Quantity Surveyor Job Description Template (GCC-Ready, 2026)

Quantity Surveyor Job Description Template

Copy the template below, swap in your own details where you see [bracketed placeholders], and delete anything that does not apply. It is written for GCC and UAE employers and covers the full commercial cycle - pre-contract measurement through final account - so it works for main contractors, developers and cost consultancies. Writing tips follow the template.

Job Title

Quantity Surveyor [optionally: Senior / Commercial / Contracts] - [City, e.g. Dubai], [Country, e.g. UAE]

About the Role

[Company name] is a [main contractor / developer / cost-consultancy] delivering [high-rise / infrastructure / hospitality / mixed-use] projects in [location]. We are looking for a commercially sharp [junior / project / senior] Quantity Surveyor to manage cost and contract from pre-contract through final account. Reporting to the [Commercial Manager / Commercial Director], you will own the commercial position on [project / package] and protect the project margin.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare cost estimates, budgets, bills of quantities and tender documentation.
• Carry out measurement and take-offs using [CostX / Candy / CCS] and validate quantities against drawings.
• Administer the contract under [FIDIC form, e.g. Red Book], including variations, claims, extensions of time and interim valuations.
• Produce monthly cost reports, cash-flow forecasts and value-engineering options for leadership.
• Manage subcontractor procurement, evaluate tenders, and prepare payment certificates and final accounts.
• Lead change control - assess, price and document variations - and manage risk and contingency proactively.
• Liaise with the project, design and procurement teams to keep commercial decisions aligned with delivery.
• Negotiate and settle final accounts with clients and subcontractors, protecting the commercial position.
• [Optional, developer-side: certify contractor valuations, assess claims against the employer and control the project budget.]

Tailor the list to seniority: a graduate QS leans toward measurement, take-offs and supporting valuations; a senior commercial QS owns claims strategy, final-account negotiation and the project's commercial narrative.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management or Civil Engineering (RICS-accredited degree preferred).
• [X]+ years' quantity-surveying experience; UAE/GCC project experience strongly preferred.
• MRICS chartered, or genuinely working toward APC [state which - required vs preferred by seniority]. There is no UAE state licence for this role; RICS chartership is the professional standard, not a legal one.
• Strong working knowledge of FIDIC contracts and contract administration.
• Proficiency in cost-management software ([CostX / Candy / CCS]) and strong Excel.
• [Contractor-side / developer-side] experience matched to the role, ideally on [high-rise / infrastructure / hospitality] projects.
• Strong negotiation, attention to detail and the commercial judgement to protect margin under pressure.
• UAE residence visa or transferable status preferred [or: we will sponsor the right candidate; note foreign degrees require attestation].

Separate genuine must-haves from nice-to-haves. For senior roles, requiring MRICS is reasonable; for graduate and mid-level roles, accept APC progress rather than full chartership so you do not shrink the funnel. Keep the must-have list to four or five items - degree, relevant experience, FIDIC knowledge, software - and group the rest as "desirable".

What We Offer

• Competitive salary of AED [X]-[Y] per month, [net of personal income tax].
• Housing, transport and annual airfare allowances [bundled into / on top of] the base - standard in construction packages.
• Employer-sponsored residence visa and Emirates ID (we cover 100% of the cost, per UAE law).
• Mandatory health insurance and a clear path to [senior QS / commercial manager].
• End-of-service gratuity in line with UAE Labour Law.
• [Optional: APC / RICS chartership support, project bonus, exposure to landmark projects.]

How to Apply

Send your CV and a short note on a project where you protected or recovered margin to [email / application link]. We review applications on a rolling basis and aim to respond within [X] working days.

How to Write a Strong Quantity Surveyor Job Description

A few choices make the difference between attracting the right tier of surveyor and a flood of mismatched CVs:

• Be precise about chartership - and do not call it a licence. There is no UAE state licence to practise as a QS; RICS MRICS is a professional designation, not a legal requirement. For senior commercial roles, state MRICS as required or strongly preferred; for graduate and mid-level roles, ask for APC progress instead. Mislabelling chartership as a "licence" or over-gating juniors on full MRICS shrinks an already specialised funnel.
• Name the FIDIC form. UAE construction runs largely on FIDIC. Naming the specific form (Red Book, Yellow Book) and asking for contract-administration experience under it is a strong quality filter that separates real commercial surveyors from measurement-only candidates.
• Name the cost software. List CostX, Candy or CCS explicitly rather than "cost-management software". Surveyors filter on the tools they know, and a precise stack reduces mismatched applications and shortens onboarding.
• Be explicit about contractor-side vs developer-side. The instincts differ and so does the pay (developer-side typically 15-25% higher). Saying which you need attracts the right candidates and sets correct salary expectations.
• Publish a salary band. Posts with a band get more relevant applications. Use a realistic monthly range - roughly AED 7,000-14,000 (graduate), AED 14,000-30,000 (mid/project), AED 30,000-80,000 (senior/commercial) - and remember MRICS adds roughly 20-25%.
• State visa expectations and attestation. Whether you require transferable status or will sponsor, say it early; for overseas hires, mention that a foreign degree needs attestation, which affects onboarding time.
• Handle Emiratisation phrasing carefully. Do not write anything that excludes Emirati candidates; the role counts toward your MOHRE quota, so keep the language inclusive and compliant.
• Sell the projects. Strong surveyors in the GCC have options. Naming the landmark or sector-relevant projects they would work on, and the chartership/APC support you offer, is part of the pitch, not boilerplate.
• Keep it scannable. Short sections, bullet lists and a clear "how to apply" line. Asking for a one-line note on a margin they protected is a cheap, high-signal filter.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Inventing a licence requirement. Writing that a QS must hold a UAE "licence" is wrong and off-putting. The credential is RICS chartership, and it is professional, not statutory.
• Over-gating juniors on MRICS. Demanding full chartership for a graduate role shrinks the funnel to almost nothing. Ask for APC progress and a RICS-accredited degree instead.
• Vague, side-blind descriptions. Not saying whether the role is contractor-side or developer-side, or which FIDIC form applies, attracts mismatched applicants and muddies the salary expectation.
• No salary band. Omitting the range invites both under- and over-qualified applicants and wastes screening time. A realistic band is the single biggest lever on application quality.