Senior Quantity Surveyor

Role Summary

The Senior Quantity Surveyor is responsible for the commercial and contractual management of MEP works associated with Advanced Technology Facilities (ATF), semiconductor, cleanroom, manufacturing, and other high-technology construction projects.

The role requires strong commercial knowledge of Mechanical, Electrical and Process-related construction works, including the management of subcontractors, variations, payment certification, cost forecasting, claims assessment, final accounts and contractual correspondence.

The Senior Quantity Surveyor shall work closely with the Project Manager, Construction Managers, Engineers/Work Package Owners, Procurement Team and Commercial/Contracts Management to ensure that project costs, contractual entitlements, variations and subcontract liabilities are properly controlled, assessed and administered throughout the project lifecycle.

Key Competencies

1. Cost Management, Budgeting and Forecasting

• Prepare, maintain and regularly update project cost forecasts and payment forecasts for assigned MEP packages.
• Prepare monthly and periodic forecasts of anticipated subcontractor payments and project expenditure.
• Monitor committed costs, actual costs, accruals, pending variations and forecast costs to complete.
• Identify potential cost overruns, savings opportunities and commercial risks at an early stage.
• Prepare cost-to-complete assessments for individual MEP packages.
• Support preparation of project cash-flow and monthly financial reporting.
• Maintain accurate records of approved, pending and potential variations and their impact on the project forecast.
• Provide commercial input into FFC (Forecast Final Cost) for each assigned package.

2. Variation Assessment and Variation Order Preparation

• Manage the commercial administration of variations arising from design development, site instructions, field instructions, changes in scope, client requirements and construction conditions.
• Review subcontractors variation submissions to determine contractual entitlement before proceeding with detailed commercial assessment.
• Review the relevant subcontract provisions, drawings, specifications, BOQ, scope of work, instructions and other contractual documents when determining entitlement.
• Assess whether the works constitute a genuine variation, are included within the original scope, or arise from the subcontractor's own obligations.
• Review and validate quantities, build-ups, labour productivity, material costs, equipment costs and other resources included in variation submissions.
• Conduct detailed rate reviews, including assessment against contract or BOQ rates, similar or analogous rates, agreed schedule of rates, supplier or subcontractor quotations, market rates, first-principle cost build-ups, and applicable contractual valuation principles.
• Negotiate variation values with subcontractors and recommend commercially reasonable settlements.
• Prepare formal Variation Orders (VOs) and supporting commercial evaluation documentation.
• Maintain comprehensive Variation Order registers and track variation status from initial notification through assessment, negotiation, approval and final incorporation into the subcontract value.
• Ensure variations are assessed promptly to minimise accumulation of unresolved commercial matters.

3. Subcontractor Payment Certification

• Review subcontractors monthly progress claims and payment applications.
• Verify claimed progress against actual physical progress at site and supporting documentation.
• Liaise with Project Managers, Engineers, Construction Managers and Site Supervisors to validate percentage completion and quantities installed.
• Assess completed works, approved variations, materials on site, retention, backcharges, contra-charges and other applicable adjustments.
• Prepare and issue recommendations for payment certification in accordance with subcontract terms and project procedures.
• Ensure payments are certified only for properly completed and substantiated works.
• Maintain accurate records of certified values, previous payments, retention amounts and outstanding balances.
• Prepare payment reconciliation and subcontract payment status reports.
• Assist in resolving payment-related disputes and discrepancies with subcontractors.

4. Assessment of Subcontractors Claims

• Review, evaluate and respond to contractual and commercial claims submitted by subcontractors.
• Assess the contractual basis and entitlement of claims including additional works, prolongation, disruption, loss of productivity, acceleration, changes in sequence, standby, additional manpower, access restrictions, rework, design changes and other project-related claims.
• Verify whether proper contractual notices and supporting records have been submitted.
• Review contemporaneous project records, manpower records, progress reports, site instructions, correspondence, schedules and other supporting documents.
• Assess the cause-and-effect relationship between the alleged event and claimed cost.
• Review quantum and challenge unsupported labour, material, plant, productivity and overhead components.
• Identify possible duplication between variations, claims and base subcontract scope.
• Prepare commercial assessments and recommendations for acceptance, partial acceptance or rejection of subcontractor claims.
• Support the Commercial/Contracts Manager in claim negotiations and dispute resolution.

5. Commercial Management of MEP Works

The Senior Quantity Surveyor shall have strong experience in the commercial aspects of MEP construction, preferably within semiconductor, cleanroom, data centre, pharmaceutical, advanced manufacturing or other high-technology facilities.

The candidate should have commercial exposure to packages such as:

• Mechanical HVAC systems;
• Chilled Water Systems;
• Process Cooling Water;
• Exhaust systems;
• Cleanroom HVAC;
• AHU, MAU and FCU systems;
• Ductwork and piping;
• Electrical LV/MV systems;
• Switchgear, transformers and distribution systems;
• Cable containment and cabling;
• UPS and emergency power systems;
• Fire alarm systems;
• Fire protection and sprinkler systems;
• Building Management Systems (BMS);
• Facility Management Control Systems (FMCS);
• Instrumentation and controls;
• Process utilities;
• Compressed air;
• Specialty gases;
• Chemical systems;
• Plumbing and sanitary systems;
• Testing and commissioning; and
• Associated builders works and MEP interface works.

Responsibilities include:

• Understanding MEP scope boundaries and interfaces between different subcontract packages.
• Identifying potential scope gaps, overlaps and duplication between subcontractors.
• Commercially assessing technical changes and construction modifications.
• Reviewing drawings, specifications, BOQs and subcontract scopes from a commercial perspective.
• Working closely with engineering teams to establish the commercial implications of design changes.
• Reviewing procurement packages, subcontract tenders and commercial comparisons when required.
• Supporting commercial negotiations during subcontract award and post-award administration.

6. Final Account Preparation and Closure

• Lead and coordinate the preparation and settlement of subcontractor final accounts.
• Review the original subcontract value and reconcile approved variations, pending variations, omissions, claims, backcharges, contra-charges, retention, provisional sums, dayworks, materials reconciliation and other contractual adjustments.
• Ensure all outstanding commercial matters are identified and resolved before final account settlement.
• Prepare final account reconciliation statements.
• Negotiate final account values with subcontractors.
• Ensure all necessary supporting documentation and commercial approvals are obtained.
• Prepare final settlement recommendations for management approval.
• Ensure outstanding variations and claims are appropriately closed before issuance of final account agreements.
• Maintain proper commercial close-out records for audit and future reference.

7. Contractual Correspondence

• Draft formal commercial and contractual letters to subcontractors.
• Prepare correspondence relating to variations, payment matters, claims, notices, outstanding submissions, failure to provide substantiation, scope responsibilities, delay-related commercial matters, backcharges, contra-charges, final accounts and other contractual obligations.
• Ensure correspondence clearly protects the Company's contractual and commercial position.
• Review subcontractor letters and prepare appropriate commercial responses.
• Maintain accurate correspondence and contractual records.
• Coordinate with the Contracts Manager, Commercial Manager and Project Management Team before issuing commercially or contractually significant correspondence.

General Competencies

Subcontract Commercial Administration

• Administer assigned subcontract packages from award through final account closure.
• Maintain subcontract commercial registers including Subcontract Value Register, Variation Register, Payment Register, Claims Register, Backcharge Register, Commercial Risk Register and Final Account Status Register.
• Monitor subcontractors compliance with contractual commercial requirements.
• Ensure subcontract documents, bonds, insurances, warranties and other contractual requirements are commercially tracked where applicable.
• Participate in subcontractor commercial meetings and negotiations.
• Prepare meeting records and follow-up commercial action items.

Commercial Reporting

• Provide regular update in FFC for management which include the current subcontract value, approved variations, pending variations, potential variations, claims exposure, payment status, cost to complete, forecast final subcontract value, commercial risks and opportunities, and final account status.
• Highlight significant commercial issues requiring management attention.
• Support monthly project cost reviews and commercial review meetings.

Contract and Risk Management

• Understand and administer the relevant terms and conditions of subcontracts.
• Identify potential commercial and contractual risks arising from project execution.
• Ensure contractual notice requirements and timeframes are monitored.
• Assist in protecting the Company's contractual entitlements and limiting exposure to unsubstantiated subcontractor claims.
• Maintain adequate contemporaneous records to support the Company's commercial position.
• Escalate significant commercial risks to the Commercial Manager / Contracts Manager.

Internal Coordination

Work closely with:

• Commercial Manager / Contracts Manager;
• Project Manager;
• Construction Manager;
• MEP Managers;
• Engineering Team;
• Planning / Scheduling Team;
• Procurement Team;
• Cost Control Team;
• Finance Team;
• QA/QC Team; and
• Testing & Commissioning Team.

The Senior Quantity Surveyor is expected to translate technical and construction issues into their corresponding contractual and commercial implications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Commercial Management, Engineering or equivalent.
• Strong knowledge of quantity surveying, cost management and subcontract administration.

Experience

• Preferably 8–12 years of relevant Quantity Surveying / Commercial experience, with significant experience managing MEP construction packages.
• Previous experience working on semiconductor, ATF, cleanroom, data centre, pharmaceutical, advanced manufacturing or high-technology projects is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrable experience in cost forecasting, payment forecasting, variation assessment, contractual entitlement review, rate assessment and negotiation, preparation of Variation Orders, subcontractor payment certification, claims assessment, MEP commercial management, contractual correspondence, and final account preparation and settlement.
• Experience handling multiple MEP subcontract packages simultaneously.
• Experience working on large-scale and fast-track construction projects would be advantageous.