiness.
- Provide clear commercial analysis to support internal reviews, client discussions and senior leadership reporting.
- Identify risks to potential margin, cash recovery or contractual entitlement and escalate appropriately.
Project Support
- Apply practical understanding of wastewater capital works, delivery processes and operational constraints.
- Understand the commercial impact of labour, plant, materials, subcontractors, access constraints, scope changes and programme movements.
- Work closely with Operations, Delivery, Planning and Finance teams to ensure project costs, risks and changes are captured accurately.
- Support the review of project performance, identifying trends, risks and opportunities across allocated schemes.
- Ensure commercial decisions are informed by the technical, operational and client-specific requirements.
Stakeholder Management
- Support the Commercial Manager in maintaining strong client relationships.
- Attend client and internal commercial meetings where required, providing updates on allocated schemes.
- Work closely with internal stakeholders across Operations, Delivery, Planning, Finance and Procurement.
- Communicate clearly on project performance, risks, opportunities and required actions.
- Challenge and influence internal teams to ensure commercial requirements are understood and delivered.
- Build strong working relationships while protecting the business’s commercial position.
Team Development and Mentorship
- Support Apprentice and Assistant Quantity Surveyors with day-to-day commercial tasks where required.
- Share commercial and contract knowledge.
- Promote good commercial discipline, accurate record keeping and strong governance across the team.
- Provide additional support to junior members of the team and act as a point of escalation.
Required Skills and Experience
Essential
- Proven commercial and contractual experience within utilities, civil engineering or infrastructure capital projects.
- Ability to attend sites and support the team, understand project scope and constraints, translating this into robust commercial and contractual management.
- Degree qualified in Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management or a related construction discipline.
- Good working knowledge of NEC ECC contracts (Options A, C & E) and working knowledge and management of framework agreements / capabilities.
- Practical understanding of wastewater projects, wastewater networks or capital delivery environments.
- Experience managing but not limited to Compensation Events, Early Warnings, Applications for Payment, cash forecasting, WIP.
- CEMAR system experience for contract administration and formal communications.
- Strong financial and commercial acumen including cost control, forecasting, margin analysis and risk management.
- Ability to interpret contract requirements and apply them practically.
- Strong communication skills with the confidence to work with operational teams, client representatives and internal stakeholders.
- High attention to detail with the ability to produce accurate and well-evidenced reporting.
- Strong Microsoft skills.
Desirable
- RICS qualified (MRICS)
- Experience working within major regulated utility clients or long-term framework agreements.
- Experience supporting junior QSs, Apprentice QSs or commercial assistants.
- Experience supporting commercial process improvement.
Personal Attributes
- Commercially aware and detail-focused.
- Proactive, organised and solutions focused.
- Confident working with operational and delivery teams.
- Able to manage multiple schemes and priorities.
- Strong communicator who can build good working relationships.
- Comfortable challenging information where required.
- Resilient under pressure and able to work in a fast-paced project environment.
- Collaborative and supportive, while able to protect the commercial position.
- Keen to develop technically, contractually and commercially.
Living the Company Values
By embedding our companies core values and purpose into each role, ensures that every employee, regardless of their role or level, understands how their individual development and contributions align with our purpose of ‘improving today for a better tomorrow’.
Each role and value has an alignment to set proficiency levels and expectations; this role holder is expected to:
- Leading: Acts as a role model, shaping the learning agenda and influencing change.
- Agile: Anticipates learning needs, adjusts quickly to changing operational contexts.
- Nurturing: Supports the development of others through coaching and structured development plans.
- Engaging: Inspires and motivates learners, builds trust and credibility
- Safe & Secure: Ensures all learning is aligned to safety and compliance standards.
Your Contribution to the company:
- Strive to be always positive and constructive
- Adhere to all company policies
- Straight talking about the facts of the situation – open discussions are the best way to find solutions
- Help others through communicating clearly
- Deliver on commitments
- Ensure that any ideas that may enhance the productivity or systems of the company are brought to the attention of Senior Management, or your colleagues
- Deliver our Company Values understanding that by working together in unity we are ‘Stronger Together’
Equality, Diversion & Inclusion
At Lanes Group, we are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered. We believe that our differences make us stronger and are committed to providing equal opportunities for all employees. We welcome and encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including those from underrepresented groups. Join us in our commitment to creating a more inclusive and diverse world.
