What's involved with this role:
Role: Contract Strategic Commercial Lead / Quantity Surveyor
Job Ref: QAD 2049/0111
Pay Rate: Competitive Market Rate
Hours per week: 37 hours per week
Contract Length: Initially 18 months
Location: Reading, West Berkshire – hybrid working
We are seeking an experienced Pre-Contract Strategic Commercial Lead to guide the commercial and procurement aspects of major construction projects. In this key role, you will be responsible for planning and managing costs and budgets across the RIBA lifecycle, ensuring that procurement aligns with project goals, timelines, and budgets.
You will also oversee the development and implementation of NEC contracts, contract cost models, and performance management approaches, securing value for money and high-quality standards through careful evaluation and negotiation of tenders.
Ideal candidates will bring a background in complex infrastructure projects—particularly within sectors such as Defence, Nuclear, or Utilities—and possess experience in public contract regulations, commercial risk management, and contractor performance incentivisation. Chartered or actively working towards MRICS accreditation is essential.
Key accountabilities:
Cost and budget planning through the RIBA lifecycle in preparation for procurement of major construction.
Collation of NEC forms of contract and other commercial documents for procurement.
Development of contract cost models and performance management and incentivisation approaches for use in the contract documentation, ensuring these comply with the project brief, timescales, budget estimates, all relevant contractual requirements, legislation and regulations.
Own the commercial evaluation and negotiation of tenders, by measuring, validating, benchmarking tenderers proposals, to enhance value for money, whilst still achieving the required standards and quality.
Capturing, recording, and utilising cost data for use on future procurements reporting into the Estimating Benchmarking database.
Identify commercial opportunities and mitigate risks during the procurement phase to deliver a sound contract for contract award.
Essential:
Complex major construction experience.
Knowledge of or experience working within public contract regulations environment.
Experience within Defence, Nuclear, Utilities or other related infrastructure environment.
Chartered or working towards MRICS or other related qualification.
Cost and budget planning through the RIBA lifecycle.
Ability to design Contractor performance management and incentivisation approaches.
Experience in the commercial evaluation and negotiation of tenders to assess and deliver value of money.
Ability to identify commercial opportunities and mitigate risks during the procurement phase.
Please quote the Job Title & Vacancy Reference No. in your application, or we will be unable to match your CV to the role being applied for.
Should you require reasonable adjustments at any point during the recruitment process or if there is a more accessible way for us to communicate, please do let us know.
If you consider yourself to have a disability or if you are a veteran, and you meet the essential criteria for the role, you will be put forward for the ‘Guaranteed Interview’ scheme whereby you will have the opportunity to discuss this role and your suitability with a member of the Sourcing team.
As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we provide the best talent and encourage all applications regardless of background, in line with our commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.
Please send your CV directly to centralgov@tclrec.com
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Job Ref: QAD 2049/0111
Anticipated Length of Assignment: Unless otherwise stated (we do carry the occasional permanent vacancy) all of our roles are technically temporary, though opening assignments can be and often are, extended by clients on a longer term basis and can sometimes become permanent.
Please do try to resist contacting us with requests for progress updates.
We really do read every CV sent to us. All applications will be acknowledged by a human, not a robot, provided the job remains live and provided your CV meets the “Essential Requirements” listed.
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Important: We will interpret your application as being permission to submit your CV to this role (with the right to represent you) unless you advise us to the contrary.