Estimator

Askam Civil Engineering is a family-run civil engineering contractor with forward-looking ambitions. Founded in 1986 by Managing Director John Lowery, the business has grown from its roots in water-based civil engineering into a respected multi-sector contractor with a turnover of £11.2m, delivering projects ranging in value from £50k to £5m across six core sectors: clean and waste water, energy and renewables, industrial and commercial, rivers and waterways, highways and infrastructure, and the public realm.

Askam delivers for a diverse client base including the Environment Agency, local authorities, utilities, universities and private investors, and is proud of its reputation for quality of build, high specification and dedicated customer service. The business self-delivers through a directly employed workforce of over 40 skilled people, supported by an in-house plant department and a fully integrated supply chain, and holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certification alongside CHAS accreditation.

It is a business people stay in: staff turnover is notably low, with many of the team holding 5, 10 and 15+ years' service, and a long-running apprenticeship scheme reflects a genuine commitment to developing its own.

The Role

As Estimator, you will sit at the heart of Askam's work-winning effort, preparing accurate, competitive and deliverable estimates and tender submissions across the full breadth of the company's civils portfolio, from river and flood defence works to highways, wastewater and energy schemes. You will convert drawings and specifications into fully quantified costs, identify and price commercial and technical risk, and work hand-in-hand with the operations and commercial teams to build bids the business can win and deliver profitably.

Because Askam self-delivers with its own labour and plant, this is estimating with real substance: your rates and assumptions will be grounded in genuine site knowledge, tested with the people who will build the job, and reviewed against actual outturn costs. The variety of sectors and project values means no two tenders look the same.

Key Responsibilities

• Review drawings, specifications and tender documents to establish scope, constraints and buildability.
• Produce detailed take-offs and quantity measurement for civils projects across all six of Askam's sectors.
• Build up labour, plant, material and subcontractor cost estimates, drawing on the in-house plant department and direct labour rates.
• Obtain, evaluate and level supplier and subcontractor quotations.
• Develop and maintain estimating templates, rate libraries and pricing databases as company standards.
• Identify commercial and technical risks, propose mitigations and apply contingency where appropriate.
• Prepare bid summaries, pricing schedules and tender return documentation to a standard that reflects Askam's reputation with repeat clients.
• Liaise with project managers and site teams to validate assumptions and inform realistic programmes and resource plans.
• Manage pre-tender queries and tender clarification processes.
• Support post-tender activity including handover to delivery teams, cost reconciliation against outturn, and lessons-learned reviews that sharpen future bids.

Skills & Experience

• Proven estimating experience in civil engineering or heavy civils; exposure to water, environmental, highways or infrastructure work would be a particular advantage.
• Strong quantity take-off and measurement skills.
• Sound knowledge of construction materials, plant, labour rates and the subcontract trades used in civils work.
• Proficiency with estimating software and Microsoft Excel.
• Strong numerical and analytical ability with sharp commercial awareness.
• Excellent attention to detail and the discipline to produce accurate, auditable estimates.
• Clear written and verbal communication, with the ability to prepare professional tender documentation.
• Able to work to deadlines and run multiple tenders concurrently.

Personal Attributes

• Methodical and organised, with strong time management.
• A team player who works naturally with both technical and commercial colleagues.
• Proactive, practical and commercially minded, with the confidence to challenge assumptions and defend a price.

Why Askam

This is a chance to take a central work-winning role in an established, financially sound and genuinely family-run contractor where estimators are close to the work, close to the decision-makers and visible in the outcome of every bid. Long service is the norm here, and the breadth of sectors offers variety that larger, single-discipline estimating desks rarely can.

Application

To apply, please submit your CV and a brief cover letter outlining your relevant estimating experience.