Quantity Surveyor / Estimator (NZ Construction Experience Required)

About The Client:

An experienced New Zealand construction company specialising in commercial projects and high-end architectural homes. The company delivers a diverse range of projects, including architectural builds, new homes, renovations, commercial construction, retail and hospitality fit-outs, and foundation projects.

Known for quality workmanship, attention to detail, and a commitment to completing projects to a high standard, the company also places strong emphasis on building and maintaining positive relationships with clients, subcontractors, and project partners.

The Role:

We are seeking an experienced Quantity Surveyor / Estimator with proven New Zealand construction experience across both residential and commercial projects.

The successful candidate will support the full estimating and commercial-management process, including quantity take-offs, supplier and subcontractor pricing, tender preparation, project scheduling, procurement, variations, cost tracking, and back costing.

The role will also provide basic project-management and administrative support when estimating and quantity-surveying workloads are lighter.

The successful candidate must be able to communicate confidently with clients, subcontractors, suppliers, and internal team members. The key objective is to produce accurate and commercially sound estimates while maintaining visibility of costs and project performance throughout construction.

Key Responsibilities:

Estimating & Quantity Take-Offs

• Review architectural drawings, specifications, schedules, and tender documentation.
• Complete detailed quantity take-offs for residential and commercial construction projects.
• Prepare accurate labour, material, subcontractor, and preliminary cost estimates.
• Develop detailed scopes of work and pricing schedules.
• Identify missing, conflicting, or unclear information within tender documents.
• Raise requests for information where clarification is required.
• Assist with take-offs for materials, fixtures, finishes, and other project requirements.
• Maintain accurate estimating records, assumptions, and supporting documentation.

Quotations & Project Scheduling

• Prepare clear and accurate client quotations based on approved scopes and pricing.
• Provide preliminary project schedules alongside quotations and tender submissions.
• Estimate project durations, key construction stages, and sequencing requirements.
• Work with the construction team to ensure proposed schedules are practical and achievable.
• Update schedules when project scope, lead times, or delivery requirements change.
• Ensure exclusions, qualifications, and assumptions are clearly stated in each quotation.

Tender Preparation & Submission

• Manage the preparation of complete tender submissions from initial review through to final delivery.
• Review all tender requirements, deadlines, specifications, and submission instructions.
• Coordinate supplier and subcontractor pricing for each tender.
• Prepare tender breakdowns, schedules, supporting documents, and commercial qualifications.
• Check tender submissions for completeness, accuracy, and consistency before submission.
• Maintain tender registers and track submission dates, outcomes, and follow-up actions.
• Assist with post-tender clarifications, negotiations, and pricing revisions.

Subcontractor & Supplier Coordination

• Prepare and issue requests for pricing to subcontractors and suppliers.
• Communicate clearly with subcontractors regarding project scope, drawings, specifications, and deadlines.
• Review returned quotations and confirm that all required work has been included.
• Compare subcontractor and supplier pricing to identify discrepancies, exclusions, or potential risks.
• Follow up on missing pricing and outstanding information.
• Maintain organised records of supplier and subcontractor quotations.
• Build professional and dependable working relationships with external project partners.

Procurement Support

• Assist with identifying material, product, and subcontractor requirements for active projects.
• Obtain and compare supplier pricing, availability, and lead times.
• Support product procurement in line with approved budgets, specifications, and project schedules.
• Maintain procurement schedules and highlight items with long or uncertain lead times.
• Confirm that proposed products meet project specifications before ordering.
• Coordinate with project staff to ensure required materials and services are available when needed.
• Escalate supply, cost, or availability concerns promptly.

Variations & Contract Administration

• Prepare, price, and document multiple variations across active projects.
• Review variation requests and determine their impact on labour, materials, subcontractor costs, and programme.
• Obtain supporting quotations and documentation where required.
• Maintain accurate variation registers and track each variation through approval and completion.
• Communicate variation pricing and supporting information clearly to clients and project stakeholders.
• Ensure approved variations are reflected in project budgets, forecasts, and final accounts.
• Follow up on outstanding variation approvals to prevent project delays or unapproved expenditure.

Project Cost Tracking & Back Costing

• Track actual project costs against estimates, budgets, and approved variations throughout construction.
• Complete back costing to compare estimated and actual labour, material, supplier, and subcontractor costs.
• Identify cost overruns, margin risks, and unusual variances.
• Update cost reports and provide clear project-performance information to management.
• Support project forecasting and anticipated final-cost reporting.
• Assist with reviewing subcontractor claims, supplier invoices, and project-related costs.
• Use completed-project information to improve future estimating accuracy.

Client & Internal Communication

• Liaise professionally with clients regarding quotations, tender queries, selections, variations, and project updates.
• Communicate regularly with subcontractors, suppliers, site staff, and other members of the J&L Construction team.
• Provide clear updates on tender progress, procurement requirements, cost movements, and commercial risks.
• Maintain accurate records of important discussions, approvals, and decisions.
• Escalate scope, pricing, scheduling, or contractual concerns to management promptly.
• Participate in project and tender meetings when required.

Basic Project Management

• Assist with planning and coordinating project activities under the direction of management.
• Help monitor project timelines, procurement milestones, and outstanding actions.
• Coordinate information between clients, subcontractors, suppliers, and internal staff.
• Follow up on project documentation, selections, approvals, and delivery requirements.
• Support the team in keeping projects organised and progressing according to schedule.
• Identify potential delays or cost issues and raise them before they affect delivery.

General Administration

• Provide general construction and project administration when estimating workloads are lighter.
• Maintain organised project, tender, supplier, and subcontractor records.
• Update spreadsheets, registers, schedules, and internal reporting documents.
• Assist with document control, filing, data entry, and preparation of project correspondence.
• Help develop templates, checklists, and repeatable processes.
• Complete other reasonable administrative duties that support the construction team.

Tools & Systems

• Microsoft Excel – advanced capability required
• CostX or comparable estimating and quantity-surveying software
• Construction project-management or job-costing systems
• Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace
• PDF measurement and document-management tools
• Project scheduling software or advanced spreadsheet-based programmes