Senior Estimator, Civil

J EllisDon Corporation; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

EllisDon is seeking a Senior Estimator Lead to drive civil project estimates from pre-construction through turnover, covering a spectrum of delivery methods up to $1B+. You will shape bid strategy, manage RFPs, and mentor a growing estimating team in a fast-paced environment in Vancouver.

The role demands deep civil estimating expertise, leadership, and a strong grasp of contract models, with a salary range reflecting senior-level responsibilities. EllisDon emphasizes inclusion and career growth.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in civil construction estimating and related functions.
• Advanced knowledge of escalation and contingency development.
• Advanced knowledge of estimating objectives, strategies and contracts.
• Ability to lead a team in bid execution under time pressure.
• Strong organizational and supervisory skills.

Responsibilities

• Be the Primary Estimating Lead for civil pursuits through pre-construction and turnover for projects up to $1B+.
• Oversee RFPs, budgets and conceptual estimates across lump sum, CM, design‑build and P3 models.
• Establish bid strategies and ROI analyses for fee determination.
• Mentor and develop estimating talent; support succession planning.
• Ensure estimate completeness, assumptions, and risk positioning prior to review.
• Lead QA and process improvements; grow subcontractor relationships.

Skills

Civil estimating

Bid strategy

Team leadership

Problem solving

Estimating leadership

Education

Engineering degree or CET

Tools

B2W software

Microsoft Office

Job description

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.

Job Description

• Be the Primary Estimating Lead for all civil pursuits through both the estimating and pre‑construction phase until turnover for projects ranging in scale from $0 to $1B+.
• Be responsible and accountable for the oversight and development of RFPs, construction budgets and conceptual estimates across a variety of project types and delivery methods, including lump sum, construction management, design‑build and P3s.
• Establish project‑specific bid strategies and implementation plans, including return on investment analyses to be used as part of the fee determination.
• Develops talent, mentors future estimating leaders, and supports long‑term succession planning.
• Has final accountability for estimate completeness, assumptions, and risk positioning prior to executive review.
• Assist in the development and implementation of an area‑specific quality control plan and estimate review process that is flexible and scalable enough to be utilised on all contract models and in all stages of pursuit.
• Establish and grow subcontractor relationships in alignment with EllisDon’s Subcontractor Bill of Rights and encourage the same for the broader estimating team.
• Ensure estimates are being responded to in line with RFP and contractual requirements.
• Maintain databases, including labour rates, material pricing and project costs, for future reference.
• Track and report departmental resource forecasts to ensure appropriate coverage for current and future work.
• Manage and coordinate pursuit schedules to ensure interim deliverable dates are met and coordinated with other departments (MEiT, Operations, etc.).

Is this the right role for you?

• Eagerness and ambition to be a leader in building a new team.
• Extensive experience in civil construction estimating and related functions.
• Advanced knowledge and understanding of escalation and contingency development.
• Advanced knowledge of corporate objectives impacting estimating, estimating strategies and techniques, and construction contracts.
• Ability to work effectively and accurately in time‑sensitive and high pressure situations while managing a team to successful bid execution.
• Excellent organisational, supervisory and decision making/problem solving skills.
• Thorough knowledge, along with the ability to lead and teach a team in the use and deployment of “B2W” and Microsoft Office.
• Excellent knowledge of labour productivity rates and material costs for pricing own estimates.
• Thorough understanding of complex site logistics.
• Thorough understanding, knowledge and experience in various procurement and estimating models including: Construction Management, Design Build, PDB, Alliance, P3, and Lump Sum.
• Effective communication and people skills are critical to the role.
• Engineering degree or Technology Diploma P. Eng or Certified Engineering Technologist.

The salary range for this position is $150,000 - $180,000 annually.

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.

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

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. From our employees to clients, subcontractors, partners, and our considerable network of contacts, building strong, resilient relationships is the key to our success.

We build on great relationships.

We pride ourselves on being great people to work with.

Guided by our shared values of trust, complete openness, and mutual respect and accountability, we’ve built a construction services company known for our people and integrity.

We exist to provide great careers to one another.

With us you can expect to continually evolve your career, benefitting from mentorship at every level and working collaboratively with other teams to expand your knowledge and experience.

Values‑based leadership.

EllisDon’s culture and approach to business is a reflection of our core values and principles: freedom, trust, complete openness, mutual accountability, entrepreneurial enthusiasm, integrity and mutual respect.