Construction & Infrastructure

A Quantity Surveyor manages the financial and contractual aspects of construction and infrastructure projects, ensuring that works are delivered on budget and that costs are accurately forecast, measured, and controlled throughout the project lifecycle. Day-to-day work involves preparing bills of quantities and cost estimates at the design stage, procuring subcontractors and materials, managing interim payment applications and valuations, assessing variations and change orders, handling contractual claims, and producing cost reports for clients and project managers. The role spans the full construction lifecycle from feasibility through to final account, and sits at the boundary between technical construction knowledge, commercial negotiation, and financial management. Quantity Surveyors work in two main contexts: as client-side (employer's) QS roles overseeing costs on behalf of the organisation funding a project, and as contractor-side QS roles managing costs and income for the company building it. Both require the same core skills but involve different commercial objectives. The profession is large and broad — construction, civil engineering, housing, rail, utilities, and facilities management all employ QS professionals. The UK construction sector faces significant demand for QS skills, driven by housebuilding programmes, infrastructure investment through projects like HS2 and the Lower Thames Crossing, and the ongoing need for schools, hospitals, and commercial development.

A BIM (Building Information Modelling) Coordinator manages the digital information processes on a construction or infrastructure project, ensuring that all design and construction data is produced, shared, and managed in accordance with BIM standards and the project's Employer Information Requirements. Day-to-day work involves setting up and maintaining the Common Data Environment (CDE) — the digital platform used to manage project information — coordinating model submissions from designers and contractors, running clash detection between discipline models, quality-checking information against the BIM Execution Plan, producing federated models for client review, and training project teams on BIM processes and tools. The role sits at the intersection of digital technology, construction process, and information management. BIM Coordinator roles exist on major construction and infrastructure projects across the public and private sector. Since the UK government mandated BIM Level 2 compliance for all centrally procured public projects in 2016, BIM has become standard practice on large projects. Infrastructure projects including HS2, Highways England schemes, and large NHS estate programmes have pioneered BIM adoption. Private sector clients in commercial development, residential, and industrial construction have followed. The role is increasingly important as clients demand higher levels of digital information for asset management, operation, and maintenance — the O&M data delivered at project handover becomes the foundation for the facility's digital twin throughout its operational life.

An Infrastructure Project Coordinator supports the planning, management, and delivery of infrastructure construction and engineering projects — roads, railways, utilities, energy networks, water systems, and public buildings. Day-to-day work involves maintaining project programmes, tracking action logs, preparing progress reports for clients and senior management, coordinating between design teams, contractors, and stakeholders, managing document control, supporting procurement and contract administration, arranging site access and resource logistics, and monitoring project costs against budget. The role is the operational backbone of a project team — making sure information flows, deadlines are tracked, and the project manager has the data and organisation needed to make decisions. Infrastructure Project Coordinator roles exist across the full spectrum of UK infrastructure delivery: Tier 1 main contractors, specialist subcontractors, engineering consultancies, government departments, infrastructure asset owners (National Highways, Network Rail, water companies, local authorities), and project management consultancies. The function is the standard entry point for graduates and career changers into infrastructure project management, providing broad exposure to the full project lifecycle. The UK's National Infrastructure Strategy — with committed investment across transport, energy, water, and digital infrastructure — and major programmes including HS2, the Lower Thames Crossing, and the offshore wind expansion create sustained demand for project coordinators with the right combination of technical awareness and delivery discipline.