Cost Consultant

A client-side Cost Consultant job vacancy exists with a social enterprise developer who own a portfolio of 10 buildings in the Hastings, East Sussex area.

The client has secured significant funding in the region of £16m to redevelop 2 x 5 storey buildings in the centre of Hastings. They require a knowledgeable to Cost Consultant to join a small team from the planning and design stage through to completion of the project (Circa 2–4-year development).

The successful candidate will need to have a strong Cost Consultant or Quantity Surveying background and be able to work closely with stakeholders and manage the design, procurement, costs and contractual risks to the client on the projects.

The client’s preference is to hire on a permanent basis as they have a growing portfolio of projects and future redevelopments potentially in the pipeline. Therefore, the vacancy on offer could become a permanent role within their development team. However, they are willing to consider applications from candidates who are interested in the role on a freelance basis also.

Project Details

You will work initially on the full redevelopment of 2 x 5 storey buildings in Hastings, East Sussex. The total value of works is estimated to be in the region of £15m - £20m in value.

Both projects are at RIBA stage 1 and will be developed over the coming 2-4 years. These are mixed use schemes which will include structural and interior refurbishment with a combination of residential and commercial space.

Responsibilities and Duties

You will work closely with several Directors and stakeholders as part of the client development team. This will include the Finance Director and the main fundraiser.

Specific duties will include:

• Procurement of design teams and contractors
• Preparing cost plans
• Writing cost reports
• Contract Administration
• Stakeholder management
• Identifying and rectifying issues and risks throughout the projects
• Managing budgets

Desired Skills and Experience

• Candidates should have suitably enough experience to be able to manage projects and budgets in the region of £15m £20m.
• Candidate with prior experience of working within a client development team would be beneficial. However suitable candidates from a consultancy or contractor background will also be considered.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Candidates should have project experience in the building sector, ideally on mixed use schemes. However similar building project experience will be suitable.
• Ability to manage costs and budgets
• Strong pre contract experience is essential as these projects are still circa 12 months from reaching site. Therefore, your initial role will be very pre contract biased.

Qualifications/Educational Requirements

•  Candidates should be Degree qualified or hold a similar equivalent qualification as a minimum

Employing Company Overview and Profile

The hiring organisation is a social enterprise responsible for the ownership and management of 10 buildings in the Hastings, East Sussex. As an organisation they focussed on adding social value to the town therefore a lot of their developments will relate to community lead projects.

The organisation is constantly adding to their portfolio of projects and working with local organisations such as the local council to continue to purchase and redevelop properties in the surrounding area for the benefit of the community. Therefore, this role could and should have more longevity than purely the 2 projects planned for redevelopment at present.

The client would be particularly interested in candidates who share their vision and are able to understand what they are trying to achieve and the constraints and implications of their funding model.