About the role

Balfour Beatty has an exciting opportunity for a Civil Estimating Manager to join our Power Transmission & Distribution business. The candidate will primarily be focussed managing the estimating team, supporting with estimating on civil works associated with Substations, Overhead Line and Cable projects up to 400kV, for SSE and National Grid, but may will be required to work on other workstreams associated with Power T&D's client portfolio.

Balfour Beatty is the market leader in delivering Substation projects and is about to enter a period of unprecedented growth. This critical role will ensure that we submit robust estimates in accordance with the BB estimating processes and BB governance for some of the largest upgrades to the Grid that the UK has seen. In return, it offers the individual fantastic career prospects as we play a major role in helping the UK achieve Net Zero.

The individual will lead our Civil Estimating team, as well as work closely alongside our specialist teams in Civils, OHL and Cabling.

What you'll be doing

You will have strategic responsibility for the Civil Estimating function within the business unit, overseeing key stages of the estimating lifecycle and ensuring governance, capability, and continuous improvement across the team.

Strategic Leadership & Governance

Work closely with the Head of Estimating to develop, implement, and maintain the civil estimating strategy.

Provide strategic input at Senior Management Team meetings and contribute to weekly, monthly, and quarterly business forums.

Identify and implement procedural, systems, and capability improvements to strengthen the estimating function.

Ensure full compliance with Balfour Beatty’s Code of Conduct, promoting safe, compliant, and consistent working practices.

Drive collaboration across enabling functions including engineering, planning, finance, commercial, and resourcing.

People Leadership & Line Management

Provide functional line management for the civil estimating team, including R12 approvals.

Conduct regular 1:1s, set objectives, and complete PDRs.

Manage COMAEA profiles and identify training and development needs.

Lead, support, and develop graduates and apprentices within the estimating function.

Cascade business updates, procedural changes, and key communications to the team.

Estimating Delivery & Workload Management

Allocate estimating opportunities and manage workloads across the team.

Provide hands-on support during periods of high workload.

Ensure adherence to the estimating process and provide expert guidance where required.

Lead peer reviews of substation estimates and post-contract reviews, capturing lessons learned.

Attend and support risk reviews, ensuring appropriate assessment and challenge of risk values.

Business Lifecycle & Bid Governance

Ensure estimating compliance with the gated business lifecycle process.

Prepare and review estimating documentation for Gate Reviews, including Tender Summaries, 3-Point Estimates, and cashflows.

Support opportunity qualification at Quick Qualifier stage and contribute to Bid / No-Bid decisions.

Attend and contribute to Gate Review meetings (Gates 1–5).

Systems, Software & Commercial Transparency

Oversee the implementation and ongoing use of Candy estimating software.

Maintain Candy masters, including annual price updates and framework pricing.

Produce cost transparency data and written submissions as required by clients.

Client & Stakeholder Engagement

Support estimators at key internal and external meetings during ECI stages.

Attend post-tender clarifications, client presentations, and negotiations.

Participate in client workload and pipeline meetings as required.

Who we're looking for

A proven leader with strong experience in civil or substation estimating within a major infrastructure or construction environment.

Demonstrated ability to provide strategic oversight while remaining hands-on when needed.

Strong people management skills, with experience leading, developing, and motivating technical estimating teams.

In-depth understanding of estimating governance, gated lifecycle processes, and risk management.

Experience working collaboratively across engineering, commercial, planning, and finance functions.

Confidence engaging with senior stakeholders and clients, including during bid, negotiation, and post-tender stages.

Strong systems capability, ideally with Candy estimating software and cost transparency reporting.

A values-led approach, aligned with safety, compliance, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Why work for us

We don’t just build infrastructure—we build careers. Join us and benefit from:

Competitive salary and bonus opportunities

25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays

Company car or car allowance

Up to 7% employer pension contribution

Professional fees paid and clear pathways to chartership

Smart working with up to 40% remote flexibility

Life assurance, EAP, and family-friendly policies

Opportunities to volunteer and make a real difference

Access to industry-leading training and qualifications

About us

Balfour Beatty is a global leader in infrastructure delivery, known for solving complex challenges through innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence. In our Power T&D business, we’re proud to be shaping a more sustainable, connected, and secure energy future. We work across the entire energy grid – from overhead lines and substations to underground cabling and renewables – supporting the delivery of some of the UK's most ambitious energy programmes.

Diversity & Inclusion

We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels included, respected, and empowered to thrive. We actively encourage applications from diverse backgrounds, and we’re proud to be recognised for our work in equality and inclusion.

Apply Today

If you’re a seasoned planner looking to make a real impact on major energy projects and drive progress towards a sustainable future – we’d love to hear from you.

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