Who We Are
Hadingham Kirk is an Oxford-based family business with a simple founding belief: do exceptional work, and the rest follows. Every project we have won to date has come through recommendation — and that is entirely down to our team. We are a close-knit group of people who genuinely care about what we create, from the first design sketch through to the final planted border.
Based at Northfield Farm in Kidlington, we work across Oxfordshire and the wider UK delivering bespoke garden design and construction, soft landscaping, garden rooms, bespoke joinery, and ongoing maintenance. We love a challenge, we push for the extraordinary, and we are quietly proud of what we do.
The Opportunity
As we continue to grow, we are looking for someone to join us and help run our estimating, tendering, and pre-construction work. Right now this sits alongside our garden design and project management, and we would love an extra pair of hands to take it on and grow with it.
This is a great role for someone early in their estimating or quantity surveying career. You will work closely with our design and delivery team, learning how we price and plan our projects, with plenty of support along the way and real room to develop. If you have a sharp eye for detail, a head for numbers, and a genuine interest in quality landscaping, we would love to hear from you.
What You Will Do
Estimating & Costing
- Help prepare estimates, budgets, and bills of quantities for landscaping projects of all scales, from small residential gardens to larger schemes
- Work from project drawings and specifications to measure up the materials and labour needed (takeoffs)
- Help build and keep our library of unit rates, material prices, plant costs, and subcontractor rates up to date
- Note and flag the assumptions, risks, and exclusions behind a price, and ask questions when something is not clear
Tendering
- Help run the tender process, from logging incoming enquiries through to putting bids together
- Review tender documents, drawings, and client briefs, and help make sure our submissions are accurate and complete
- Request, chase, and compare quotations from suppliers and subcontractors
- Help prepare tender submissions that are clear, professional, and reflect the quality of Hadingham Kirk
Pre-Construction Management
- Help hand projects over to the delivery team, making sure costs and scope are clearly understood
- Assist with procurement planning, programme input, and pre-construction reporting
- Contribute to value engineering, finding smarter ways of working without ever dropping our standards
- Keep clear records of tender outcomes, pricing data, and lessons learned to inform future bids
Commercial Support
- Help put together the monthly valuations of work in progress, so we can invoice on time and keep cashflow healthy
- Help price variations as projects change on site
- Help prepare final accounts at the end of a project
- Once a project finishes, compare actual costs against the original estimate so we can price better next time
What We Are Looking For
Essential
- Some experience or training in estimating, quantity surveying, construction, landscaping or a related field, or a real drive to build a career in it
- Comfortable reading drawings, or keen to learn (some familiarity with CAD is a bonus)
- Good Excel skills, and happy to spend much of your time in spreadsheets
- An interest in landscaping materials, plants, and how things are built, and a willingness to learn on the job
- Strong numerical accuracy, and a natural instinct for spotting when something does not add up
- Well organised, and able to juggle a few jobs at once without things slipping
Desirable
- Experience with estimating or QS software
- Any hands-on experience of pre-construction, procurement, or pricing variations
- Degree, or professional qualification (or working towards one) in Quantity Surveying, Horticulture, Landscape Architecture, or a related field
- A genuine appreciation for great garden design — you do not need to be a designer, but understanding what makes a landscape special will help you cost it properly
The Kind of Person You Are
We are a team of people who take real pride in their work and genuinely enjoy what they do. We are not looking for someone who just processes numbers — we want someone who cares about getting it right, communicates clearly, and fits naturally into a close-knit, collaborative environment.
- Organised, self-motivated, and keen to learn
- A clear and straightforward communicator who is happy to ask questions
- Switched on, with a proactive approach and a good eye for detail
- Thorough and methodical, without ever losing sight of the bigger picture
What We Offer
- A role you can genuinely grow into, with training and support as you develop
- A warm, friendly, and supportive team where people are valued and trusted
- A salary of £30,000 to £36,000 a year, depending on experience
- The chance to work on beautiful, varied projects — the kind you will actually want to tell people about
- A base at Northfield Farm, Kidlington — a genuinely lovely place to work
How to Apply
Please write to us with your CV and a covering letter to Cath Parkinson at [email protected]. We would love to hear a little about your background and what draws you to Hadingham Kirk. If you have any questions before applying, please feel free to email us.
Please, no Recruitment Agencies.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Pay: £30,000.00-£36,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Financial planning services
- On-site parking
Application question(s):
- Have you included a covering letter
Location:
Work Location: In person
