The posting
Description
The estimator can work a flex schedule, including 2 days working from home
The Estimator has responsibility and accountability for the entire estimate/bid. The Estimator reviews whatever documents are available (from conceptual stage to schematic design to design development to contract/bid documents) to develop accurate, thorough and timely estimates of costs for subcontractors, materials, labor, equipment, and all other cost elements for one or more simultaneous projects. The Estimator coordinates all matters relating to construction cost estimating, bidding, vendor qualifications, procurement/buyout and change order pricing. The Estimator conducts daily responsibilities in a professional manner, exercising discretion and independently making recommendations and decisions to accurately project costs and profitability, to ensure client satisfaction and positively influence corporate relationships with clients to promote the organizations reputation for excellence in the construction industry.
Preferred Qualifications:
Bachelors degree in engineering, construction management or related field, and 5-15 years of estimating experience, preferably in the construction industry. The Estimator must have thorough understanding of estimating costs in the context of Construction Management (guaranteed maximum price) and General Contractor (lump sum) service delivery methods and the related cost impacts, the bidding and procurement processes, knowledge of state-of-the-art preconstruction services and construction practices, means & methods, constructability pricing, as well as costs and availability of labor, equipment, materials, general conditions/requirements, schedule, logistics, bonds, licenses, insurance and permits. Must have expertise in cost estimating processes using estimating templates and construction industry software. Must be able to multi-task and work under tight time constraints.
Relationships:
The Estimator reports to Senior Management, and works in close collaboration with the design team. Success is dependent upon developing and maintaining excellent working relationships with architects and other members of the design team, subcontractors and vendors, project managers, coordinators of mechanical, electrical and plumbing, project engineers and marketing staff.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
- Updates, maintains and utilizes databases and bidder lists in accordance with the following:
- Updates, maintains and utilizes master cost database utilizing company standard software, estimating databases, including Timberline, on screen take off, BIM and any future software
- Solicits and prequalifies potential bidders in accordance with company comprehensive prequalification process.
- Updates, maintains and utilizes master bidder list.
- Demonstrates a thorough understanding of owner bonding requirements, companys and subcontractors bonding capacities and costs, and incorporates bonding costs into estimates.
- Demonstrates a thorough understanding of project insurance requirements and incorporates insurance costs into estimates.
- Maintains and utilizes a thorough knowledge of bidders from companys master bidder list to establish specific bid lists tailored to the needs of each project, taking into account factors such as the scope of work, size and capabilities of subcontractors and vendors, location and set aside requirements.
- Solicits bids from subcontractors and vendors, distributes bid documents, reviews, expedites and administers requests for information and levels bids for inclusion in the estimate.
- Establishes instructions to Bidders and General Requirements specific to each project, e.g., rules and regulations, schedule, phasing and logistics.
- Organizes, sets agenda and chairs subcontractor and vendor preconstruction meetings and site visits, and issues meeting minutes.
- Chairs or participates in subcontractor and vendor scope review meetings; performs follow-up activities and documents scope prior to determination of guaranteed maximum price; levels bids for incorporation into company estimate; screens subcontractor and vendor qualifications and clarifications and resolves as needed; documents qualifications and clarifications for owners.
- Attends owner pre-bid meetings and site visits. Makes and documents observations about logistics, existing conditions and other factors for inclusion in the estimate.
- Considers all aspects of project including constructability, design options, what if scenarios, and value engineering and proactively makes recommendations on best solutions on cost, engineering and materials to address client priorities and needs and to minimize change orders during construction.
- Prepares estimates utilizing company software and databases, in various levels of estimate detail, e.g., unit price, square foot, labor & material, based upon full range of industry standard information such as conceptual, schematic, design development and bid documents. Supplements databases with industry data as needed and adjusts costs derived from databases to establish cost specific to each client, project and market.
- Prepares estimates taking into account all sources of requirements, both general (e.g. laws, regulations, OHSA, SBI policies) and specific (e.g., RFPs, plans, specifications, site visits/meetings, RFIs, addendums, owner rules and regulations and logistics.
- Ensures that estimates include consideration of costs of bonding, insurance, safety, permitting, taxes, means and methods, trade jurisdictions, labor rates, self-perform versus subcontracting, geographical distinctions and all other items that impact upon cost.
- Customizes estimates to meet bid form formats, e.g., schedule of values, alternates, unit pricing and phasing.
- Performs all activities related to the buyout process, including selection of subcontractors and vendors, and issuance of purchase orders or contracts.
- Prepares and regularly updates cash-flow requirements and projections.
- Maintains files of all working documents and data as back-up to estimate figures; maintains front end bid documentation reflecting client rules, procedures and regulations.
- Supports project managers and other departments as required and requested.
- Particular estimators may also be assigned responsibility for utilizing the virtual processes associated with Laser Imaging and Business Information Modeling (BIM) technology to gather, generate, analyze and communicate information about all aspects, disciplines and systems of a building, in order to realize a single, virtual model of a building, which permits collaboration among owners, architects, engineers, construction managers and subcontractors, and facilitates cost estimation, clash detection and reduces change orders.
- Works assigned schedule and complies with all company policies.
