Cost Manager

Your opportunity

Are you an experienced Cost Manager looking to make a real impact within the UK's infrastructure sector? We are expanding our commercial team and are seeking Cost Managers to support the delivery of major infrastructure programmes, with a particular focus on the Water and Environment sector.

We're looking for professionals who thrive in a collaborative, outcome-focused environment and enjoy working closely with clients, consultants and contractors to deliver successful project outcomes. This opportunity is ideal for someone who wants to be part of a growing team, contribute to shaping our future success, and work on projects that make a positive difference to communities and the environment.

The roles can be based from any of our offices in: Cardiff, Bristol, London, Winchester, Reading, Oxford, Cheltenham, Cambridge, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester or Newcastle.

What you need to do to be effective in this role

• Work collaboratively within integrated project teams alongside clients, contractors and multidisciplinary consultants.
• Lead and support cost management activities across the full project lifecycle.
• Prepare and manage cost plans, estimates and benchmarks, applying whole-life costing principles where appropriate.
• Administer NEC3/NEC4 contracts, supporting both pre-contract and post-contract commercial activities.
• Support the management of payment applications, cost control, forecasting, change management, risk and value management processes.
• Assist project teams in managing early warnings, compensation events and commercial risk.
• Provide data-driven cost and commercial insight to support informed decision-making.
• Produce high-quality commercial reporting, including performance metrics, earned value management (EVM) and outturn cost analysis.
• Identify opportunities to improve value, optimise costs and enhance commercial outcomes for clients.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients and industry stakeholders.
• Support business growth through networking, market engagement and identifying new opportunities.
• Contribute positively to a collaborative team environment and support the development of colleagues.

Skills and experience you need to have for this role

• Infrastructure experience, specific focus on Water and Environment background (this is essential), other sectors are also desirable (energy, transport, defence).
• Strong cost management experience across major infrastructure programmes.
• Degree qualified in Quantity Surveying, Commercial Management, Construction Management, or a related discipline.
• Candidates will be associate or full members of RICS (or an appropriate professional institution) or be committed to obtaining chartered status.
• Have both site and office-based experience on a variety of infrastructure projects.
• Successful applicants will have a background on pre and post contractual administration of the NEC3/NEC4 forms of contract. NEC Accredited is desired but not essential.
• Be collaborative, with a can-do, problem-solving attitude.
• The aspiration to join a growing team where the prospect of contributing to something new excites you.
• Have an understanding and have used cost software including, but not limited to CostX, CEMAR etc.
• Have an understanding of the Construction Playbook, Value Toolkit, Project 13 and Public Procurement regulations.

About us

We are Ridge, a Built Environment Consultancy. We help our clients transform the quality and sustainability of the built environment.

Our 1,400+ people bring a vast range of skills, delivering a professional mindset, gritty discipline and a genuine passion to every one of the thousands of projects they undertake each year. They're the foundation of our success - they drive our vision, embody our values and separate us from the competition.

Come and join us if you're hungry to be part of an exceptional team - if you put quality first - if you're motivated by ingenuity and if you're always aspiring to be the very best.