To proceed with your application, you should first generate an intent code by following the link provided to our external partner.
You will be given the opportunity to learn more about Costain, the roles and programmes available. From here you will be directed to a few quick questions designed to help you determine if the role and the company is right for you.
Please ensure that you complete this step to obtain the code required for your application form as applications without a code will not be processed.
About the Role
The role of Graduate Quantity Surveyor is to assist in administration and management of costs and contracts relating to projects. The role may involve all aspects of work from the initial tender to final account and close out, seeking to minimise the costs and enhance value for money whilst achieving the required standards and quality. This role will work under the close direction and supervision of a more senior quantity surveyor.
About the Project
Costain has won extensive work across the water sector to support the AMP 8 investment cycle. We have been appointed by Northumbrian Water to the Living Water Enterprise to help shape and deliver its strategic infrastructure upgrade programme with contracts valued up to approximately £670m to Costain over 15 years.
Graduate Development Programme
By joining our 2-year Graduate programme, you'll get the best of both worlds—great technical development and exciting opportunities to grow your personal confidence and leadership skills. You’ll be working alongside your team to deliver standout, best-in-class projects across the infrastructure sector, all while learning and building your career step by step.
The Graduate Development Programme (GDP) is also a fantastic chance to meet and network with other graduates joining us at the same time. You’ll connect with people across different projects and disciplines throughout the UK, creating a supportive community from day one. Throughout the 2 years, you’ll come together both in person and virtually to take part in engaging modules and activities such as “Growing your Career,” “Costain In Action,” and “Group Coaching.” These sessions are designed to inspire you, challenge you in the best way, and help you get the most out of your programme.
Your line manager will be fully on hand to support your learning, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to talk through how you can put what you’re learning into your everyday work.
We also strongly recommend getting involved with our Graduate and Apprentice network (GRaAPs). It’s a brilliant way to meet other Early Careers members, discover what’s happening across different teams and projects, and explore areas of the business that genuinely interest you—helping you shape your future learning and direction.
And as a graduate, you’ll have the chance to help influence and shape future recruitment programmes and early careers opportunities—making a real difference to what comes next for future intakes.
Key Responsibilities
- Prepare enquiries, analyse tenders, negotiate, and manage allocated accounts including orders, payments & final accounts, and close outs in accordance with customer or company procedures.
- Assist in the preparation and agreement of applications for payment or the assessment & preparation of payment certificates.
- Play a key role in capturing, managing, and communicating change and risk on the project in accordance with the Contract.
- Assist in the preparation of the Project Control Reporting including project cost & value/EVA reports, budgets, and forecasts.
- Report to Line Management when contractual notices and correspondence with both customer and sub-contractors are required in accordance with the Contract.
- Assisting with the reporting of the Project Budget/Cost Report.
- Undertake record-keeping including but not limited to collating site records, the preparation of meeting packs, meeting invites, and taking meeting minutes.
- Carry out supply chain performance reviews on allocated packages.
- Contribute to Value management/value engineering.
- Understanding the implications of health and safety regulations.
- Ensure all health, safety and environmental risk situations are brought to the attention of Contract Leader/Project Manager.
Knowledge, Skills, and Experience
Essential
- Be proactive in self-development and professional qualification.
- Understanding or experience of business systems, spreadsheet development, cost analysis, programme evaluation and development, compensation event and/or variations assessment and evaluation.
- Increasing knowledge of a variety of forms & options of contracts.
- Have experience or appreciation of the risk management process for both schedule and cost and the use of Earned Value Management.
Desirable
- Have experience or appreciation of company policies, procedures & controls, operating office management systems including filing systems and document control and distribution.
- Assist in the drafting of contractual correspondence on behalf of the project and project manager.
Qualifications
Essential
- Holds an RICS/CICES accredited degree, or enrolled on an accredited part-time postgraduate degree with relevant experience.
Desirable
- Enrolled and working towards Full Membership of either RICS or CICES.
About Us
Costain helps to improve people’s lives with integrated, leading edge, smart infrastructure solutions across the UK's energy, water, transportation and defence markets. We help our clients improve their business performance by increasing capacity, improving customer service, safeguarding security, enhancing resilience, decarbonising and delivering increased efficiency. Our vision is to be the UK’s leading smart infrastructure solutions company. We will achieve this by focusing on blue chip clients whose major spending plans are underpinned by strategic national needs, regulatory commitments, legislation or essential performance requirements. We offer our clients leading edge solutions that are digitally optimised through the following five services which cover the whole lifecycle of their assets: future-shaping strategic consultancy; consultancy and advisory; digital technology solutions; asset optimisation and complex programme delivery. Our culture and values underpin everything we do.
Costain appreciates the time and effort taken when applying for one of our positions but, due to the high volume of responses, we are unable to provide individual feedback on candidates at application phase.
We do share individual feedback following an interview.
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that discloses they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer.
It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people.
Sectors
Locations
Related jobs
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Building Surveying Graduate - Exeter (September 2027 Start)
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Building Surveying Graduate - Bristol (September 2027 Start)
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Quantity Surveying Graduate Programme
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Sectors
Locations
To proceed with your application, you should first generate an intent code by following the link provided to our external partner.
You will be given the opportunity to learn more about Costain, the roles and programmes available. From here you will be directed to a few quick questions designed to help you determine if the role and the company is right for you.
Please ensure that you complete this step to obtain the code required for your application form as applications without a code will not be processed.
About the Role
The role of Graduate Quantity Surveyor is to assist in administration and management of costs and contracts relating to projects. The role may involve all aspects of work from the initial tender to final account and close out, seeking to minimise the costs and enhance value for money whilst achieving the required standards and quality. This role will work under the close direction and supervision of a more senior quantity surveyor.
About the Project
Costain has won extensive work across the water sector to support the AMP 8 investment cycle. We have been appointed by Northumbrian Water to the Living Water Enterprise to help shape and deliver its strategic infrastructure upgrade programme with contracts valued up to approximately £670m to Costain over 15 years.
Graduate Development Programme
By joining our 2-year Graduate programme, you'll get the best of both worlds—great technical development and exciting opportunities to grow your personal confidence and leadership skills. You’ll be working alongside your team to deliver standout, best-in-class projects across the infrastructure sector, all while learning and building your career step by step.
The Graduate Development Programme (GDP) is also a fantastic chance to meet and network with other graduates joining us at the same time. You’ll connect with people across different projects and disciplines throughout the UK, creating a supportive community from day one. Throughout the 2 years, you’ll come together both in person and virtually to take part in engaging modules and activities such as “Growing your Career,” “Costain In Action,” and “Group Coaching.” These sessions are designed to inspire you, challenge you in the best way, and help you get the most out of your programme.
Your line manager will be fully on hand to support your learning, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to talk through how you can put what you’re learning into your everyday work.
We also strongly recommend getting involved with our Graduate and Apprentice network (GRaAPs). It’s a brilliant way to meet other Early Careers members, discover what’s happening across different teams and projects, and explore areas of the business that genuinely interest you—helping you shape your future learning and direction.
And as a graduate, you’ll have the chance to help influence and shape future recruitment programmes and early careers opportunities—making a real difference to what comes next for future intakes.
Key Responsibilities
- Prepare enquiries, analyse tenders, negotiate, and manage allocated accounts including orders, payments & final accounts, and close outs in accordance with customer or company procedures.
- Assist in the preparation and agreement of applications for payment or the assessment & preparation of payment certificates.
- Play a key role in capturing, managing, and communicating change and risk on the project in accordance with the Contract.
- Assist in the preparation of the Project Control Reporting including project cost & value/EVA reports, budgets, and forecasts.
- Report to Line Management when contractual notices and correspondence with both customer and sub-contractors are required in accordance with the Contract.
- Assisting with the reporting of the Project Budget/Cost Report.
- Undertake record-keeping including but not limited to collating site records, the preparation of meeting packs, meeting invites, and taking meeting minutes.
- Carry out supply chain performance reviews on allocated packages.
- Contribute to Value management/value engineering.
- Understanding the implications of health and safety regulations.
- Ensure all health, safety and environmental risk situations are brought to the attention of Contract Leader/Project Manager.
Knowledge, Skills, and Experience
Essential
- Be proactive in self-development and professional qualification.
- Understanding or experience of business systems, spreadsheet development, cost analysis, programme evaluation and development, compensation event and/or variations assessment and evaluation.
- Increasing knowledge of a variety of forms & options of contracts.
- Have experience or appreciation of the risk management process for both schedule and cost and the use of Earned Value Management.
Desirable
- Have experience or appreciation of company policies, procedures & controls, operating office management systems including filing systems and document control and distribution.
- Assist in the drafting of contractual correspondence on behalf of the project and project manager.
Qualifications
Essential
- Holds an RICS/CICES accredited degree, or enrolled on an accredited part-time postgraduate degree with relevant experience.
Desirable
- Enrolled and working towards Full Membership of either RICS or CICES.
About Us
Costain helps to improve people’s lives with integrated, leading edge, smart infrastructure solutions across the UK's energy, water, transportation and defence markets. We help our clients improve their business performance by increasing capacity, improving customer service, safeguarding security, enhancing resilience, decarbonising and delivering increased efficiency. Our vision is to be the UK’s leading smart infrastructure solutions company. We will achieve this by focusing on blue chip clients whose major spending plans are underpinned by strategic national needs, regulatory commitments, legislation or essential performance requirements. We offer our clients leading edge solutions that are digitally optimised through the following five services which cover the whole lifecycle of their assets: future-shaping strategic consultancy; consultancy and advisory; digital technology solutions; asset optimisation and complex programme delivery. Our culture and values underpin everything we do.
Costain appreciates the time and effort taken when applying for one of our positions but, due to the high volume of responses, we are unable to provide individual feedback on candidates at application phase.
We do share individual feedback following an interview.
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that discloses they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer.
It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people.
Related jobs
Building Surveying Graduate - London (September 2027 Start)
London
£33,000
Building Surveying Graduate - Exeter (September 2027 Start)
Exeter
£29,000
Building Surveying Graduate - Bristol (September 2027 Start)
Bristol
£29,000
Quantity Surveying Graduate Programme
Plymouth
£35,000
