Senior Estimator / Estimator
| Posting date: | 02 December 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | Competitive Salary + Benefits + Car / Car Allowance |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 23 December 2025 |
| Location: | Exeter, Devon |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Blue Octopus Recruitment Limited |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | LOVL198132 |
Summary
Permanent – 37.5 Hours per week
We are now seeking a Senior Estimator to join our South West team in Exeter to produce accurate, timely, and competitive cost estimates that help secure new business and support our continued growth.
Reporting to the Regional Commercial Director, our Senior Estimator will play a pivotal role in safeguarding Lovell’s commercial interests while ensuring our bids stand out for their accuracy, competitiveness, and low-risk profile. You will lead the estimation process for new developments, collaborate closely with internal teams, and mentor junior estimating staff.
You will take ownership of pre-acquisition viabilities and competitive bids, ensuring every submission is thoroughly developed, commercially sound and delivered within tight deadlines. You will interpret bid and contractual documentation carefully, identify risks early and manage them effectively to ensure Lovell enters each opportunity with a strong, well-informed commercial position.
Once a scheme is awarded, you will provide a clear and well-structured handover to post-contract teams to support successful delivery. The role also carries responsibilities under the company’s Health & Safety and Equality & Diversity policies, requiring full compliance and the promotion of safe, fair and respectful working practices.
To succeed in this role, you should bring strong technical knowledge of construction methods, materials, procurement processes and local subcontract markets, along with a solid understanding of contracts and pricing. Experience using Housebuilder and Evaluate estimating systems is valuable, as is proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook. Advanced estimating expertise within the residential construction sector will be a strong advantage.
If you are a detail-oriented, commercially astute estimator looking to take the next step in your career, we would be pleased to hear from you.
Benefits
Bonus entitlement based on performance KPIs
Holidays 26 days
Life Assurance
Pension
Private medical insurance
Ability to purchase additional holiday
Access to discount portal
Cycle to Work scheme and the Lovell Way to EV
Digital GP
Employee assistance programme
Sharesave scheme
As an Investors in People Gold award employer, Lovell is the UK’s leading provider of mixed tenure affordable homes and has a reputation for innovation and excellence in the delivery of high-quality housing development and regeneration projects.
We are committed to enhancing the communities in which we work, building quality homes for real people and looking after our own people; developing talent is key to achieving this. We understand that the success of our organisation comes from the strengths, skills and personalities of our people. Lovell is an equal opportunities employer who encourage and value diversity and inclusion within our teams.
The Lovell culture is one that has been successful for many years. It is based on empowering colleagues to make decisions at a regional and local level, and to challenge the status quo whilst working as one to achieve our goals and make Lovell a great place to work for all.
We are now seeking a Senior Estimator to join our South West team in Exeter to produce accurate, timely, and competitive cost estimates that help secure new business and support our continued growth.
Reporting to the Regional Commercial Director, our Senior Estimator will play a pivotal role in safeguarding Lovell’s commercial interests while ensuring our bids stand out for their accuracy, competitiveness, and low-risk profile. You will lead the estimation process for new developments, collaborate closely with internal teams, and mentor junior estimating staff.
You will take ownership of pre-acquisition viabilities and competitive bids, ensuring every submission is thoroughly developed, commercially sound and delivered within tight deadlines. You will interpret bid and contractual documentation carefully, identify risks early and manage them effectively to ensure Lovell enters each opportunity with a strong, well-informed commercial position.
Once a scheme is awarded, you will provide a clear and well-structured handover to post-contract teams to support successful delivery. The role also carries responsibilities under the company’s Health & Safety and Equality & Diversity policies, requiring full compliance and the promotion of safe, fair and respectful working practices.
To succeed in this role, you should bring strong technical knowledge of construction methods, materials, procurement processes and local subcontract markets, along with a solid understanding of contracts and pricing. Experience using Housebuilder and Evaluate estimating systems is valuable, as is proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook. Advanced estimating expertise within the residential construction sector will be a strong advantage.
If you are a detail-oriented, commercially astute estimator looking to take the next step in your career, we would be pleased to hear from you.
Benefits
Bonus entitlement based on performance KPIs
Holidays 26 days
Life Assurance
Pension
Private medical insurance
Ability to purchase additional holiday
Access to discount portal
Cycle to Work scheme and the Lovell Way to EV
Digital GP
Employee assistance programme
Sharesave scheme
As an Investors in People Gold award employer, Lovell is the UK’s leading provider of mixed tenure affordable homes and has a reputation for innovation and excellence in the delivery of high-quality housing development and regeneration projects.
We are committed to enhancing the communities in which we work, building quality homes for real people and looking after our own people; developing talent is key to achieving this. We understand that the success of our organisation comes from the strengths, skills and personalities of our people. Lovell is an equal opportunities employer who encourage and value diversity and inclusion within our teams.
The Lovell culture is one that has been successful for many years. It is based on empowering colleagues to make decisions at a regional and local level, and to challenge the status quo whilst working as one to achieve our goals and make Lovell a great place to work for all.