Job Description

Overview

Join us in our Rail team on some of the most exciting and prestigious rail projects in Ireland. Work with us and play a central role in making exciting projects and programmes a reality.

As part of a friendly, collaborative team, you'll be valued equally – and together, we'll deliver excellence for people and the environment. You'll also enjoy all the training and progression you need to take you through the glass ceiling.

We encourage our people to find a work-life balance that helps them thrive. So, ask us how our flexible and remote working policies can support your priorities. We hear and recognise all our people's different perspectives. Some of our recent pledges have been for Women's Equality and being a 'Disability Confident' and 'Inclusive Employer.'

Having achieved exciting and sustained growth and with further growth potential, we are looking to recruit more talent to bolster our client development and delivery teams in Ireland. We are seeking an experienced Senior Rail Cost Estimator to support the delivery of major rail infrastructure programmes in Ireland.

Based in Dublin, the role will play a critical part in developing robust, transparent, and compliant cost estimates to support project decision-making, commercial strategy, and successful delivery under NEC4 contracts.

The successful candidate will bring strong rail sector knowledge, with proven experience using Rail Method of Measurement (RMM) and Civil Engineering Standard Method of Measurement (CESMM) cost structures, and will work closely with clients, commercial managers, and project delivery teams across all stages of the project lifecycle.

This role offers the opportunity to contribute to some of Ireland’s most significant rail and public transport programmes while progressing your career within a global engineering and professional services organisation.

The individual must be ambitious, wanting to progress within our business and will play a key role in supporting the growth of our Business Unit. The role will involve the commercial and contractual delivery of complex rail projects in Ireland.

Your role

Lead, develop and support the local rail estimating team.
Prepare and develop Rail cost estimates across feasibility, option selection, design, and delivery stages.
Produce estimates compliant with NEC4 contract requirements.
Develop estimates using RMM and rail-specific measurement standards to ensure consistency and transparency.
Apply CESSM methodologies where appropriate to support strategic, early-stage and benchmark cost estimating.
Support the development of target prices, budgets, and cost benchmarks for applicable Rail projects in our portfolio.
Collaborate with engineering, planning, and commercial teams to validate scope, assumptions, risks, and interfaces.
Support procurement and tender evaluation processes, including pricing review and cost assurance.
Maintain accurate estimate records, documentation, and audit trails in line with governance requirements.
Provide input into risk and contingency development, including quantitative and qualitative risk analysis.
Support continuous improvement of estimating tools, processes, and cost databases.
Work closely with clients and follow their policies and procedures when completing estimates.
Draft reports supporting the cost estimates at different stages of maturity.
Assist with pricing Compensation Events as required.
Identify, assess, and manage cost risks and opportunities, and advising of appropriate mitigation measures.
Ensure compliance with AtkinsRéalis commercial governance, policies, and ethical standards.
Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, partners, and key stakeholders.

About you

Degree-qualified in Quantity Surveying, Civil Engineering, Commercial Management, or a related discipline.
Extensive experience as a Cost Estimator within the rail or transportation sector.
Knowledge of NEC4 contracts, particularly in target cost and change management environments.
Proven experience using Rail Method of Measurement (RMM) for cost build-ups.
Experience developing estimates using CESMM or similar.
Experience managing estimating activities and leading an estimating team.
Line management experience.
Strong analytical, numerical, and reporting skills.
Ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary project teams.
Excellent communication abilities.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable Attributes

Experience on Irish or UK rail infrastructure projects.
Professional membership.
Experience supporting business cases, funding submissions, or option selection studies.
Knowledge of cost assurance, benchmarking, and value engineering processes.
Familiarity with client-side or consultancy estimating environments.

Personal qualities

Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
Flexible approach with ability to be able to multi‑task and prioritise when necessary.
Positive outlook and approachable manner.
Well‑motivated, able to work alone or as part of a team when required.

Rewards & benefits

Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive – at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries and a brilliant range of health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle benefits. Make the most of a myriad of opportunities for training and professional development to grow your skills and expertise. And combine our hybrid working culture, international remote working opportunities, and flexible holiday allowances to balance a great job and fulfilling personal life.

Be rewarded. Find out more.

About AtkinsRéalis

We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.

Find out more.

Additional information

We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they belong - a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop to be the best we can be. So, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee resource groups to support all employees. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability.

Worker Type

Employee

Job Type

Regular

At AtkinsRéalis, we seek to hire individuals with diverse characteristics, backgrounds and perspectives. We strongly believe that world-class talent makes no distinctions based on gender, ethnic or national origin, sexual identity and orientation, age, religion or disability, but enriches itself through these differences.

Senior Cost Estimator - Rail

Benefits

Job Description