Estimator

EllisDon; Calgary; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation package

Full benefits

RRSP matching

Ownership and ongoing professional dev

Job summary

EllisDon Project Advisory & Management seeks a senior estimator with 7+ years of experience in estimating ICI projects to lead our estimating efforts across Western Canada. You will mentor junior staff, develop cost models, and collaborate with insurers, engineers, and project teams to align scope with market conditions.

Join a fast-growing advisory division delivering disaster recovery, institutional developments, and strategic construction consulting across Western Canada.

Qualifications

• Experience estimating ICI projects
• Ability to lead estimating efforts independently
• Experience with public-sector/institutional clients is a plus

Responsibilities

• Deliver high‑quality cost estimates across a diverse portfolio of insurance losses, catastrophe recovery, and owner‑led capital projects.
• Lead estimating on large-scale rebuild programs following disasters and other major projects.
• Develop scopes of work and validate pricing for emergency repairs, demolition, and restoration.
• Produce detailed take-offs and conceptual estimates using Xactimate, CostX, Bluebeam, and traditional methods.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to align scope and final costs.
• Mentor junior estimators and grow the PA&M estimating practice.
• Maintain regional pricing benchmarks and vendor databases.

Skills

Estimating leadership

Strong communication

Team mentoring

Education

PQS

GSC

Gold Seal

LEED AP

RICS

Tools

Xactimate

CostX

Bluebeam

Excel

Job description

Connect with us LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Thinking about a change?

We recognize that the construction industry is changing at a rapid pace and we continually strive to be at the forefront. Our core values empower people to deliver great careers to one another and develop creative solutions for complex problems on some of the most exciting projects. It doesn’t matter what your expertise and craft is – there are no boundaries. We are a group of professionals with a variety of expertise within pre-construction, construction, and post-construction. To learn more, check out our Cradle to Grave services and hear from our team directly about what a career at EllisDon could look like for you. As you can see, we are a diverse bunch.

Above all, we are a group of individuals with unique experiences and at EllisDon, we choose to celebrate the strength in our differences, every day. EllisDon’s commitment to Inclusive Diversity is to work together to create an environment where every employee feels safe to be their true and authentic self. Ultimately, EllisDon’s purpose is to provide people with similar values the opportunity to achieve to their full potential; to deliver that opportunity for great careers to one another; and to contribute meaningfully to the community we share with others.

In case you’re curious, here’s what the industry thinks of us and some of the impacts we’ve made to the communities we work in and our latest Impact Report, highlighting how we’re putting our values into practice in areas such as the climate & environment, inclusive diversity, indigenous relations, and health and safety.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Deliver high-quality cost estimates across a diverse portfolio of insurance losses, catastrophe recovery, and owner-led capital projects
• Support Owner’s Representative services for clients across Western Canada, ensuring budgets are realistic, defensible, and aligned with market conditions to assist our Project Management Teams
• Provide estimating leadership on large-scale rebuild programs following fires, wildfires, floods, and regional disasters of all nature.
• Assist public and institutional clients in capital planning, feasibility analysis, and procurement strategies
• Develop scopes of work and validate pricing for emergency repairs, demolition, and restoration projects and large complex insurance claims
• Produce detailed take-offs and conceptual estimates using Xactimate, CostX, Bluebeam, and traditional estimating methods
• Prepare cost substantiation for insurance claims — including photo documentation, third-party reports, and material/labour breakdowns
• Collaborate with other internal EllisDon groups, insurers, engineers, legal counsel, and contractors to align scope and final costs
• Mentor junior estimators and contribute to the growth of the PA&M estimating practice
• Collaborate with EllisDon ICI local estimating departments to ensure market values are up to date with market conditions
• Maintain regional pricing benchmarks and vendor databases to ensure estimates reflect real-world market conditions
• Work closely with EllisDon’s in-house divisions — including PME, ICI, Building Sciences, Civil, and Virtual Design & Construction — to develop integrated solutions
• Work closely with Cost Consultants and Project Managers across Western Canada to support insurance claims and owner’s representative projects

What You Bring

• 7+ years of experience in estimating ICI projects
• Strong background in unit-rate, conceptual, and schedule-driven estimating
• Experience supporting public-sector clients, institutional owners, or developers as part of Owner’s Rep / Project Management teams
• Expertise with Xactimate, CostX, Bluebeam, and Excel-based cost modelsProfessional designations such as PQS, GSC, Gold Seal, LEED AP, or RICS preferred
• Proven ability to lead estimating efforts independently and communicate effectively with internal and external senior stakeholders
• Passion for bringing structure, value, and leadership to complex or time-sensitive projects

Why Join EllisDon Project Advisory & Management?

• Work on nation-shaping projects across Western Canada, from disaster recovery to major institutional developments
• Be part of a fast-growing advisory division that combines construction expertise with strategic consulting
• Access the full depth of EllisDon’s expert divisions to support you in your role
• Contribute to shaping EllisDon’s catastrophe response program
• Enjoy a competitive compensation package, full benefits, RRSP matching, ownership and ongoing professional development

EllisDon is proud to provide this unique career opportunity that provides continuous learning, opportunity for growth, and a competitive compensation package within an environment that is committed to inclusion and respects diversity.

Go ahead and be yourself. We'll pay you for it!

We are an equal opportunity employer. We welcome people of any age, culture, subculture, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity, race, size, mental or physical status, veteran status, religion, language, political opinion, working-style preference, family status, education, and socio-economic status. The EllisDon core values of Integrity and Mutual Respect welcomes everyone, at work and in the community, and our value of Mutual Accountability, means that we all have a role to play. As an EllisDon employee, this will ultimately be your commitment to Inclusive Diversity.

Accommodation for Applicants with disabilities will be made during the recruitment process when requested.

We are committed to providing a positive candidate experience and ensuring timely updates are provided to all candidates. If you haven’t already, be sure to create a profile on our Careers page to remain up to date on the status of your application and learn about new career opportunities as they arise.

EllisDon uses AI tools to assist in screening and assessing applicants for this position.