Chief Estimator – ICI Construction

Dawn Recruiting Agency; Woodstock; On-site; CAD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Dawn Recruiting Agency seeks a Chief Estimator for an established general contractor. You will lead the estimating department from concept through tender, mentor staff, and collaborate with executives on preconstruction strategies.

The role emphasizes accuracy, profitability, and competitive bids, with responsibility for bid decisions, budgets, and procurement strategies. Manage multiple tenders and drive improved cost forecasting.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive estimating experience in commercial, industrial, or institutional construction.
• Experience leading and mentoring estimating teams.
• Degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or Architectural Technology.
• Strong knowledge of Lump Sum, Construction Management, and Design-Build delivery models.

Responsibilities

• Lead the estimating department, overseeing bids, budgets, and cost estimates for projects.
• Establish and enforce estimating standards, policies, and best practices for consistency and competitiveness.
• Mentor and develop estimating staff, ensuring succession planning and leadership pipeline.
• Collaborate with Operations and Business Development to align estimating with company objectives.
• Provide executive input on bid strategies, value engineering, and constructability reviews.

Skills

Leadership

Team mentorship

Negotiation

Communication

Strategic thinking

Education

Construction Management / Civil Engineering / Architectural Technology degree

Job description

Position Summary

We have an exciting opportunity for a Chief Estimator to join an established general contractor. Reporting to the VP of Construction, the Chief Estimator manages the full estimating process from concept through tender, establishes best practices, and maintains strong relationships with clients, consultants, and subcontractors. You will ensure accurate, competitive, and profitable estimates while providing strategic leadership, mentoring staff, and collaborating with executives on business development and preconstruction strategies.

Roles and responsibilities

• You will lead the estimating department, overseeing the preparation of all bids, budgets, and cost estimates for the company’s construction projects.
• Provide leadership and direction to the estimating department, managing Senior Estimators, Estimators, and Junior Estimators.
• Establish and enforce estimating standards, policies, and best practices to ensure consistency, accuracy, and competitiveness across all bids.
• Mentor and develop estimating staff, ensuring professional growth, succession planning, and a strong pipeline of future leaders.
• Manage departmental workload, balancing resources across multiple tenders to meet deadlines and client expectations.
• Lead go/no-go bid decisions in collaboration with executive leadership, evaluating project fit, capacity, risk, and profitability.
• Oversee the preparation of conceptual budgets, schematic estimates, detailed bids, and procurement strategies for major projects.
• Review and approve all final estimates, ensuring they align with company profitability goals, contractual requirements, and risk frameworks.
• Ensure estimates achieve targeted gross margins by project type.
• Lead bid risk identification reviews and management efforts.
• Lead major tender closings, ensuring submissions are compliant, accurate, and positioned strategically for success.
• Lead the transition from successful tender to Operations through formal project handoff meetings, ensuring complete transfer of estimating assumptions, risk registers, subcontractor commitments, and pricing strategies.
• Collaborate with Operations and Business Development teams to align estimating strategies with overall company objectives.
• Serve as a senior point of contact for clients and consultants during preconstruction, supporting presentations, interviews, and proposal discussions.
• Provide executive-level input on bid strategies, value engineering options, constructability reviews, and innovative delivery models.
• Track and analyze market trends, subcontractor pricing, and material costs to maintain competitiveness and improve cost forecasting.
• Develop and maintain productive long-term relationships with key clients, developers, consultants and trade partners to increase negotiated and repeat business opportunities.
• Support contract negotiations by providing cost breakdowns, scope clarifications, and risk analyses.
• Champion adoption of estimating technologies, digital workflows, and databases that improve accuracy, efficiency, and scalability.
• Oversee maintenance of historical cost data and benchmarking tools to support budgeting and forecasting.
• Lead lessons‑learned sessions and integrate feedback into continuous improvement initiatives for the estimating function.
• Monitor departmental KPIs such as bid-to-win ratios, estimate accuracy vs. actual costs, and proposal quality, reporting results to the Preconstruction Director.
• Ensure estimating practices remain current with evolving delivery models, contract types, and industry innovations.
• Participate in the GC leadership team and contribute to strategic, annual, and resource planning activities.
• Adhere to all company policies and procedures
• Perform any other duties that may be assigned, whether specifically or generally related to the role

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive estimating experience in commercial, industrial, or institutional construction, with proven success in leading complex bids.
• Diploma or degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architectural Technology, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience leading and mentoring estimating teams.
• Strong knowledge of construction methods, contracts, and delivery models (Lump Sum, Construction Management, Design-Build).
• Strong financial and analytical skills with a high degree of accuracy.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple bids simultaneously under tight deadlines.
• Established relationships within the subcontractor and supplier community are considered an asset.

Salary & Benefits

• Generous annual base salary, bonus structure, Extended Health, Vision and Dental benefits.
• RRSP match, Company car/Vehicle Allowance / Mileage reimbursement