To produce a typed bid for the clients’ tender documents, in an effort to win work for the company.
Responsibilities
An estimator within any construction organisation is concerned with winning new business, exploring new avenues of activity and seeking opportunities that the company can exploit in its bid to develop and grow.
To do this they will using trade journals, magazines, Builders Conference services, ABI Trackback and reports from Contracts/Surveying staff, to identify future tendering
Typical day
Dependent on the seniority of the role, daily tasks will typically have a mixture of office-based and external activities. This would include but not be limited to, producing quotation sheets, producing power point sketches to assist quote presentation, site visits to potential projects, meeting with client(s) and typing up quotes.
Key skills
Good visualisation is necessary in order to conceive the end product (scaffold), coupled with strong commercial awareness, strong client liaison skills, project management and team leadership.
They need an extensive understanding of the construction industry, flexibility and a talent for negotiation making good communication skills – in all their forms – a necessity.
Application process
Directly to the company or through other traditional channels such as recruitment agencies (particularly specialist construction agencies), Jobcentre Plus, the National Careers Service, Job Boards (e.g. Indeed) or via advertisements in newspapers.
Estimator / Senior Estimator
Expected salary
Typically, starting at £20,000 with an experienced or senior member of staff expecting earnings of approximately £50,000.
Qualifications required
Lots of NASC companies will require estimators to be educated to SSSTS and/or Basic Scaffold Inspection as a minimum. There is an expectation that the applicant will have 5 GCSEs including Maths & English. Historically estimators have learned on the job and as such have experience within the construction sector (often from a scaffolding background with most having been former scaffolders) or mentored and trained to that position.
