Head of Tendering & Estimation

DigiRecruitx; Mumbai; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 6,200,000; Full time

Job summary

DigiRecruitx is seeking an experienced Head of Tendering & Estimation to own the complete bid lifecycle for complex building and factory projects in India. You will lead the tendering team and coordinate MEP, design, and subcontractor partners to build competitive GC, EPC, and turnkey bids.

The role demands 20+ years in construction with a strong track record in tendering or estimation, and senior-level leadership across multi-disciplinary teams.

Qualifications

• 20+ years in construction with at least 8 years in tendering or estimation.
• Experience leading tendering teams for buildings and factories (not infrastructure/roads).
• Expertise in item-rate BOQ tendering, rate build-ups, benchmarking, and cost estimation.

Responsibilities

• Lead go/no-go decisions and manage bid pipeline with senior leadership.
• Own end-to-end cost estimation across civil, structural, finishes, and indirect costs.
• Restructure bids into lump-sum, EPC, turnkey, or hybrid contracts as needed.
• Coordinate MEP, design, PEB and partners for GC/turnkey bids and submissions.
• Prepare and review technical submissions, methodology, and programme inputs.
• Lead client presentations, clarifications, and post-bid negotiations.

Skills

Tendering leadership

Estimation

Bid management

Cost estimation

Vendor coordination

Education

B.E./B.Tech in Civil Engineering

MBA in Construction/Finance (advantage)

Tools

CostX

Primavera P6

SAP ERP

Job description

About the Role

We are hiring an experienced Head of Tendering & Estimation for a well-established EPC contractor delivering large-scale building and factory projects across India.

The role will own the complete bid lifecycle—from go/no-go decisions through estimation, tender submission, client presentations, post-bid negotiations, and handover to operations. The position will also lead the tendering team and coordinate specialist MEP, PEB, design, and subcontractor partners required to build competitive GC, EPC, and turnkey bids.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead go/no-go decisions and manage the bid pipeline in alignment with business development and senior leadership.
• Own end-to-end cost estimation across civil, structural, finishes, and indirect costs using item-rate BOQ take-offs, first-principles rate build-ups, and current market benchmarks.
• Restructure bids into lump-sum, EPC, turnkey, or hybrid commercial models based on project and contract requirements.
• Source, evaluate, and onboard MEP, design, PEB, and specialist partners for GC and turnkey bids, including scope coordination, pricing inputs, and submission management.
• Prepare and review technical bid submissions covering methodology, execution approach, resource deployment, and programme inputs.
• Lead client-facing technical presentations, clarification meetings, post-bid negotiations, and final handover to operations.
• Review contract and commercial risks including BOQ gaps, LD exposure, retention clauses, escalation provisions, and other key bid conditions before submission.
• Maintain an updated rate library, subcontractor database, market benchmarks, and post-award margin review process.
• Build, mentor, and manage a capable, process-driven tendering and estimation team.

Requirements

• Experience: 20+ years in construction, including at least 8 years leading tendering or estimation with a main contractor.
• Strong background exclusively in buildings and factories such as high-rise residential, commercial developments, pharmaceutical plants, industrial facilities, or data centres. Infrastructure and roads-only backgrounds will not be considered.
• Deep expertise in item-rate BOQ tendering from first principles, including rate build-ups, DSR benchmarking, quantity take-offs, and market-based costing.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt commercial structures across lump-sum, EPC, turnkey, and hybrid contract models.
• Proven experience coordinating MEP and design partners for GC/turnkey bids and managing multiple specialist partners through submission.
• Minimum 5 continuous years at a single organisation in a senior bid, tendering, or estimation role. Highly fragmented tenures will not be progressed.
• Education: B.E./B.Tech in Civil Engineering. M.Tech or MBA in Construction/Finance is an advantage.

Preferred Background

• Experience with leading construction organisations such as L&T Construction (B&F IC), PSP Projects, Ahluwalia Contracts, Tata Projects, Shapoorji Pallonji, or equivalent.
• Established relationships with developers, pharmaceutical occupiers, and industrial clients across Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, or Pune.
• Proficiency in CostX, Primavera P6, and ERP platforms such as SAP or equivalent.
• Demonstrable value-engineering wins and measurable bid win-rate performance from previous roles.

Why This Opportunity

• Lead the complete tendering and estimation function for complex building and factory projects.
• Influence bid strategy, commercial structure, partner selection, and project win rate.
• Work closely with senior leadership, business development, operations, and specialist partners on high-value opportunities.
• Build a strong tendering team and establish disciplined estimation, benchmarking, and post-award review processes.