Senior Estimator - Life Sciences

Jacobs; Cork; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Jacobs is seeking an experienced Senior Estimator to support major capital investment programmes across Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical and Biotech sectors in Ireland. You will shape cost intelligence for large, complex projects and bring deep expertise in developing engineers’ estimates for EPCM-driven initiatives.

Ideal candidates will have strong technical capability, commercial judgement and a commitment to high-quality estimating delivery, with a track record in Life Sciences or related

Qualifications

• BSc or MSc in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Engineering or related field.
• Extensive experience in cost engineering and quantity surveying.
• Proven track record delivering estimates for large-scale industrial projects.
• Experience with EPCM project environments.

Responsibilities

• Meet estimating needs and report to the Estimating Section Head.
• Deliver high quality, accurate estimates aligned with client expectations.
• Standardise estimating delivery—tools and templates across projects.
• Develop and execute estimate plans for all assigned projects.
• Perform estimate risk analysis and contingency assessments.
• Present and review estimates with project teams and clients.
• Lead Value Engineering and Risk Workshops to support project optimisation.
• Drive continuous improvement in estimating tools and productivity.

Skills

Cost estimation

Cost engineering

Project estimation

EPCM understanding

Education

BSc or MSc in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Engineering or related

Tools

CostX

Navisworks

Excel

Job description

At Jacobs, we’re challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world’s most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, operation advancement and scientific discovery.

Your impact

Role Overview

The Life Sciences team in Ireland is seeking an experienced Senior Estimator to support major capital investment programmes across the Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical and Biotech sectors. As part of our Estimating function, you will play a key role in shaping cost intelligence for some of the largest and most complex projects in the region. We are looking for a candidate with deep expertise in developing Engineers’ Estimates for EPCM‑driven projects, ideally within Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical, Biotech, Data Centre or Semi‑Conductor environments. You will bring strong technical capability, sound commercial judgement, and a commitment to consistent, high quality estimating delivery.

Key Accountabilities

• Ensure all estimating needs for assigned projects are met, reporting to the Estimating Section Head.
• Deliver high quality, accurate and timely estimates aligned with Jacobs’ standards and client expectations.
• Build strong, respectful working relationships with project teams and client stakeholders.
• Meet commitments on schedule, effort hours and cost budgets.
• Continuously seek opportunities to improve tools, templates, processes and data quality.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Implement Operating Procedures for estimating activities and ensure consistent adoption across projects.
• Standardise estimating delivery—tools, templates, filing structures—to embed a Jacobs wide approach.
• Develop and execute estimate plans for all assigned projects.
• Compile project estimates in line with approved plans and standard procedures.
• Perform estimate risk analysis and contingency assessments.
• Present and review estimates with project teams, senior management and clients.
• Consolidate benchmark data in a centralised, traceable repository to capture lessons learned and improve future estimates.
• Lead Value Engineering and Risk Workshops to support project optimisation.
• Support and promote Capital Cost Trending, Jacobs Value Plus, and Jacobs Sustainability Plus initiatives.
• Ensure systems and processes meet all project management and client requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement in estimating tools and productivity, leveraging platforms such as Cost x, Navisworks, Excel and other digital solutions.

Requirements

• BSc or MSc in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Engineering or a related discipline.
• Chartered membership of Engineers Ireland, SCSI or equivalent (advantageous).
• Extensive experience in cost engineering, quantity surveying or estimating, including time spent on construction sites.
• Proven experience delivering estimates for large scale industrial projects, ideally within Life Sciences or other advanced technology sectors.
• Strong understanding of EPCM project environments.

As a disability confident employer, we will interview disabled candidates who best meet the criteria. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

We value collaboration and believe that in‑person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.