Principal Construction Cost Manager, Estimating

Oracle•Palo Alto, CA

5d•$102,300 - $209,500

About The Position

This principal individual-contributor role combines hands-on construction estimating expertise with technical leadership across multidisciplinary estimating workstreams. The role coordinates employee and contractor estimators across civil, structural, architectural, mechanical, electrical, and infrastructure scopes, setting deliverable requirements and maintaining a disciplined review process. The position translates evolving designs, construction requirements, market conditions, and project risks into credible estimates that support capital planning, procurement, and delivery decisions. It develops and improves estimating methods, templates, benchmarks, and cost databases, connecting estimates with procurement outcomes and actual project costs. Estimating leadership is the primary focus of the planned workload. The role also independently delivers defined project or package cost-management assignments and provides cost-lead coverage when required, with scope, priorities, and decision rights agreed with the responsible cost-management leader. The role exercises independent professional judgment on complex cost matters, provides technical direction and mentoring, and influences stakeholders across functions. Financial approvals, contractual commitments, and personnel decisions remain with the appropriate authorized owners.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Finance, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant practical experience.
Eight or more years of progressive experience in construction estimating, cost planning, quantity surveying, or capital-project cost management, including substantial estimating responsibility.
Experience with data centers, mission-critical facilities, or comparably complex industrial and infrastructure projects.
Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary estimating workstreams and coordinate employee or contractor contributions without relying on formal reporting authority.
Experience producing estimates from early feasibility through detailed design and reconciling estimates with contractor pricing and market evidence.
Hands-on capability in budgeting, forecasting, cost reporting, change evaluation, and commercial analysis.
Ability to interpret drawings, specifications, quantities, construction methodologies, schedules, and commercial documents across major construction disciplines.
Experience developing estimating procedures, quality reviews, benchmarks, and cost databases.
Advanced spreadsheet skills and proficiency with estimating, quantity takeoff, and cost-management tools.
Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills, including the ability to explain complex cost matters and recommendations to technical and business stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting hyperscale data center campuses or capital programs across multiple markets.
Experience with owner-side cost management, construction consultancy, or contractor preconstruction.
Familiarity with competitive tendering, negotiated procurement, design-build, construction management, and major construction contract pricing arrangements.
Experience integrating cost and schedule information, assessing productivity, and evaluating schedule-related cost exposure.
Familiarity with Oracle Unifier, Primavera P6, EcoSys, Oracle ERP, business intelligence platforms, or comparable systems.
Experience improving cost-data quality, reporting automation, or approved AI-assisted workflows.
Relevant professional credentials, such as AACE Certified Estimating Professional, Certified Cost Professional, MRICS, or PMP.

Responsibilities

Lead and coordinate estimating activities across assigned projects, disciplines, and geographic markets, establishing scopes, resource requirements, priorities, deliverables, and review schedules.
Develop, review, and reconcile feasibility, conceptual, schematic, design-development, and detailed construction estimates appropriate to design maturity.
Coordinate employee and contractor estimating contributions; resolve scope interfaces, gaps, duplication, quality concerns, and delivery constraints.
Establish a basis of estimate documenting scope, quantities, assumptions, exclusions, pricing sources, productivity, allowances, escalation, contingency, and key risks.
Challenge internal estimates and external proposals for technical accuracy, completeness, consistency, constructability, and alignment with project requirements.
Lead estimate reviews and reconciliations with Design, Engineering, Preconstruction, Construction, Procurement, Finance, and external partners.
Evaluate design alternatives, value engineering proposals, procurement options, and infrastructure innovations, considering cost, schedule, performance, and lifecycle implications.
Present recommendations explaining estimate movements, uncertainty, cost drivers, risks, and opportunities; support handover of estimates into approved project budgets.
Develop, document, and improve estimating procedures, templates, measurement rules, review checkpoints, and standard deliverables for approval and implementation within OCI’s governance framework.
Apply consistent estimate classifications, work and cost breakdown structures, cost coding, and reconciliation practices.
Maintain traceable cost databases covering quantities, unit rates, assemblies, systems, and project-level costs.
Develop and maintain benchmarks accounting for differences in geography, capacity, design, scope, delivery method, market conditions, and pricing date.
Incorporate bid results, contract awards, approved changes, and final costs into estimating intelligence; investigate estimate-to-actual variances and refine assumptions.
Track labor, material, productivity, escalation, and supply-chain trends, translating relevant developments into estimating advice and risk assessments.
For assigned projects, contracts, or work packages, develop and maintain budgets, cost plans, commitments, actuals, accruals, cash-flow projections, estimates to complete, and estimates at completion.
Prepare periodic cost reports and variance analyses, explaining forecast movements, emerging exposures, and recommended corrective actions.
Evaluate change proposals and potential claims for quantities, rates, scope alignment, supporting evidence, and cost implications; support commercial assessments and negotiations with Procurement, Contracts, Legal, and delivery teams.
Maintain change, risk, allowance, and contingency records; assess exposure and recommend adjustments or drawdowns through established approval processes.
Review payment applications against contract terms, progress valuations, and supporting cost evidence, and provide recommendations to authorized approvers.
Support procurement through cost models, bid comparisons, pricing assessments, and commercial recommendations.
Reconcile estimates, approved budgets, commitments, forecasts, and actual costs with Finance and project stakeholders.
Support final-account reconciliation, financial closeout, and lessons learned, returning validated cost information to estimating databases.
Escalate decisions, coverage requirements, or competing priorities that exceed the agreed assignment, available capacity, or delegated authority.
Provide technical guidance and mentoring to estimators, cost engineers, and analysts, promoting consistent methods and knowledge sharing.
Define contractor estimating deliverables and coordinate capacity within approved statements of work, escalating contractual or personnel matters to responsible owners.
Implement approved cost structures, reporting routines, document controls, and review requirements; recommend improvements based on delivery experience.
Maintain auditable records and protect confidential project, supplier, and commercial information in accordance with applicable Oracle policies and contractual requirements.
Use approved analytical and automation tools, validating outputs and maintaining traceability to source information and required human review.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including expert medical opinion.
Short-term and long-term disability coverage.
Life insurance and AD&D.
Supplemental life insurance for employees, spouses, and children.
Health care and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts.
Pre-tax commuter and parking benefits.
401(k) Savings and Investment Plan with company match.
Paid time off, including flexible vacation for eligible salaried non-overtime-eligible employees or accrued vacation for other eligible employees.
11 paid holidays.
Paid sick leave.
Paid parental leave.
Adoption assistance.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
Financial planning and group legal benefits.
Voluntary auto, homeowner, and pet insurance.
May be eligible for bonus and equity.