Quantity Surveyor (Landscaping)

Role purpose

The Quantity Surveyor owns the commercial side of our landscaping work in Dubai: pricing and preparing tenders and producing accurate payment applications and payment certificates for hardscape and softscape installation and maintenance contracts. The role protects margin by pricing correctly at bid stage and getting every completed quantity and approved variation paid on time.

• Department: Operation & Projects
• Location: Dubai, UAE
• Reports to: Head of Projects
• Employment type: Full time

1. Tendering and pricing

The QS leads the commercial build-up of every bid, from enquiry review to submission.

• Review tender documents, drawings, specifications and BOQs, and flag scope gaps, exclusions and risks before pricing.
• Carry out quantity takeoffs for hardscape (paving, kerbs, retaining walls, water features, pergolas, furniture, lighting, irrigation) and softscape (trees, palms, shrubs, groundcover, turf, soil, mulch, irrigation).
• Build and maintain a current rate database for materials, plants, labour, plant and equipment, and subcontract packages.
• Request, chase and compare supplier and subcontractor quotations, and prepare written price comparisons for approval.
• Price installation works and recurring maintenance scopes, including manpower, consumables, replacement planting and seasonal adjustments.
• Prepare tender pricing summaries, preliminaries, overheads, margin and risk allowances for management review.
• Compile commercial submissions: priced BOQ, clarifications, qualifications, programme inputs, and bond or insurance requirements.
• Track bid status, win or loss reasons and actual rates achieved, to improve future pricing.
• Prepare post-tender negotiation positions and value engineering options.

2. Payment applications and certificates

• The QS prepares our interim and final payment applications to clients and main contractors, and certifies payments due to our own subcontractors and suppliers.

3. Payment applications to clients (receivables)

• Prepare monthly interim payment applications from measured site progress, supported by quantities, measurement sheets, photos and approved inspection requests.
• Reconcile applications against the contract BOQ, approved variations, materials on site, advance payment recovery and retention.
• Apply contract terms correctly: retention percentage and release, advance payment, VAT at the applicable UAE rate, back charges and liquidated damages.
• Submit applications within the contract cut-off dates, follow up consultant and client valuations, and resolve differences quickly.
• Maintain a payment tracker showing amounts applied for, certified, invoiced, received and outstanding.

4. Payment certificates to subcontractors and suppliers (payables)

• Measure and value subcontractor work, and prepare payment certificates net of retention, advances, recoveries and back charges.
• Check supplier invoices against purchase orders and delivery notes before payment approval.
• Maintain subcontractor ledgers and agreed final account positions.

5. Cost control and contract support

• Set up project budgets from the winning tender and report monthly cost against budget, with forecast final cost and margin.
• Prepare and negotiate variation claims, extension of time cost impacts and notices, with measured records and rate justification.
• Support procurement: purchase orders, subcontract packages and long-lead items such as trees and imported plants.
• Maintain contract records: correspondence, instructions, daily and weekly progress records, and drawing revisions affecting quantities.
• Prepare final accounts, completion and handover cost statements, and release of retention and defects liability.
• Support maintenance contracts with scope schedules, monthly billing and annual rate reviews.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Quantity Surveying, Civil Engineering, Construction Management or a related field.
• 5 to 8 years as a QS, with at least 3 years in the UAE, ideally on landscaping, external works or infrastructure packages.
• Proven record pricing landscape tenders and producing monthly payment applications and certificates.
• Working knowledge of hardscape and softscape items, irrigation systems and plant sourcing, including typical UAE supplier rates.
• Membership or progress toward RICS, or equivalent professional recognition, is preferred.
• Valid UAE driving license and ability to visit sites are preferred.

Skills and tools

• Strong command of measurement methods, BOQ preparation and rate analysis.
• Sound understanding of FIDIC-based and standard UAE subcontract conditions, including variations, retention, advance payment and time bar notices.
• Advanced Excel (formulas, lookups, pivot tables); experience with a costing or QS package such as CostX, Bluebeam or similar is an advantage.
• Ability to read landscape, architectural and irrigation drawings and detect quantity differences between revisions.
• Accurate, organised and deadline driven, with clear written English; Arabic is an advantage.
• Confident negotiating with suppliers, subcontractors and client representatives.

Benefits

• Monthly Compensation
• Health Coverage and Work permit
• Professional development opportunities and resources.
• A dynamic and collaborative work environment with growth potential.