Senior Estimator

craft group; Saudi Arabia; On-site; SAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

craft group seeks a Senior Estimation Engineer to lead the preparation and review of major construction tenders, focusing on pricing complex projects and tender strategy.

The role requires 15+ years of estimation and tendering experience, GCC exposure, and proven ability to price tenders at SAR 100 million and above. The candidate will coordinate with Procurement, Technical, Planning and Commercial teams across Saudi projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying or related discipline.
• Minimum 15 years of relevant estimation and tendering experience with a main contractor or established construction company.
• Strong GCC experience, preferably with knowledge of the Saudi construction market.
• Experience in tenders above SAR 100 million.
• Proficient in Excel; experience with estimation software (AutoCAD, Revit/BIM, Primavera, ERP) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Review tender drawings, specifications, BOQs, and contracts.
• Identify scope gaps, risks, exclusions and commercial issues.
• Prepare and review cost estimates, take-offs and rate build-ups.
• Develop complete project pricing including all cost components.
• Issue RFQs and obtain competitive quotations from subcontractors.
• Review quotes for market realism and full scope.
• Coordinate with Procurement, Technical, Planning, Commercial and Construction teams.
• Prepare tender cost summary for management review.
• Support post-tender clarifications and negotiations.
• Handover estimate and commercial position on award.

Skills

Tender pricing

Cost estimation

Risk assessment

Project coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or related

Tools

Excel

AutoCAD

Revit/BIM

Primavera

ERP systems

Job description

We are looking for a Senior Estimation Engineer to lead the preparation and review of major construction tenders. The role requires strong hands-on experience in pricing complex projects and a good understanding of construction methods, subcontractor markets, commercial risks and tender strategy.

The candidate should have a proven record in major multidisciplinary projects covering civil, architectural, fit-out, MEP, landscape and specialist works.

Main Responsibilities

• Review tender drawings, specifications, BOQs, contract conditions and other tender documents.
• Identify scope gaps, discrepancies, exclusions, qualifications and key commercial or technical risks.
• Prepare and review detailed quantity take-offs, cost estimates and rate build-ups.
• Develop complete project pricing including materials, labour, equipment, subcontractors, preliminaries, logistics, temporary works, testing and commissioning, overheads, risk and profit.
• Issue RFQs and obtain competitive quotations from subcontractors and suppliers.
• Review and normalize quotations and ensure that pricing is based on realistic market rates and complete scope.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of Saudi market prices, subcontractor rates, labour productivity and material costs.
• Coordinate with Procurement, Technical, Planning, Commercial and Construction teams during tender preparation.
• Review project duration, manpower, productivity, construction methodology and logistics assumptions and ensure they are properly reflected in the estimate.
• Identify value engineering opportunities and provide clear cost comparisons for proposed alternatives.
• Review contractual and commercial risks such as LDs, bonds, retention, payment terms, design responsibility, warranties and long-lead items.
• Prepare the tender cost summary and supporting information for management review and final price approval.
• Support post-tender clarifications, negotiations and commercial discussions with the client.
• Upon award, complete a proper handover of the estimate, quotations, assumptions, risks and agreed commercial position to the project and commercial teams.
• Review the work of junior estimators and support the development of consistent estimation practices and cost databases.

Required Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying or related discipline.
• Minimum 15 years of relevant estimation and tendering experience with a main contractor or established construction company.
• Strong GCC experience, preferably with good knowledge of the Saudi construction market.
• Previous responsibility for major tenders, preferably projects in the range of SAR 100 million and above.
• Proven experience in preparing complete estimates rather than only quantity take-offs or individual packages.
• Good track record in competitive tenders and awarded projects.
• Experience in complex construction, fit-out, cultural, hospitality, public building or similar multidisciplinary projects is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of Excel and recognized estimation / quantity take-off software. Experience with AutoCAD, Revit/BIM, Primavera and ERP systems is an advantage.

Track Record Required

Shortlisted candidates should provide details of the main tenders they have personally handled, including:

Project | Client | Location | Scope | Tender Value | Role / Responsibility | Tender Result | Award Value, where applicable

During the interview, the candidate should be able to discuss at least three major tenders in detail, including how the price was built up, key subcontract packages, major risks, value engineering, pricing strategy and the final tender outcome.

The position requires someone who can independently prepare, review and defend the complete estimate of a major project and provide management with a reliable basis for the final tender decision.