Ground Anchor Systems Limited is a New Zealand-owned specialist geotechnical construction company delivering technically challenging projects throughout the South Island of New Zealand.
We specialise in ground anchors, soil nails, micropiles, piling, shotcrete, rockfall protection and slope stabilisation. Our work ranges from major infrastructure and highway projects through to complex commercial developments and difficult-access residential geotechnical works.
We have invested heavily in specialist drilling equipment, plant and our people, which allows us to take on projects that require a high level of technical capability, planning and problem solving.
About The Role
We are looking for an experienced Estimator to join our team and take responsibility for preparing accurate, competitive and commercially sound tenders and quotations.
You will price projects ranging from around $50,000 to $5 million, with a constant flow of work spanning formal tender submissions, detailed quotations and early high-level costing support for clients who are still developing their projects. Enquiries come from across the industry - main contractors, engineers, councils and government bodies (NZTA), and private clients - and many of them are long-standing relationships the business has built over years.
This is a hands-on role suited to someone who understands how civil construction projects are actually built. It is not a desk-bound job - methodology, plant selection, access and realistic production rates are worked out with the people who do the work, not in isolation.
Key Responsibilities
Take projects from initial enquiry through to completed tender or quotation - reviewing drawings, specifications, geotechnical reports and tender documentation to establish scope, quantities and the key cost drivers.
Prepare accurate first-principles estimates covering labour, plant, materials, subcontractors, travel and accommodation, supported by detailed quantity take-offs.
Develop construction methodologies and programmes to support pricing, drawing on a sound understanding of our capabilities, plant and crews to arrive at efficient, buildable solutions.
Identify geotechnical and ground risk, site access and buildability constraints, and work with our operational team to confirm that proposed methodologies can be delivered safely and productively.
Prepare professional tender submissions with inclusions, exclusions, assumptions and qualifications clearly stated, managing multiple tenders and quotations concurrently to meet deadlines.
Identify commercial, contractual and construction risks and opportunities before a project is won, ensure appropriate allowances are carried, and support management with tender strategy and pricing decisions.
Hand successful tenders over to the project team and provide commercial support during delivery so that projects are built in line with the original estimate and methodology.
Obtain, adjudicate and negotiate supplier and subcontractor pricing, maintaining strong relationships and current knowledge of market rates.
Build and maintain client relationships that generate repeat work - being approachable and easy to deal with at any stage of a project, including early advice and high-level costing support.
Maintain and improve our estimating systems, cost rates and pricing data, using actual project costs and lessons learned to sharpen future estimates.
About You
We are looking for someone who combines commercial judgement with practical construction knowledge.
3+ years’ relevant experience in civil construction estimating, quantity surveying, project engineering, project management, or a related role
Some experience in ground engineering, ideally with exposure to techniques such as ground anchors, rock bolts, soil nails, piles, shotcrete, mesh and rockfall protection. You don’t need to have experience with all of these - a solid understanding of some, together with an interest in learning the rest, is what we’re looking for.
A strong grasp of civil construction methodologies, and the ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications and technical documentation.
Strong numerical and analytical ability, with the attention to detail accurate pricing demands.
The ability to build estimates from first principles, with a sound understanding of labour, plant, materials and subcontractor cost drivers.
An eye for construction risk, opportunity and potential cost overruns before they occur.
Clear written and verbal communication, and the ability to juggle multiple tenders and competing deadlines.
Strong Microsoft Excel skills - all of our pricing is built in Excel, so genuine confidence across the Microsoft suite is essential.
A practical, solutions-focused approach and genuine curiosity about how the work is actually done - you will need to get out with our site teams, not price from assumptions made at a desk.
Experience in ground anchors, drilling, grouting, soil nailing, retaining structures or slope stabilisation would be highly advantageous. Ground engineering is the most niche part of this role, and that knowledge can be built from a variety of backgrounds - what matters most is a real interest in learning the detail.
We are more interested in estimating capability and practical construction knowledge than any particular software package - bring whatever you work best in.
This is a specialised area of construction, and we recognise that very few people will have experience pricing every aspect of ground engineering. We’re therefore open to candidates from a range of backgrounds - whether you’ve worked in estimating or quantity surveying, project engineering or management, site supervision, or come from a trade background.
What matters most is that you bring relevant construction experience, sound commercial and numerical ability, and the practical judgement to understand how work is delivered and priced. If you have a good grounding in some of our work and the interest and ability to learn the rest, we’d like to hear from you.
What Success Looks Like
Success in this role means producing estimates that are:
Accurate – costs, quantities and resources are properly understood and allowed for.
Competitive – priced to give us the best opportunity to win the right work.
Profitable – risks, overheads, productivity and margins are properly considered.
Buildable – the proposed methodology reflects how the work can actually be delivered on site.
Complete – scope, exclusions, assumptions, subcontractors, plant and labour all properly accounted for.
What We Offer
Competitive remuneration based on experience
Full-time, permanent position
Company vehicle and the tools required to do the job
Exposure to technically challenging and interesting projects
Modern specialist drilling equipment and plant
A growing company where good people can take on genuine responsibility
Ongoing training and professional development
Direct involvement with company management and experienced construction teams
Opportunities to progress as the Nelson operation and wider business continue to grow
A team culture built around ownership, communication, problem solving and getting the job done properly