The Collective is an innovative UK-based design & manufacturing studio, specialising in acoustic products for the commercial architecture & interiors industry. The business began with the mission of bringing environmentally sustainable choices to the commercial interior market. Since then, year on year growth has resulted in The Collective becoming a great example of a forward thinking, dynamic UK born company.
Role overview
As Estimator, you will be key in shaping the success of The Collective by ensuring accurate pricing and protecting margin. The role will mainly involve receiving tenders from clients in the form of architectural drawings, finishes schedules and take offs and preparing pricing to return to contractors. This role will be varied and engaging working with many different clients and on lots of different solutions.
Your key responsibilities will be interpreting design intent, pricing solutions for clients/contractors in a timely manner and liaising with internal departments to ensure design and estimating align.
This role would ideally suit an enthusiastic individual, who is confident with numbers, communicating with clients, well organised and able to manage multiple projects at one time and with a strong commercial mindset.
Key Objectives
1. Provide pricing solutions for new projects coming into The Collective; ensuring all pricing is accurate, includes all necessary components, and is within or exceeds target margins
2. Applying a practical and technically minded approach to working with construction drawings and joinery type solutions
3. Identify commercial risks, assumptions, and exclusions within tenders to ensure robust and protected pricing submissions
Main Responsibilities
The main activities of your role include:
1. Design Interpretation
· Reading tender packs and establishing areas where we have been specified or there is opportunity for us to supply our products
· Understanding architectural drawings, takeoffs and finishes schedules to establish how much material will be needed
· Being technically minded when approaching solutions that fit with the client specification, challenging designs to improve cost, buildability, or margin
· Liaising with the design team to ensure feasibility of a solution
2. Estimating and Commercial awareness
· Calculating yields, material requirements and manufacturing requirements to complete comprehensive and accurate pricing
· Communicating with suppliers to request quotes and build this into the pricing
· Completing quotes to be sent directly to our clients
· Ensuring profitability of a project by adhering to set target margins
· Take a common-sense commercial approach to ensure The Collective protects its margin at a gross level
· Identifying commercial risks and assumptions within tenders
· Highlighting any exclusions, and value engineering opportunities that could impact pricing
· Proactively suggest any opportunities for value engineering to optimise cost efficiency while maintaining design intent and quality
· Build and maintain strong relationships with contractors, clients, and suppliers to support successful tender outcomes
· Undertake detailed checking and validation of all estimates prior to submission, automating where possible
3. Administrative duties
· Manage multiple tender deadlines simultaneously, ensuring timely and accurate submission of all quotations
· Updating CRM system with take-off information and values
· Inputting quote information into the stock management / accounting systems
· Support post-tender handover to operations, ensuring all pricing assumptions, scope, and risks are clearly communicated
· Maintain and continuously improve cost databases, pricing tools, and historical benchmarks
· Respond to requests for other business operational tasks, such as simple reporting tasks or helping out your colleagues
· Be responsive and flexible to requests for help from your colleagues
Experience and Skills required
Essential
3-5 years in a similar estimating role, assistant QS or commercial role
Construction industry experience and process of tender submission responses
Strong understanding of pricing and numerical skills with commercial awareness
Experience working with complicated yield calculations
Advanced Excel/spreadsheet modelling skills
Experience of communicating with clients
Be practical and solution focused with a problem-solving mindset
Impeccable attention to detail, analytical thinking
Strong sense of initiative, and ability to manage a busy workload under pressure
Desirable
Enthusiastic attitude to be involved with helping in all areas of the company
Experience with estimating software
Job Benefits
· Varied and engaging work environment
· Comprehensive training and development opportunities
· Direct exposure to high-profile projects and clients
· Collaborative, supportive team culture
· Opportunities for professional growth and advancement
· 1 paid charity day per quarter
· Private medical care on completion of probationary period
· 25 days annual leave
· 3-day Christmas closedown
The Collective is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all employees can thrive and contribute to our shared success.
Pay: £38,000.00-£45,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Company pension
- Private medical insurance
Work Location: In person
