Lead Estimator

Job Description

• Represent NWS as the Estimating Lead, exemplifying company values and behaviours, providing leadership and support to Estimating professionals, and ensuring a culture of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI).
• Lead, manage and develop the Estimating and Cost Modelling function, including line management, performance management, and staff development, as well as acting as design authority reviewer for all Estimating-related training and education.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve Estimating and Cost processes, procedures, governance frameworks, tools, controls, and resources, ensuring they are aligned with industry best practice and regulatory requirements.
• Deliver high-quality, auditable cost estimates and models for GDF & NWS projects and programmes across the lifecycle, including baseline, scenario, and updated estimates, ensuring they are transparent, well-evidenced, and support business cases, risk analysis, and decision-making.
• Integrate cost estimating activities with planning, risk management, and change control to produce realistic, risk-based estimates (e.g., P50 and P80 confidence levels), evaluating cost impacts of changes in scope, schedule, or risk.
• Lead verification, validation, and assurance of estimates, ensuring robust challenge and positive outcomes from internal, external, and regulatory reviews, and supporting independent assurance processes.
• Collaborate with Programme and Project Managers, Procurement, supply chain, and multidisciplinary teams to evaluate contractor bids, challenge costs, ensure value for money, and deliver high-quality commercial decisions.
• Stay abreast of evolving business needs, industry best practice, and regulatory change to ensure continuous enhancement of cost estimating accuracy and efficiency, and manage the maintenance and improvement of estimating tools, data sources, and processes.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

 Essential Skills

• Proven experience working within a major programme or project controls environment, delivering cost estimating for major, complex projects or programmes.
• Professionally qualified in a relevant discipline (or able to demonstrate equivalent experience), with membership of, or progress towards membership of, a relevant professional body (e.g. ACostE, APM).
• Demonstrable experience analysing complex cost models, defining and challenging underpinning assumptions, and identifying key drivers, interdependencies, risks and opportunities.
• Excellent analytical and numerical skills, with the capability to interpret complex datasets and communicate insights effectively to a wide range of technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with a proven ability to build effective working relationships with stakeholders and collaborate across multidisciplinary teams and organisational levels.
• Resilient and adaptable, able to work under pressure, manage competing priorities and respond effectively to change.
• Advanced knowledge and proficiency in Estimating software, technical knowledge of cost estimating methodologies and techniques, including scheduling, risk and change management, with proficiency in cost estimating tools and Microsoft Office.

Desirable Skills 

• Degree, HND or equivalent qualification in Engineering, Construction, Quantity Surveying or a related discipline.
• Experience delivering cost estimating and modelling services within a highly regulated environment.
• Familiarity with projects and programme delivery in the Nuclear Industry
• Management and leadership skills
• Accreditation with a professional body and commitment to professional development

For employees on RWM T&C's, this role is 3-2

Who are we?

Simply put, our job is to secure a safer future for us all. We do this by managing and disposing of the UK’s nuclear radioactive waste safely and securely for generations to come. We have a critical role in the biggest multi-decade clean-up project in Europe. As part of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group, we provide permanent answers for nuclear waste.

Nuclear Waste Services builds on the work delivered at the Low-Level Waste Repository (LLWR) site and the Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) programme, maintaining these key activities whilst also adding further essential services for customers in the nuclear energy, defence, industrial, medical, and research sectors. Maintaining and developing this knowledge and experience is key to securing and developing our unique nuclear waste capabilities for the UK and the rest of the world

If you join Nuclear Waste Services, you’ll be part of a team that brings together some of the most brilliant minds from around the UK, working across many specialisms – scientific, engineering, safety, operations, commercial, community engagement, and regulatory – to name a few.

We want Nuclear Waste Services to be a great place​ to work where people are respected, included and can perform at their best. We do this by living our Nuclear Waste Services values;
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We are action orientated ​​​​​​​- We deliver for our customers, partners, and people safely & securely.

We are collaborative and inclusive - We have greater success when we work together.

We are ambitious - We are problem solvers who embrace and act upon new challenges.​​​​​

We act with integrity - We are trusted to build a safe, secure and sustainable future

What's in it for you?

• On appointment to NWS you will receive 25.5 days annual leave, plus bank holidays and you can accrue up to 13 extra days leave
• Rewarding performance (annual bonus scheme)
• We offer a generous pension scheme through CNNP
• learning and development support
• payment of relevant annual professional subscriptions
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Financial advice assistance
• Flexible working
• Extended family-friendly policies
• Cycle to work scheme
• We welcome flexible and agile working practices
• Flexible working requests can be submitted from day 1 of employment

Please note: all of our roles will require the successful applicant to achieve BPSS Security Clearance. Some of our roles may require a higher level of clearance to be achieved. If this is required, this will be detailed in the Job Requirements section. If the role requires higher level of National Security Vetting, applicants must typically have 5 or 10 years continuous residency. Factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the level of clearance you’re able to achieve. The Security Clearance process will be explained by your recruiter but if you do have any questions about this process, please reach out to a member of the Talent Acquisition Team at nws.recruitment@nuclearwasteservices.uk or see  National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK

Equal Opportunities

We value the unique differences that each of our colleagues bring to work every day and are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels respected, included and able to perform at their best. At Nuclear Waste Service we are committed to creating a workplace that is diverse and inclusive. We value the diversity of our people and actively seek to have a workforce that represents the rich diversity of the communities we support. Currently we are underrepresented in some areas, and would particularly welcome applicants from Women, Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities, LGBTQ+ and candidates who have a disability.

In promoting equal opportunities, Nuclear Waste Service welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We select people according to their abilities and our needs. As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet all of the essential criteria for the vacancy. 

Please note: Nuclear Waste Services reserves the right to close the vacancy early. 

If you have any queries or would like to discuss this role, please email nws.recruitment@nuclearwasteservices.uk