Chief Estimator

Jaquith Consulting Group Inc•Fresno, CA

80d•$220,000 - $265,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Jaquith Consulting Group is seeking an experienced Chief Estimator to serve as the senior cost estimating authority for the Track, Systems & Civil Construction (TSCC) contract, responsible for the development, validation, and maintenance of construction cost estimates across all phases of project delivery, from conceptual (AACE Class 5) through definitive (AACE Class 1) estimates. The position leads estimate development for baseline budgets, change orders, claims quantum, and independent cost reviews, and serves as the primary point of coordination between the Authority’s Program Controls function, the design-build/CM at-risk contractor’s estimating team, and the Program Management/Oversight Consultant (PMOC) on matters of cost basis, methodology, and risk-adjusted contingency. Reporting to the Deputy Director, PMO Project Execution Branch, the Chief Estimator works with substantial independence in selecting estimate methodology, allocating cost risk, and establishing the technical basis of estimates, escalating significant or unresolved cost positions as they arise. This is a professional-level position requiring independent judgment on estimate methodology, cost risk allocation, and the technical defensibility of estimates presented to Authority executive leadership, the Board, and federal funding partners (FRA, FTA). The TSCC contract encompasses trackwork, systems (traction power, train control/PTC, communications, SCADA), and heavy civil construction scope delivered under a design-build or CM/GC delivery model consistent with California High-Speed Rail Authority program conventions. The Chief Estimator’s work products support the Authority’s cost baseline reporting under its Earned Value Management System (EVMS), FRA and FTA capital cost reporting obligations, and Board-level program budget updates, and must be reconcilable to the program Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and control account structure.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, construction management, engineering technology, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and experience is considered in lieu of a degree.
Ten (10) or more years of progressive cost estimating experience on heavy civil, rail, or transit infrastructure programs, including at least four (4) years in a lead or chief estimator capacity.
Demonstrated experience estimating design-build or CM/GC delivered work, including change order and claims quantum estimating.
Eligibility to work in the United States and ability to pass a background screening, meet site-access and site-safety requirements, and travel between program office locations and TSCC construction sites as needed.
Working knowledge of AACE International recommended practices for cost estimate classification, contingency determination, and estimate documentation.
Proficiency in quantity take-off and estimating software (for example, HCSS HeavyBid, InEight, or comparable heavy-civil estimating platforms) and cost/schedule integration tools.
Working knowledge of EVMS conventions (ANSI/EIA-748 or equivalent) and their interaction with cost estimate baselines and reporting.
Familiarity with FRA and FTA major capital project practice, including cost estimate review requirements under the federal grant and oversight process.
Ability to read and estimate from civil, trackwork, and systems design drawings and specifications at varying levels of design completion.
Strong written and verbal communication skills sufficient to present and defend cost positions to executive leadership, oversight bodies, and contractor counterparts.

Nice To Haves

Certified Cost Professional (CCP) or Certified Estimating Professional (CEP) credential through AACE International.
Professional Engineer (PE) license; not required for this position.
Direct estimating experience on high-speed or conventional rail programs, including trackwork and rail systems scope.
Experience supporting federal cost oversight reviews, independent government cost estimates (IGCE), or state audit inquiries on major capital programs.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain construction cost estimates at each AACE estimate class (Class 5 through Class 1) for the TSCC scope, applying consistent methodology, escalation, and contingency treatment across estimate revisions.
Prepare and reconcile quantity take-offs, unit price build-ups, and productivity-based estimates for trackwork, systems, and civil elements; validate contractor-submitted estimates and pay applications against independent Authority estimates.
Establish and document estimate basis, assumptions, and exclusions in a basis-of-estimate (BOE) format sufficient to withstand third-party and federal audit.
Maintain unit cost and productivity databases and historical cost data specific to heavy rail, systems, and civil construction for use in future estimates and benchmarking.
Support risk-based contingency development in coordination with Program Risk Management, including participation in risk workshops and Monte Carlo or range-estimating analyses where used to set contingency drawdown curves.
Reconcile estimate outputs to the program WBS, control account structure, and EVMS cost baseline; support Estimate at Completion (EAC) and Estimate to Complete (ETC) development with Project Controls.
Flag cost trends, estimate variances, and basis changes to the Deputy Director, PMO Project Execution Branch for inclusion in monthly program cost reporting.
Prepare and independently review contractor change order cost proposals, including labor, equipment, material, and markup build-ups, for reasonableness and compliance with contract terms.
Develop or validate quantum estimates in support of claims analysis, distinguishing cost impact that is factually supported from cost impact that is estimated or in dispute; coordinate with Contracts and Claims counsel on entitlement questions, which remain a legal rather than an estimating determination.
Support negotiation of change order pricing by providing defensible, methodology-documented cost positions to the negotiating team.
Prepare estimate summaries and variance narratives for executive and Board-level program updates.
Respond to PMOC, FRA, FTA, and state audit inquiries regarding estimate basis, methodology, and cost data; support cost reviews and independent government cost estimates (IGCE) as requested.
Maintain estimate documentation and version control in accordance with Authority document control and records retention requirements.
Supervise estimators, cost engineers, and quantity take-off staff assigned to the TSCC contract, and provide technical direction to contractor and subconsultant estimating staff on submittals requiring Authority review.
Coordinate closely with key program interfaces, including Program Controls (cost, schedule, and risk), Design and Engineering, Construction Management, Contracts and Procurement, Claims and Change Management, the PMOC, and FRA and FTA as requested.