Quantity Surveyor

Job summary

We’re looking for an exceptional Quantity Surveyor to help us make a difference to our planet.

As our Quantity Surveyor, the job may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in the office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and the location advertised will be your contractual place of work.

Our opportunity is full time, 37 hours per week, but we would also consider applicants wishing to work a minimum of 34 hours per week and we will also try our best to consider those intending to work a job share. Our people are at the heart of what we do and we'll do our best to agree a working pattern that works for everyone.

World changing work

From science to technology, from meteorology to management, and from planning to communication, our expertise helps us stand out as the authority on weather accuracy and climate prediction. We help individuals, industries and government to make better decisions to stay safe and thrive. This is the Met Office. This is who we are.

• We’re a force for good - focusing on our environmental and social impact
• We’re experts by nature - always learning and developing to do things better
• We live and breathe it - putting our purpose at the heart of decision-making
• We’re better together - understanding partnerships and inclusivity make us greater
• We keep evolving - pushing boundaries to make tomorrow better for our customers

Job description

You will provide accountable technical expertise across the Met Office estate, including Exeter HQ and frontline sites. The post holder acts as a competent professional, trusted adviser and intelligent client, supporting effective property decisions by ensuring that works and maintenance activity outside standard Facilities Management contract scope are safe, compliant, affordable, sustainable and aligned with operational needs.

The role may cover disciplines including building services, electrical or mechanical engineering, building or quantity surveying, and construction-focused project management where this sits outside, but supports, the Portfolio Management delivery model.

The post can be configured to meet portfolio demand as a Building Services Engineer, Building Surveyor or Quantity Surveyor, with the same core accountabilities adapted to the successful candidate’s professional discipline.

Your key duties:

• Accountable for technical advice and assurance across building fabric, M&E services, surveys, specifications, cost plans and contractor proposals. Interpret and apply legislation, CDM, building regulations, asbestos, fire and health and safety requirements, escalating material risks and maintaining auditable records.
• Lead condition surveys, lifecycle assessments and prioritised maintenance plans for Exeter HQ and frontline sites. Translate asset data, defects, inspection findings and operational need into planned preventative maintenance, repair programmes and investment recommendations.
• Define technical requirements, prepare/review scopes, drawings, specifications, bills of quantities and tender information. Support feasibility, design, delivery, handover and post-occupancy learning for refurbishments, maintenance projects and minor works. Good understanding of the RIBA project stages, appropriate forms of contract (JCT/NEC3 / NEC4) for delivery, and the specific Client and Contractor duties within.
• Provide cost, value for money and contract input to property works and FM activity. Support procurement, tender evaluation, cost estimates, valuations, change control, final accounts and supplier performance management, working closely with Commercial colleagues. As the trusted advisor, determine when the appropriate external professional support is required (architect/ designer/ PM / QS / engineer)
• Act as a trusted technical adviser to Property Management, FM, Projects, Health and Safety, Security, Sustainability and operational customers. Provide concise reports, risk updates and recommendations; maintain asset/compliance information; identify opportunities for sustainability, resilience and service improvement.

Person specification

Essential Criteria, skills and experience:

1. Qualifications: Professional membership of RICS or AssocRICS; working towards professional membership or equivalent property-related qualification (Experts by nature)
2. Property Expertise: Property management experience including the ability to manage complex building and engineering systems, exercise sound professional judgement and take ownership of decisions at the right level (Keep evolving)
3. Customer and Client Care: Strong customer and client focus, with ability to assess needs, anaylse requirements and use this insight to support clear, balanced and effective decision-making
4. Stakeholder Engagement: Effective stakeholder management skills with the ability to communicate technical and complex property matters clearly, particularly where there are risks to delivery, cost, compliance, or operational performance (Better together)
5. Analytical Decision-Making: Strong analytical skills, with ability to interpret large or complex data sets and translate them into meaningful insight that supports strategic and operational decision-making.(Live and breath it)
6. Commercial Acumen: Ability to work effectively with colleagues, suppliers and third party organisations to improve operational and financial performance and deliver best value for money for government

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £43,081, Met Office contributes £12,480 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Our work is life-changing, often life-saving and always life-enhancing. The Met Office is Great Place to Work UK certified. We are also featured on their ‘Best Workplaces in Tech’ 2023, 2024 and 2025 lists, as well as their ’54 Best Workplaces for Women’ 2023 list.

As our Quantity Surveyor, your total reward package will be up to £63,868 annually, which includes:

• £43,081 base pay
• An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Recruitment Retention Allowance (RRA) you will be paid £3,600 per annum as a market supplement to reflect the demand for your skills. Whilst in post, you will be paid this market driven allowance from April 2026 until March 2027 in your monthly pay
• Annual Leave starting at 27.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising to 32.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) after 5 years and option to buy or sell up to 5 days per year of annual leave

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

If you share our values, we’d love to hear from you! Click apply to begin your application. Please complete your career history and provide evidence against each of the essential criteria in the supporting statement questionnaire. We recommend candidates use the CARL method (Context, Action, Result and Learning) for presenting evidence of experience and skills.

Closing date 18/10/2026 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 9th November 2026. You will hear from us once the closing date has passed.

For further information on all our vacancies in Property Management please check out our prospectus here.

Using AI in your application

We welcome applications that use AI tools for support in drafting or refining, as long as they accurately reflect your own skills and experience. All hiring decisions at the Met Office are made by people, not AI. For more details, visit our approach to recruitment.

How we can help

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact us at careers@metoffice.gov.uk.

If you’re considering applying and need support to do so, please get in touch. You can request adjustments either within your application or by contacting us. Should you be offered an interview, please be aware there may be a selection exercise which could include a presentation, written test or a scenario-based activity. You can select in your application to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme. To be invited to interview/assessment under this scheme, your application must meet the essential criteria for the role.

We understand that great minds don’t always think alike and as an equal opportunities employer we welcome applications from those with all protected characteristics. We recruit on merit, fairness, and open competition in line with the Civil Service Code.

We can only accept applications from those eligible to live and work in the UK - please refer to GOV.UK for information. We require Security clearance, for which you need to have resided in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years to be eligible, 2 of these years must be immediately preceding the point of your application. You will need to achieve full security clearance within your first 6 months with us.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : careers@metoffice.gov.uk
• Email : careers@metoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : careers@metoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact us at: careers@metoffice.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: info@csc.gov.uk

https://careers.metoffice.gov.uk/key-roles-met-office/professional-services