Chief Estimator WWTP

RockBridge Search & Recruitment; Boise (ID); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

RockBridge Search & Recruitment is seeking a bold Chief Estimator for wastewater treatment projects. You will lead a team, drive full-cycle estimating, and build strategic cost models for civil, mechanical, and process-heavy infrastructure.

You will collaborate with executives, engineers, and public-sector clients to shape pursuit strategies, analyze drawings for constructability, and optimize lifecycle costs while maintaining margin and program goals.

Qualifications

• 10+ years estimating experience in heavy civil, water/wastewater, or infrastructure construction.
• Proven leadership over estimating teams and multi-discipline bids.
• Deep familiarity with WWTP components and processes: clarifiers, basins, digesters, pumps, piping.
• Mastery of estimating tools such as Sage, HCSS, Bluebeam, Procore, or equivalents.
• Strategic mindset: translate costs into actionable systems and opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Lead and elevate a high-performing estimating team for WWTP construction and upgrades.
• Drive full-cycle estimating for complex civil, mechanical, and process-heavy projects.
• Build precise, competitive cost models for treatment facilities and associated infrastructure.
• Partner with executives, engineers, and public-sector clients to shape pursuit strategies.
• Analyze drawings and specs for constructability, risk, and lifecycle cost.

Skills

Estimating leadership

WWTP experience

Team leadership

Cost modeling

Executive communication

Tools

Sage

HCSS

Bluebeam

Procore

Job description

Build the Blueprint Before the First Pump Starts Moving Water

If wastewater treatment projects were living systems, the Chief Estimator would be the engineer of possibility—translating influent, infrastructure, and investment into fully executable reality. We’re looking for a bold, detail-obsessed leader who thrives where civil infrastructure, treatment process systems, and high-stakes estimating collide. This is your chance to shape major WWTP projects from first concept through final contract award—and leave your mark on the systems that quite literally keep communities running.

What You’ll Own

As Chief Estimator for WWTP projects, you’re not just pricing work—you’re building the financial and strategic backbone of critical water infrastructure:

• Lead and elevate a high-performing estimating team focused on wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) construction and upgrades
• Drive full-cycle estimating for complex civil, mechanical, and process-heavy infrastructure projects
• Build precise, competitive cost models for treatment facilities, lift stations, piping systems, and heavy civil scopes
• Partner with executives, operations, engineers, and public-sector clients to shape winning pursuit strategies
• Analyze drawings, specs, and process flow requirements with a laser focus on constructability, risk, and lifecycle cost
• Maintain and grow a deep bench of subcontractors and vendors across civil, mechanical, electrical, and process specialties
• Lead value engineering efforts that optimize treatment performance, cost efficiency, and long-term operational reliability
• Own bid strategy, final pricing decisions, and proposal execution for high-value infrastructure pursuits
• Track market shifts in materials, labor, and equipment costs like a living forecast model for infrastructure economics

What You Bring to the Table

• 10+ years of estimating experience in heavy civil, water/wastewater, or infrastructure construction
• Proven leadership over estimating teams and complex, multi-discipline bids
• Deep familiarity with WWTP systems: clarifiers, aeration basins, digesters, pumps, piping, and process controls
• Mastery of estimating tools (Sage, HCSS, Bluebeam, Procore, or equivalent platforms)
• Strong understanding of civil, mechanical, and process construction sequencing
• A strategic mindset—you don’t just see costs, you see systems, constraints, and opportunities
• Sharp communication and negotiation skills with owners, engineers, and subcontractors
• Ability to thrive under pressure where deadlines are tight and margins matter
• A builder’s instinct paired with an analyst’s precision

Why This Role Hits Different

• Executive-level influence on major water infrastructure decisions
• Projects that directly protect public health and environmental systems
• A leadership team that values strategy, not just spreadsheets
• Real opportunity to shape preconstruction systems and long-term company direction
• Competitive compensation with performance-driven upside

The Big Picture

This isn’t just estimating wastewater treatment plants—it’s architecting the financial blueprint for critical infrastructure that communities depend on every single day. You’ll be the strategist behind major WWTP pursuits, the guardian of margin, and the translator between engineering complexity and winning proposals.

If you're ready to lead at the intersection of water, engineering, and high-impact infrastructure strategy, it’s time to step into the command center.

Ready to help build the systems that keep everything flowing? Let’s talk.