Senior Cost Estimator, EMEA Infrastructure Development - (m/w/d)

Tesla Germany GmbH; Berlin; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Tesla Germany GmbH in Berlin is seeking a Senior Cost Estimator to lead the consolidation of cost estimating for EMEA construction projects. You will define standards, govern templates, and provide independent, validated estimates for go/no-go decisions across Service Centers, Retail Stores, and delivery hubs.

You will travel up to 50% across the EMEA region, build a robust cost database, and drive continuous improvement in estimation methodologies while collaborating with design, procurement,

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, or related field — or equivalent professional experience.
• 5+ years as a senior specialist or SME in project cost estimating, preferably in retail, commercial, industrial, or multi-site infrastructure rollout environments.
• Practical knowledge of construction means and methods across civil, structural, architectural, MEP disciplines with the ability to translate technical knowledge into accurate, defensible cost advice.
• Solid understanding of CapEx cost estimating from ROM through detailed CapEx budgeting; proven experience with quantity take-offs and design document interpretation.
• Experience maintaining or developing pricing databases or cost libraries at a portfolio or multi-country level.
• Ability of identifying main risks especially during ROM which could significantly impact the costs in a later stage.
• Analytical, detail-oriented, and self-motivated; proactive communicator in a fast-paced, multicultural environment.
• Experience building, leading, or transitioning to a centralized estimating function — methodology, SOPs, and standardization frameworks.
• Proven track record as the go-to cost expert for project teams, designers, and leadership; authoritative cost advice with confidence, independence, and sound professional judgement.
• Availability to travel across EMEA as required (up to 50%).
• English required; additional European language skills a strong plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop cost estimates from ROM through detailed CapEx budgets, with accuracy appropriate to each project stage.
• Produce high-level estimates based on historic data to support go/no-go decisions against key cost metrics.
• Analyze plans, due diligence reports and interpret designs; perform dimensional quantity take-offs; identify scope implied but not shown in design documents.
• Develop and manage a Basis of Estimate for each project — scope, execution strategy, precision level, assumptions, exclusions, risks, and critical information.
• Lead value engineering at early design stages, providing cost-driven feedback and recommendations to designers.
• Visit project sites as required to validate scope, site conditions, and constraints in support of estimation.
• Support Procurement and PMs with contractor pricing validation and bid leveling to ensure value.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of estimating processes.
• Maintain and update the cost database reflecting market conditions, inflation, transport costs, and regional differentiation.
• Deliver accurate, independently validated estimates to support ATP and go/no-go decisions; review outputs against historic pricing and regional benchmarks.
• Provide expert input to Procurement on sourcing and pricing for atypical works or high cost-variance items.

Skills

Cost estimation

Budgeting

Quantities take-offs

Data analysis

Technical communication

Travel readiness

Education

Engineering degree or related field

Job description

What to Expect

The EMEA Infrastructure Development team is seeking a Senior Cost Estimator to serve as the subject matter expert in construction cost estimating across Tesla's EMEA portfolio, including Service Centers, Retail Stores, Delivery Hubs, and Non-SSD sites (R&D, Training, Offices, etc.) You will drive the transition from decentralized regional estimating to a centralized EMEA-wide approach — defining the methodology, standards, templates, and governance for how projects are evaluated. You will deliver independent, reliable construction cost estimates at every project stage, giving project teams, designers, procurement, and leadership a trusted reference for go/no-go decisions.

What You’ll Do

• Develop cost estimates from Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) through detailed CapEx budgets, with accuracy appropriate to each project stage (AACE estimate classes as reference framework)
• Produce high-level estimates based on historic data to support go/no-go decisions against key cost metrics
• Analyze plans, Due diligence reports and interpret designs; perform dimensional quantity take-offs; identify scope implied but not explicitly shown in design documents
• Develop and manage a Basis of Estimate for each project — scope, execution strategy, precision level, assumptions, exclusions, risks, and critical information
• Lead value engineering at early design stages, providing cost-driven feedback and recommendations to designers
• Visit project sites as required to validate scope, site conditions, and constraints in support of estimation — working from assumptions and scope definition provided by the Project Manager, Real Estate team and design team
• Support the Procurement and PMs with contractor pricing validation and bid leveling to ensure we are receiving good value for spends
• Contribute to continuous improvement of estimating processes
• Maintain and update the cost database, ensuring pricing reflects current market conditions, inflation, transport costs, and regional differentiation
• Deliver accurate, independently validated estimates to support ATP and go/no-go decisions; review outputs against historic pricing and regional benchmarks
• Provide expert input to Procurement on sourcing and pricing for atypical works or high cost-variance items

What You’ll Bring

• Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, or related field — or equivalent professional experience
• 5+ years as a senior specialist or SME in project cost estimating, preferably in retail, commercial, industrial, or multi-site infrastructure rollout environments
• Practical knowledge of construction means and methods across civil, structural, architectural, MEP disciplines with the ability to translate technical knowledge into accurate, defensible cost advice
• Solid understanding of CapEx cost estimating from ROM through detailed CapEx budgeting; proven experience with quantity take-offs and design document interpretation
• Experience maintaining or developing pricing databases or cost libraries at a portfolio or multi-country level
• Ability of identifying main risks especially during ROM which could significantly impact the costs in a later stage
• Analytical, detail-oriented, and self-motivated; proactive communicator in a fast-paced, multicultural environment
• Experience building, leading, or transitioning to a centralized estimating function — methodology, SOPs, and standardization frameworks
• Proven track record as the go-to cost expert for project teams, designers, and leadership; authoritative cost advice with confidence, independence, and sound professional judgement
• Availability to travel across EMEA as required (up to 50%)
• English required; additional European language skills a strong plus

Tesla is an Equal Opportunity / Aff… employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

Tesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.

Privacy is a top priority for Tesla. We build it into our products and view it as an essential part of our business. To understand more about the data we collect and process as part of your application, please view our Tesla Talent Privacy Notice.