Principal Cost Estimator

Job Title: Principal Cost Estimator

Location: Barrow-in-Furness. We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements - please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role

Salary: £43,000+ depending on skills and experience

What you'll be doing:

Supporting management in the resource and governance to the Programme teams across the business including bid-related activity, ongoing contract management and outturn forecasting up to and including Final Pricing, across the full (LCM) Life Cycle Management spectrum, in accordance with the (E2E) End-to-End Estimating Process
Developing, managing, configuring and owning Labour and Material Cost Models, to support major Programmes as they progress through the Programme Life Cycle
Providing advice to the Cost Estimators and the business on estimating, pricing, contract terms, inflation and variation of price issues as they relate to bidding and performing contracts
Managing the development and interpretation of relevant Programme metrics that support the understanding and forecasting of cost, schedule or quality performance against the baseline plan or reconciliation with the contract price
Managing and resolving customer queries (internal and external) and issues in areas of responsibility, escalating significant problems as appropriate and highlighting trends and emerging issues
Managing the effective performance of Commercial employees who report to this position, taking responsibility for the professional development of these direct reports

Your skills and experiences:

Essential:

Degree Level Qualification or equivalent by experience within Cost Estimation in major projects
Previous experience in line management
Microsoft Packages, in particular Excel
Data Analysis, critical thinking and problem-solving skills

Desirable:

Experience in different estimating toolsets such as Monte Carlo, parametric, and propricer

Benefits:

As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts - you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The Commercial Estimating team:

You will be working as part of the Commercial Estimating function, the role is responsible for first line management of the team and is responsible to work closely with all areas of the business, across a broad spectrum of tasks, from facility business cases to design studies to whole boat pricing that will give you an excellent understanding of the business unit and how it operates. Your primary involvement will be in a managing and leading role, to support the business through the creation of cost and price estimates, in relation to the management of existing contracts and the capture of new business, through the supply of critical data and analysis in support of key business decisions. We offer relocation support packages across all Submarines roles, subject to meeting eligibility criteria.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you'll be able to make a real difference. You'll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you'll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date: 9th October 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.