About the role
Costs Negotiator - Complex Injury
📍 Southampton | Full-time, 35 hours per week | Hybrid Working
We’re looking for an experienced Costs Negotiator to join our supportive Costs team in Southampton, working closely with colleagues across the wider Complex Injury Division.
This is a great opportunity to develop your technical ability through a varied caseload involving costs arising from high-value and complex injury claims, including Employers’ Liability (EL), Public Liability (PL) and Road Traffic Accident (RTA) matters. Your caseload will include a mixture of fixed recoverable costs and hourly-rate work, providing plenty of variety and scope to develop your experience.
What You’ll Be Doing
🔎You’ll manage your own caseload, taking costs matters through to settlement or assessment, while working collaboratively with colleagues across the wider team. Key responsibilities will include: * Reviewing, assessing and negotiating costs claims * Preparing Points of Dispute and considering and responding to replies * Progressing cases through provisional and detailed assessment * Drafting costs budgets, Budget Discussion Reports and Precedent Ts * Conducting costs budget negotiations * Reviewing files, setting strategy and identifying key strengths and weaknesses * Preparing and maintaining costs strategy reports throughout the life of a case * Providing clear and accurate advice and updates to clients * Negotiating positive and commercially effective outcomes for clients * Managing your caseload effectively to meet deadlines and service-level agreements * Drafting or opposing relevant applications and, where appropriate, supporting matters through detailed assessment
What we're looking for
👤We’re looking for someone with previous costs negotiation experience who is comfortable managing their own caseload. You’ll ideally have:
✅ Experience preparing Points of Dispute and considering replies ✅ Experience progressing matters towards provisional and detailed assessment ✅ Strong written and verbal communication skills ✅ Previous client liaison experience ✅ Confident telephone negotiation skills ✅ The ability to organise and prioritise a busy workload ✅ Good decision-making skills and the ability to use your own initiative ✅ A collaborative approach and the ability to work effectively as part of a team
A degree, LPC, ALCD or equivalent qualification would be advantageous, as would previous advocacy experience.
🌟 Why join us?
This role offers a real opportunity to continue building your career within costs, with:
🔹 High-value, complex work – develop your technical ability through costs arising from complex EL, PL and RTA injury claims. 🔹 A varied caseload – work across a mixture of fixed recoverable costs and hourly-rate matters. 🔹 Wider team exposure – collaborate with colleagues across the Costs team and wider Complex Injury Division. 🔹 Technical development – continue building your knowledge and confidence when dealing with higher-value costs matters. 🔹 Client exposure – strengthen your experience of client liaison, providing clear advice and maintaining positive client relationships. 🔹 A supportive team – work alongside experienced colleagues in an environment where knowledge and expertise can be shared.
At Keoghs, our values are at the heart of how we work: we are connected, we are dynamic, we are innovative and we succeed together.
👣 Ready for your next step in Costs?
If you’re an experienced Costs Negotiator looking to broaden your exposure to complex, high-value work while developing your technical expertise within a supportive team, we’d love to hear from you.
Job Benefits
Working at Keoghs as part of The Davies Group, you will receive a host of benefits that can be flexed to suit your needs: * Hybrid working * Entry into the Davies Incentive Plan * Private medical insurance * Permanent health insurance * Critical illness cover * Health Care Cash Plan * Holidays 25 days plus 8 bank holidays (opportunity to buy & sell 3 days), holidays rise to 26 days after 5 years’ service and 27 days after 10 years’ service * Death In Service – after 1 year * Employer Pension Contribution * Cycle to Work Scheme, Tech Scheme, Season Ticket Loan, Gym Flex