Capital Cost Estimator – Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP)

Eli Lilly and Company • Us, IN

13h • Onsite

About The Position

The MEP Capital Cost Estimator develops owner-side Class 5 through Class 1 estimates for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, building controls, and utility distribution systems supporting complex pharmaceutical manufacturing and infrastructure projects. The role turns evolving engineering scope, design information, execution strategies, market data, and benchmarks into complete, traceable, decision-ready estimates. It assesses installation labor, equipment setting, supports, testing, commissioning interfaces, temporary services, and MEP trade indirect costs.

The role works with project teams, engineering and construction partners, procurement, and project controls to develop and review estimates as project scope and design mature. It prepares estimate documentation and cost narratives for project reviews, funding decisions, value engineering, option analysis, bid evaluation, and change assessment, and maintains estimates in Oracle Unifier PMIS for an auditable estimate trail.

The position is with Lilly’s Global Facilities Delivery organization. The employee must reside in or relocate to Indianapolis, Indiana, and have an onsite presence at Lilly Technology Center-South. Travel may be up to 25%, including to domestic and international project locations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, quantity surveying, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• At least 5 years of direct capital cost estimating experience for industrial, manufacturing, life sciences, or similarly complex capital projects.
• Demonstrated experience personally developing estimates across multiple levels of project definition, including conceptual and detailed estimates.
• Authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis; Lilly will not support or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role.
• Must reside in or relocate to Indianapolis, Indiana, with onsite presence at Lilly Technology Center-South.

Nice To Haves

• Experience estimating pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical, food, semiconductor, advanced manufacturing, or other process-intensive facilities.
• Experience in both owner and contractor estimating environments.
• Professional certification such as AACE Certified Estimating Professional (CEP), Certified Cost Professional (CCP), or an equivalent credential.
• Experience with benchmarking, estimate reconciliation, value engineering, bid leveling, and change estimate development.
• Familiarity with CSI MasterFormat, Uniformat, equipment-based process estimating, and owner work breakdown structures.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple estimate assignments, and clearly communicate limitations and uncertainty.

Responsibilities

• Develop Class 5 through Class 1 capital cost estimates using methods appropriate to project definition, including capacity-factored, parametric, assembly-level, unit-rate, and detailed quantity takeoff methods.
• Prepare estimate plans, workbooks, quantity takeoffs, pricing build-ups, bases of estimate, assumptions, exclusions, qualifications, and supporting documentation for assigned scopes.
• Interpret business requirements, basis-of-design information, drawings, specifications, equipment lists, process flow diagrams, P&IDs, layouts, schedules, contracting strategies, and construction execution plans to define estimate scope and cost.
• Build labor, material, equipment, subcontract, construction management, temporary facilities, logistics, indirect cost, escalation, and contingency inputs appropriate to the assigned discipline and estimate class.
• Obtain and normalize vendor budget quotes, contractor pricing, market rates, productivity factors, location factors, escalation inputs, and historical cost data.
• Identify and document scope gaps, overlaps, ambiguities, estimate risks, cost drivers, and missing inputs, including their treatment in the estimate and Basis of Estimate.
• Benchmark estimates using historical project data, comparable facilities, market intelligence, and normalized unit-cost metrics to validate reasonableness, identify cost drivers, and explain variances.
• Develop and maintain internal benchmarking databases using actual costs from completed and active projects, and maintain current insights into relevant external benchmarks.
• Complete estimate reconciliation, variance analysis, and estimate-to-estimate bridging as scope and design mature.
• Support multidisciplinary estimate reviews and page-turns with project teams, engineering partners, construction partners, procurement, and project controls.
• Prepare estimate summaries and cost narratives for project reviews, funding decisions, value engineering, option analysis, bid evaluation, and change assessment.
• Maintain estimates in Oracle Unifier PMIS to provide a complete and auditable estimate trail.
• Travel up to 25%, including to domestic and international project locations.

Benefits

• Company bonus, depending in part on company and individual performance.
• Eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k).
• Pension.
• Vacation benefits.
• Eligibility for medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits.
• Flexible benefits, including healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts.
• Life insurance and death benefits.
• Certain time off and leave of absence benefits.
• Well-being benefits, including an employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior