Chief Estimator

ACTalent; Raleigh (NC); Remote; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

ACTalent seeks an Operational Leader for a small construction services firm. This role is primarily remote with a Raleigh base, responsible for all in-house services from conceptual estimating to subsequent design/construction phases, while expanding the company’s market presence with architectural/engineering firms, developers and property owners across the country.

The role reports to ownership and oversees day-to-day operations, ensuring deliverables’ accuracy and strategic growth through

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive experience in commercial/residential/industrial construction with budgeting/estimating and business development leadership.
• Established network among commercial real estate developers, architects, and owners.
• Experience in new business acquisition, market growth, and expanding service offerings.
• Experience in recruiting, training, and developing employees.
• Experience with preconstruction efforts (estimating, BIM, scheduling, procurement).
• Proposal development skills from outreach to final deliverable.
• Must enter into non-compete and NDA.
• Willingness to travel for business as required.
• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline or equivalent experience.
• Knowledge of AI in commercial construction methods and technology.
• Expertise in contract and documentation practices used in commercial construction.
• Working knowledge of financial reports and analysis.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all in-house services end-to-end from initial estimating through later project phases.
• Lead business development with architectural firms, developers, owners, and clients nationwide.
• Ensure accuracy of deliverables and report to company ownership.
• Drive market expansion and service offerings across the country.
• Recruit, train, and mentor project teams and staff.

Skills

Budgeting & Estimating

Business Development

Leadership

Recruiting & Training

Communication

Scheduling & Planning

Negotiation & Contracts

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor's in Engineering or related field

Tools

BIM

Estimating tools

Job description

The Company is a construction and development consulting firm that advises architects, developers, and property owners on project feasibility, budgeting, cost management, and construction planning. In recent years, its primary focus has been budget development and cost management throughout the design and construction lifecycle. Core services include estimating, market cost analysis, constructability reviews, scheduling, entitlements and permitting support, and insurance loss investigation.

This is an Operational Leadership role for a small Construction Services firm. This role will have responsibility for all in house services end-to-end, from initial conceptual estimating through subsequent phases of work, while actively expanding Company's market presence with Architectural and Engineering Firms, Developers, Property Owners, and Commercial/Residential clients across the country. This role will report directly to Company ownership, and will be directly responsible for day-to-day operations and the accuracy of deliverables.

Required Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive experience in commercial/residential/industrial construction, with extensive budgeting/estimating experience, and business development leadership
• Established network among commercial real estate developers, architects, and owners
• Experience in new business acquisition, market growth, and the development of expanded service offerings
• Experience in recruiting, training and developing employees
• Experience with preconstruction efforts (estimating, BIM, scheduling, procurement)
• Proposal development skills from initial outreach through completion of final Proposal deliverable to Clients
• Must enter into a non-compete and NDA agreement as condition of employment
• Although this is considered primarily as a Remote role, the ability to travel for business as may be required
• A Bachelor's Degree in an Industry related Engineering discipline or an equivalent combination of work experience and education
• Knowledge of emerging methods and technology in commercial construction, especially in AI use cases
• Expertise in contract and documentation practices used in commercial construction
• Working knowledge of financial reports and financial analysis

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Strong communication and presentation skills as well as the ability to engage and influence at the Owner/Developer level
• Strong organizational, scheduling, and planning skills
• Comfortable learning new technologies and formats
• Extensive budgeting and cost estimating skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication as well as strong listening skills
• Ability to be flexible, adaptable, and manage stress under pressure when experiencing setbacks and challenges
• Ability to oversee, delegate and assign responsibility to others

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Raleigh, NC.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $150000.00 - $180000.00/yr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 20, 2026.

Workplace Type

This is a fully remote position.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.