Estimator

Estimator

Location: Leicester/ Midlands – with Hybrid working and travel to sites in the south.

Employment type: Full Time – Permanent  

Working Hours: Monday to Friday

What’s in it for you…

We believe in looking after our people, and it shows. When you join Ipsum, you’re not just taking a job — you’re starting a career with real support behind it.​ 

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Option to buy up to 5 additional holidays
• Group Personal Pension Plan
• Career development & progression with the opportunity to earn professional qualifications
• 24/7 access to a virtual GP​ and Mental health support & counselling services​ 
• Cycle to Work scheme​ 
• Discount club - supermarkets, phone bills, gyms & more​! 
• Life assurance cover​ 
• Long service recognition​ 
• Enhanced Maternity Pay
• Paid volunteering opportunities in your community​ 

About the role…

You will work with Ipsum to help meet its organic growth plans, supporting with all commercial requirements relating to framework and strategic tenders.

As the Estimator, you will play a key role in developing accurate and competitive cost estimates across a range of projects. This includes assessing materials, labour, equipment, and subcontractor inputs to ensure robust and commercially sound submissions.

A critical part of the role involves identifying and evaluating commercial risks within tender documentation and recommending appropriate mitigation strategies.

Collaboration is essential, as you’ll work closely with internal teams such as Commercial, Finance, and Operations, occasionally supporting other parts of the Water Division around the UK. As well as external clients and suppliers to gather the necessary information and maintain consistency across all estimates

As an Estimator you will…

You will play a key role in supporting new framework opportunities from initial review through to bid submission. Incorporating lessons learned from previous bids, you’ll help shape a best-in-class approach that enhances efficiency and increases the success rate of future submissions.

• Evaluate new bids and framework tenders, summarising the commercial opportunity and providing recommendations on whether to proceed.
• Collaborate with internal Ipsum teams and external stakeholders to develop accurate assumptions and costings as bids progress toward final submission.
• Participate in subcontractor pricing activities, including reviewing proposals, negotiating terms, and coordinating inputs to ensure timely and commercially sound submissions.
• Compile and issue tender queries during the bid period, ensuring responses are understood and incorporated into the submission.
• Review framework terms and conditions to ensure alignment with Ipsum’s governance standards, identifying and mitigating any commercial risks.
• Prepare concise and effective commercial review presentations to support final submission decisions.
• Support the handover of approved tender documentation to the relevant commercial lead for successful project delivery.
• Contribute to the ongoing review of job and task rates, ensuring consistency, completeness, and market competitiveness across the business.
• Conduct post-bid analysis for both successful and unsuccessful submissions, identifying areas for improvement and embedding changes into future bid strategies.

Assist in auditing bid strategy compliance to ensure target margins are met or exceeded

About you…

• Water Sector experience ideal.
• Experience operating within fast-paced, multi-divisional organisations, consistently meeting tight deadlines.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to foster effective working relationships across internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare detailed operational cost estimates for utility services, including major infrastructure projects across the Water and Infrastructure sectors.

Our commitment to Equal Opportunities...

We’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and experiences, and we’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. 
Before applying, please review our Privacy Policy to understand how we process your data in line with GDPR. 

Next steps...

If you’re interested in this opportunity, please apply or reach out to the Talent Team for more info!