Senior Cost Manager

At A Glance

Salary range - £57,100.00 - £90,000.00 

Contract type - Permanent

Location - This role will be based at either our Head Office in Pimlico, London or Head Office in Bracknell, Berkshire, with occasional travel to other partnership locations. The Head Office location will be agreed with the candidate

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity to join our Property Cost Management Team at the John Lewis Partnership, in a newly created role as Senior Cost Manager.

As Senior Cost Manager, you will work closely with the John Lewis Partnership Cost Management Team, supporting with establishing cost models, benchmarks, and procurement strategies, that ensures value for money and financial viability. You must be a subject matter expert, engaging with external consultants and supply chain partners while overseeing commercial risk, contractual claims, and payment audits.

Beyond technical delivery, you are responsible for leading and developing a team of Quantity Surveyors and administrative staff to drive overall performance and effectiveness. Ensure service level agreements for third party cost management practices, cost tracking actuals and forecast expenditure against budgets and approvals.

As a key point of contact for our suppliers, support with validating our market tendering activity. We’re looking for you to have experience of driving value, implementing cost saving initiatives and also reviewing the return on investment from our tender results.

You will work collaboratively with cross functional teams, understanding design, scope and support with feasibility studies. Whilst being comfortable working with some ambiguity at times.

This role offers a flexible, blended working environment within a culture that prioritizes professional growth and inclusion.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial & Financial Control

• Value Engineering: Drive a "Cost-out" culture through rigorous benchmarking, value engineering, and final account accuracy.

• Contract Management: Provide strategic oversight of JCT/NEC contract selection, negotiation, and supply chain performance.

• Executive Reporting: Deliver high-level financial reporting and forecasting to demonstrate programme performance against KPIs.

• Net Zero Commitment: Solutions and sustainable design to support the 2035 Net Zero operational target.

Leadership & People

• Team Development: Lead and mentor a multi-disciplinary team of external QS’s as well as part/some internal Team Management responsibility.

• Stakeholder Management: Influence and collaborate with senior stakeholders to develop procurement strategies, ensure programme buy-in and operational success.

Essential skills:

• Desired - MRICS / MCIOB or Degree qualified (or equivalent) in Project Management, Engineering, Quantity Surveying / Commercial management.

• Strong knowledge of construction methodologies, the development process and the built environment including traditional and emerging techniques. 

• Highly knowledgeable in construction and engineering services project procurement and execution.

• High competency in risk management and communication at all levels.

• Expert Excel capabilities paired with a high degree of IT literacy

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.  

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview. 

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