Chief Estimator of Water

Big-D Construction
Onsite

About The Position

The Water Chief Estimator is responsible for leading all preconstruction efforts on large, complex water and wastewater projects, from early pursuit through handoff to construction. This role drives pursuit strategy and client-facing activities; leads Hard Bid, Collaborative Delivery (CMAR and Fixed Price Design Build and Progressive Design-Build) efforts; and oversees schedule, design development, and cost estimating from conceptual through GMP. The Water Chief Estimator manages risk identification and mitigation, ensures budget control and alignment with contractual requirements, and provides solutions that balance cost, schedule, constructability, and life-cycle performance. They serve as the central liaison between operations, estimating, and design management; build and maintain strong relationships with owners, designers, trade partners, and vendors; and develop and mentor preconstruction staff.

Requirements

  • Systematic and process-oriented leadership skills.
  • Tenacious with estimate development and focused on developing creative winning strategies to secure projects.
  • Comfortable leading meetings and a team of estimators.
  • Able to inspire and motivate a diverse team towards a common goal.
  • Ensure productive and consistent communication between estimating and operations staff.
  • Frequently evaluate bid process development with the estimating team to correct deficiencies and become more efficient.
  • Assist in issue resolution and crucial conversations to mitigate project and personnel.
  • Communicate significant issues and develop mitigation strategies.
  • Identify opportunities to provide further personal development for individual reports with stretch assignments, goal setting, and performance reviews.
  • Exhibit ability to maintain patience and composure during high-stress.
  • Serve as mentor and show exemplary interpersonal skills.
  • Displays functional confidence and leadership characteristics while maintaining a high level of.
  • Lives by a set of standards, focused on goals and the mission.
  • Ability to navigate complex team dynamics ensuring a tailored approach to the individual.
  • Exhibit ability to think through challenges from multiple angles, displaying an ability to arrive at productive Support estimating team in their ability to resolve challenges.
  • Strong communication skills while displaying patience with teaching and clearly articulates bid objectives, deadlines, and expectations to all parties involved.
  • Ability to break down silo’s and bridge communication gaps.
  • Focused on expanding service offerings and growing the business unit.
  • Monitor and measure Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) on bids.
  • Bid safety into jobs ensuring field teams have provisions to cover safety risks.
  • Ensure efficient, timely, and high-quality takeoff and estimate production.
  • Promote intracompany cooperation and support for self-performing a broad spectrum of scopes.
  • Engage with Business Development, vet opportunities to ensure alignment and increase odds of securing winning bids.
  • Participate in Water & Wastewater and Estimating organizations and committees being a proactive brand ambassador in the industry.
  • Develops strategic partnerships with engineering firms, technology providers, and other relevant stakeholders.
  • Manage relationships to optimize pricing strategies.
  • Prepare General Conditions/General Requirements estimates capturing appropriate provisions to properly manage the work.
  • Strong background in Water & Wastewater Treatment possessing a comprehensive knowledge of construction project delivery, contracting, processes, materials, and regulations.
  • Possess a strong understanding of treatment processes, technologies (e.g., activated sludge, membrane bioreactors, nutrient removal), and the specific construction challenges associated with these projects.
  • Capable of doing comprehensive risk assessments and Go No-Go Analysis for project.
  • Strong grasp on bid development best practices on Water Renewal projects and applying that experience to hold estimating teams accountable.
  • Understanding of self-perform scopes of work typical to the Water &Wastewater.
  • Experience with many different project delivery mechanisms, including alternative delivery.
  • Experience with pre-construction processes and working alongside design.
  • Review owner contract terms and risks, outline and highlight risk items for Sr Leadership.
  • Experience leading and mentoring estimating teams.
  • Demonstrates a keen ability to identify and develop estimating talent.
  • Disciplined with Project Assists with the development, management, and enforcement of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) while encouraging adaptive change and continued evolution.
  • Provide technical assistance, constructability feedback, interpret drawings, and develop construction methods consistent with contract documents, budget, and schedule for estimates.
  • Takes complete ownership of project pursuits, developing schedules, site logistics, technical writing, and participating in selection interviews.
  • Exhibit ability to independently develop and audit project schedules at all phases of design development with vision toward identifying and communicating challenges and opportunities.
  • Assist project teams in implementing bidding assumptions into project procedures.
  • Reinforce, support, and train industry and company standards to produce consistent.
  • Provide strong, efficient, timely decision making to ensure procurement, submittal, or other project management functions are managed effectively.
  • Establish and maintain relationships with team members, clients, project stakeholders, and support.
  • Can lead a Design-Bid-Build or Fixed Price Design Build.
  • Assists the Marketing Department in preparation of responses to RFP’s and RFQ’s.
  • Lead collaborative delivery projects (CMAR and Progressive Design Build) through the preconstruction phase.
  • Leads a Fixed Price Design Build Project after.
  • Prepares or oversees preparation of preconstruction schedule with buy-in from internal departments as relates to them.
  • Interfaces with the owners and designers to maintain schedule.
  • Keeps internal departments informed of schedule changes as relates to their This includes identifying the need for multiple GMP’s to facilitate the overall project schedule.
  • Leads the development of cost estimates at all design milestones (10% to 100%).
  • Understands treatment plant process and can fills in design gaps for the completion of estimates as well as coordination between scopes.
  • Coordinates the development and review of Self-Perform Estimates.
  • Works with construction teams to maintain dialogue and receive feedback for implementation in future preconstruction efforts.
  • Monitors productivity, budgets vs actual costs, and labor rates for incorporation into current and future estimates.
  • Assists team with clarifying scope of a budget, how scope was bought, and clarifying elements of the GMP as needed with the project.
  • Assist in reconciling costs with final design documents where a GMP was provided at an early design milestone.
  • 4yr Bachelors Degree in Construction Management or Engineering
  • Software: HCSS Heavy Bid, Bluebeam, Procore, Microsoft Office Suite
  • Self-Perform Experience
  • Minimum of 5-10 years’ experience as an estimator in charge
  • (3) Three reference Water / Wastewater - only projects greater than $10-Mil in construction value excluding equipment costs and assignment contracts are considered
  • Experience with Collaborative Delivery projects in the Water & Wastewater Industry
  • Strong grasp of all building construction trades
  • Skilled in Critical Path Method (CPM) Scheduling tools such as Microsoft Project
  • Safety standards knowledge
  • Self-starter with the ability to set and ensure goals and tasks with strong leadership goals
  • Ability to relocate to Boise ID

Responsibilities

  • Lead all preconstruction efforts on large, complex water and wastewater projects.
  • Drive pursuit strategy and client-facing activities.
  • Lead Hard Bid, Collaborative Delivery (CMAR and Fixed Price Design Build and Progressive Design-Build) efforts.
  • Oversee schedule, design development, and cost estimating from conceptual through GMP.
  • Manage risk identification and mitigation.
  • Ensure budget control and alignment with contractual requirements.
  • Provide solutions that balance cost, schedule, constructability, and life-cycle performance.
  • Serve as the central liaison between operations, estimating, and design management.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with owners, designers, trade partners, and vendors.
  • Develop and mentor preconstruction staff.
  • Develop winning bid strategies including complete leadership of work plan development, project schedule/sequence, and self-perform integration.
  • Monitor and measure Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) on bids.
  • Ensure estimating teams are consistently aware of bid efficiencies and are making responsible decisions.
  • Develop a risk management approach to identify and mitigate all risks during the bid cycle.
  • Develop a roles & responsibilities matrix for each bid for all involved.
  • Oversee/Review estimating efficiencies focusing on constantly improving.
  • Provide scheduling support and review schedules to maximize efficiency of the work plan.
  • Audit quality on all bids to increase consistency and accountability.
  • Bid safety into jobs ensuring field teams have provisions to cover safety risks.
  • Ensure efficient, timely, and high-quality takeoff and estimate production.
  • Promote intracompany cooperation and support for self-performing a broad spectrum of scopes.
  • Engage with Business Development, vet opportunities to ensure alignment and increase odds of securing winning bids.
  • Participate in Water & Wastewater and Estimating organizations and committees being a proactive brand ambassador in the industry.
  • Develops strategic partnerships with engineering firms, technology providers, and other relevant stakeholders.
  • Manage relationships to optimize pricing strategies.
  • Prepare General Conditions/General Requirements estimates capturing appropriate provisions to properly manage the work.
  • Achieve goals and Key Performance indicators (KPI’s) at the estimating department.
  • Review owner contract terms and risks, outline and highlight risk items for Sr Leadership.
  • Anticipates potential risks and proactively implements mitigation strategies to minimize.
  • Prioritizes tasks effectively and ensures deadlines are met.
  • Disciplined with Project Assists with the development, management, and enforcement of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) while encouraging adaptive change and continued evolution.
  • Provide technical assistance, constructability feedback, interpret drawings, and develop construction methods consistent with contract documents, budget, and schedule for estimates.
  • Takes complete ownership of project pursuits, developing schedules, site logistics, technical writing, and participating in selection interviews.
  • Exhibit ability to independently develop and audit project schedules at all phases of design development with vision toward identifying and communicating challenges and opportunities.
  • Assist project teams in implementing bidding assumptions into project procedures.
  • Reinforce, support, and train industry and company standards to produce consistent.
  • Provide strong, efficient, timely decision making to ensure procurement, submittal, or other project management functions are managed effectively.
  • Establish and maintain relationships with team members, clients, project stakeholders, and support.
  • Assists the Marketing Department in preparation of responses to RFP’s and RFQ’s.
  • Lead collaborative delivery projects (CMAR and Progressive Design Build) through the preconstruction phase.
  • Leads a Fixed Price Design Build Project after.
  • Prepares or oversees preparation of preconstruction schedule with buy-in from internal departments as relates to them.
  • Interfaces with the owners and designers to maintain schedule.
  • Keeps internal departments informed of schedule changes as relates to their This includes identifying the need for multiple GMP’s to facilitate the overall project schedule.
  • Leads the development of cost estimates at all design milestones (10% to 100%).
  • Understands treatment plant process and can fills in design gaps for the completion of estimates as well as coordination between scopes.
  • Coordinates the development and review of Self-Perform Estimates.
  • Works with construction teams to maintain dialogue and receive feedback for implementation in future preconstruction efforts.
  • Monitors productivity, budgets vs actual costs, and labor rates for incorporation into current and future estimates.
  • Assists team with clarifying scope of a budget, how scope was bought, and clarifying elements of the GMP as needed with the project.
  • Assist in reconciling costs with final design documents where a GMP was provided at an early design milestone.
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