Cost Estimator - Water & Transport

WT (Australia); Brisbane; Hybrid; AUD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid professional memberships

Hybrid work arrangement

Wellbeing days

Award-winning office environment

Job summary

WT (Australia) is seeking a Senior Cost Engineer to join the QLD Infrastructure team in Brisbane. You will build first-principles cost estimates for water and transport projects, analyse costs across labour, plant, materials, and subcontractors, and identify cost-saving opportunities across the project lifecycle.

Role focuses on ensuring projects stay within budget, supporting tender development, and collaborating with stakeholders to reflect scope, design maturity, and delivery methods.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of cost engineering or construction estimating experience, with at least 2 years in electrical estimating.
• Solid understanding of electrical contracting industry, building regulations, and construction methods.
• Experience with estimating software and tools.
• Advanced Excel skills; familiarity with Project tools.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain first-principles cost estimates for Water and Transport infrastructure projects across civil, structural, mechanical and electrical disciplines.
• Perform detailed cost analysis for labour, plant, materials, subcontractors and preliminaries.
• Prepare tender budgets and cost reports across the project lifecycle.
• Identify cost efficiencies, value engineering opportunities, and alternative delivery methods.
• Review designs, drawings, specifications, programmes, and contracts to determine scope and cost implications.
• Collaborate with engineers, designers, project managers, and clients to reflect project scope accurately.
• Support procurement strategies, tender submissions, and commercial proposals.
• Monitor project costs and forecast movements; report on cost risks.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Commercial awareness

Project management

First principles estimating

Drawing & specs interpretation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Construction Management

Electrical license or engineering degree preferred

Tools

Estimating software

Excel

MS Projects

Job description

Job Description

At WT, we empower our clients to grow, inspiring confidence through our independent cost management and advisory services. Operating for 75 years, our expertise spans the building, construction, and infrastructure sectors.

We support our clients with an award-winning team of specialists in portfolio and program advisory, quantity surveying and cost management, commercial and financial advisory, carbon and sustainability, and asset and facilities management.

With a global footprint covering Australia, New Zealand, Asia, India, Middle East, North America, Africa, the UK and Europe, our clients can tap into the collective thinking of over 2,000 of the best people in the industry, operating from over 70 offices.

Are you interested in working on major statewide projects, transforming the Transport & Water networks across Queensland?

The WT QLD Infrastructure team are collaborating with major clients on a 'city-shaping' projects, and we're looking for an established Senior Cost Engineer to join our highly experienced, culturally diverse, and passionate Queensland office.

Purpose of the Role:

The Cost Engineer is responsible for ensuring that engineering projects are completed within budget by providing precise cost estimates, conducting thorough cost analysis, and identifying cost-saving measures.

This role is essential in optimising financial outcomes and supporting the successful delivery of projects.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain first-principles cost estimates for Water and Transport infrastructure projects, covering civil, structural, mechanical and electrical disciplines.
• Undertake detailed cost analysis and develop robust estimates for labour, plant, materials, subcontractors, preliminaries and other project costs.
• Prepare comprehensive concept, planning, design and tender-stage cost estimates and budgets across the project lifecycle.
• Identify and advise on cost efficiencies, value engineering opportunities and alternative delivery solutions, while considering constructability, programme and project risk.
• Review and assess designs, drawings, specifications, programmes, contracts and other project documentation to determine scope, quantities and cost implications.
• Undertake quantity take-offs and prepare bills of quantities and cost build-ups for civil, structural, mechanical and electrical works.
• Collaborate with engineers, designers, project managers, planners and client stakeholders to ensure estimates appropriately reflect project scope, design maturity, delivery methodology and applicable requirements.
• Support the assessment of contractor and supplier pricing, procurement strategies, tender submissions and commercial proposals.
• Monitor, analyse and report on project costs, forecast movements, scope changes and emerging cost risks.
• Prepare tender documentation, cost reports, estimate presentations and supporting advice for clients and project stakeholders.
• Evaluate tender and bid documentation, construction methodologies and programmes, and develop appropriate pricing, risk and estimating strategies.
• Apply appropriate contingency, escalation, risk allowances and estimating assumptions based on project maturity and available information.
• Maintain clear and auditable estimate bases, assumptions, exclusions, qualifications and source data.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Water and Transport clients, delivery partners, contractors and industry stakeholders.

About You:

• A high level of commercial awareness and exceptional communication skills.
• You possess strong analytical capabilities and advanced organizational skills with a keen eye for detail.
• Proven experience in managing complex engineering projects, particularly in the Civil Infrastructure, Transport, Utilities, Water and Rail sectors.
• Demonstrated first principles estimating experience.
• Strong drawing and specification interpretation.
• You are committed to continuous professional development and achieving CPEng or RPEQ status.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field. Electrical License or Engineering degree is preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in cost engineering or construction cost estimating, with at least 2 years in electrical industrial estimating.
• Solid understanding of the electrical contracting industry, engineering materials, building regulations, and construction methods.
• Experience with estimating software and tools.
• Advanced computer skills, particularly in Excel for database and spreadsheet development and maintenance. Intermediate skills in Microsoft Projects, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Full Australian working rights and currently located in Brisbane

Additional Information

At WT, in addition to your competitive salary we offer many perks including:

• Paid professional memberships
• Three / Two split between the office and working from home.
• Wellbeing days- time to focus on your wellbeing and the community
• WT’s balanced way of working
• When you're working from the office, you'll be in an award-winning office fit-out which supports flexible and activity-based working in a prime location with amazing riverside views.

If you're keen to work on truly landmark projects and build your future career, this could be a great opportunity for you to join an international cost consultancy at the forefront of QLD’s major construction & infrastructure projects.