About the Role: Responsibilities, Skills, and Requirements
Introduction
Ever looked at a beautifully finished interior and wondered about the numbers that made it possible? Behind every sleek office lobby or high-end retail space is a Quantity Surveyor who kept the costs in check and the project on track. We’re on the hunt for a QS who genuinely understands the fit-out world — not just the theory, but the real, on-site realities of interior construction. If you’re someone who likes the balance of office work and site visits, and you’ve got a knack for turning complex costings into clear, actionable numbers, this could be the perfect role for you.
This isn’t your typical construction QS position. It’s a role that gets into the nitty-gritty of interior fit-outs — where every material choice, every joinery detail, and every last-minute client request has a cost implication. We need someone who can keep up with the pace of interior projects, where timelines are tight and the details matter.
About the Company
We’re a mid-sized fit-out and construction company that’s been making spaces look and function better for over a decade. We work on a mix of commercial offices, retail spaces, and hospitality projects — the kind of work that keeps things interesting and never repetitive. Our team is a tight-knit group of project managers, site supervisors, and designers who actually enjoy what they do. We’re not a corporate machine; we’re the kind of place where the MD knows your name and the site team will save you a seat at lunch. We take our work seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. If you’ve ever been on a project where everyone just clicks, you know the vibe we’re going for.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Preparing and managing BOQs for interior fit-out projects — from initial concept through to final handover. You’ll be the one everyone turns to when they need to know exactly what something should cost.
- Taking off quantities from drawings and specifications, and we mean really taking them off — not just a quick glance. Accuracy is everything in our line of work.
- Handling variations like a pro. Clients change their minds, designers refine their vision, and site conditions throw curveballs. You’ll track, price, and document every single change so nothing slips through the cracks.
- Preparing quotations for new work and change orders, working closely with the estimating team to make sure our numbers are competitive but still profitable.
- Managing interim payments — you’ll be responsible for valuing work done, submitting payment applications, and negotiating with clients or their representatives when needed.
- Settling final accounts with a fair but firm approach. We pride ourselves on maintaining good relationships with clients even after the dust has settled, and your role in closing out projects smoothly is a big part of that.
- Liaising with site teams on a regular basis. This isn’t a desk-only role — you’ll be expected to visit sites to measure progress, verify work, and understand the practical realities of what’s happening on the ground.
What You’ll Bring
Must-Haves:
- Proven experience as a Quantity Surveyor, specifically within interior fit-out or interior construction — we need someone who’s seen a suspended ceiling go up and knows what it actually costs to install.
- Solid knowledge of BOQ preparation, quantity take-offs, and cost estimation for interior works — joinery, MEP coordination, finishes, and all the little details that make fit-outs different from ground-up construction.
- Hands-on experience with variations, quotations, interim payments, and final accounts. You should be comfortable handling the full commercial cycle of a project.
- Proficiency with spreadsheets and QS software — we’re not fussed about which specific tools you’ve used, but you need to be fast and accurate with numbers.
- Strong communication skills. You’ll be dealing with clients, subcontractors, and the internal team, and you need to be clear, professional, and — let’s be honest — sometimes a bit diplomatic.
Nice-to-Haves:
- A degree or diploma in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, or a related field.
- Experience working with main contractors or fit-out specialists on projects ranging from 500k to 5M+.
- Familiarity with local market rates for materials and labour — if you know where to source good value without compromising quality, that’s a huge plus.
Not sure you tick every box? We’d still love to hear from you. If you’ve got the core experience and the right attitude, we’re happy to help you grow into the rest.
Why You’ll Love Working Here
- Competitive salary that matches your experience — and we review it regularly, not just when you threaten to leave.
- Hybrid flexibility — you’ll need to be on site when the job demands it, but we’re not counting the minutes you spend at your desk.
- Real career growth — we’re at a stage where we’re taking on bigger projects, and that means opportunities for senior roles, mentorship, and professional development.
- A team that actually gets along — we do quarterly team lunches, the occasional after-work gathering, and we genuinely celebrate project wins together.
- Autonomy and trust — we hire professionals to do a job, and we don’t micromanage. You’ll own your projects from start to finish.
- Exposure to diverse projects — one month it’s a boutique hotel, the next it’s a corporate headquarters. The variety keeps things fresh and your skills sharp.
At the end of the day, we want you to come to work feeling like you’re building something — both for our clients and for yourself. If that sounds like the kind of place you’d fit in, we’d love to chat.
Common Interview Questions and Tips
To help you prepare and feel confident, here are some questions you might encounter during the interview process for this role.
- Walk me through a recent interior fit-out project you handled from a commercial perspective. Where did you start, and how did you manage the cost plan from initial concept through to final handover?
- When you're preparing a BOQ for a fit-out, how do you approach the joinery and finishes elements differently compared to a standard construction project? What are the details that tend to get overlooked?
- Tell me about a time a client changed their mind mid-project — maybe a material swap or a layout shift. How did you price that variation, and how did you make sure it was documented properly?
- How do you handle the relationship between the design intent and the actual site conditions? Give me an example where the drawings didn't match reality, and you had to adjust the costings on the fly.
- What's your process for valuing interim payments on an active fit-out site? How do you ensure you're not over- or under-valuing the work that's actually been completed?
- Let's talk about final accounts. Have you ever had a dispute with a client or contractor over the final numbers? How did you navigate that conversation while keeping the relationship intact?
- Describe a time you had to juggle multiple projects with tight deadlines. How did you prioritise your time between site visits, paperwork, and responding to urgent requests?
- When you're liaising with site teams, how do you gather the information you need to verify progress and costs? What's your approach to building trust with the people on the ground?
- Can you tell me about a mistake you made in a cost estimate or BOQ? What happened, and what did you change in your process afterward?
- We're a close-knit team where the MD knows your name and the site crew saves you a seat at lunch. What kind of team culture brings out the best in you, and how do you contribute to that dynamic?
- How do you stay on top of local market rates for materials and labour