Construction Consultant

Nautilus General Contractors, Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Nautilus General Contractors, Inc. seeks a cost estimator for its consulting division, delivering cost-of-repair estimates for construction defects and related issues.

You will work with attorneys and in-house experts to prepare logical, supported estimates and keep documentation organized for litigation purposes. The role requires reviewing expert reports, communicating clearly with clients, and traveling to project sites as needed to assess conditions and gather data.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred or 4+ years in the construction field with estimating experience.
• Experience in estimating, project management or related tasks is expected.
• Strong MS Office and internet research skills required.

Responsibilities

• Produce cost of repair estimates using standard templates and verified data.
• Prepare estimates with company labor rates and costs.
• Ensure work product is free of errors and clearly documented.

Skills

Estimating

Project management

Analytical skills

Communication

Research

Education

Bachelor’s degree or 4+ years construction estimating experience

Tools

MS Excel

MS Word

MS Outlook

Estimating templates

Job description

Our consulting division performs fee-based construction consulting, including forensic architectural consulting, cost estimating and expert testimony for construction defect litigation cases. Our cost estimators research and establish appropriate construction costs for reconstructing and repairing construction defects and building problems, including waterproofing and building envelope failures, mechanical and plumbing repairs, structural deficiencies, and more.

Attorneys generally hire us, and our internal team of cost estimators work alongside other industry experts to provide the investigation, evaluation and documentation that will be used to support or defend a construction litigation case. We work with attorneys who are working for, or in litigation with, developers, builders and/or subcontractors because of defects in construction or failures in construction standards of care.

Responsibilities

• Produce professionally presented cost of repair estimates for consulting assignments, that are logical, backed-up, easy to understand and thoroughly vetted.
• Prepares estimates using Nautilus’ standard estimating template(s), using standard company labor rates and costs.
• Ensures that work product is checked and vetted for errors, including spelling and grammar, and is free of formula errors.
• Interfaces with Director of Consulting to clearly understand the assignment, client, deadlines, and time constraints.
• Thoroughly reviews expert reports, ensuring the repair recommendations contained in the reports are clearly understood for estimating purposes. Calls and reaches out to independent experts to get clarifications and input when necessary. Meets with other experts as appropriate.
• Saves all appropriate received documentation to internal server for use or production at a later date. Keeps the server file for each individual assignment organized, clear, easily navigated, and free of clutter.
• Travels to assignment sites to assess conditions, photo-document the project and conditions, and ensure understanding of the estimating assignment and the specific work being recommended. Identifies affected finishes, access limitations, and/or additional work that may affect cost of repair. Saves all photos and notes to the server.
• Builds estimates, organized to follow the other experts’ recommendations, numbering system and verbiage. Enters scope of work, including items that are a byproduct of the experts’ intended repair, but that the expert may not have outlined or identified specifically.
• Quantifies repairs using the best available means, including expert reports, repair drawings, measurement off of existing plans, Google Earth, QuickMeasure, etc. Enters organized quantities into the estimating spreadsheet and saves demonstrative (graphic) quantity measurements or take-offs to the server. Enters quantities into estimate as appropriate.
• Prices individual line items of repair using methods appropriate to the line item, including unit costing, time and materials costing, or lump sum. Makes reasonable assumptions where necessary and documents those assumptions.
• Sets and adjusts estimate burden mark-ups as appropriate for the specific assignment. Seeks input from other experts regarding professional fees.
• Reviews work product with President and/or the assigned expert, requesting input, asking questions, and ensuring buy-in.
• Performs appropriate research to support cost estimates as needed or appropriate, including internet pricing research for materials and/or equipment, calling relevant subcontractors, soliciting input from experts, cross-checking with prior estimates from other assignments, and/or requesting input from other consulting estimators or construction personnel.
• Takes appropriate notes and saves notes, as well as other research to server, organized so that it can be easily reviewed, understood, and produced at a later date.
• Cross-checks work with other consulting estimators. Works in a collegial way with other team members.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in a related field is preferred, and/or four+ years' experience in the construction field with increasing levels of responsibility, which should include having performed some estimating, project management, or similar tasks.
• A contractor's license and/or experience in the specific field of construction defect litigation or forensic consulting is a plus, but is not required.
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency with MS Excel, Word, and Outlook, and experience conducting research on the internet.
• Expertise in reading, understanding, and interpreting construction reports, plans, and specifications.
• Ability to assess any aspect of the building process, analyze building systems, and understand construction failures.
• Highly proficient verbal and written communication skills demonstrated by the ability to clearly articulate thoughts, ideas, and information in a clear and concise manner and to compose letters and documents using appropriate and proper language, grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation.
• Superior organization skills, attention to detail, and ability to produce quality work documents and maintain impeccable documentation.
• Strong project management, mathematical, and analytical skills.
• Proven creative and conceptual thinking, problem-solving skills, inquisitiveness, and intellectual curiosity.
• Excellent organizational and multi-tasking skills and a demonstrated ability to follow through and meet project deadlines, tasks, or assignments.
• A valid driver's license.

Work Conditions

• Indoor office environment in corporate office.
• Majority of work to be accomplished in the office, primarily working on computer and phone.
• Work at a fast pace with frequent, unscheduled interruptions.
• Frequent meetings and telephone calls with staff.

Position Type

• Full-time position, Monday through Friday. Responsibilities may require an adjusted work schedule and/or evening, and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.

Physical Demands

• Mobility within the office.
• Work using a computer and phone.
• Ability to safely navigate around active construction project sites.

Travel

• Regular travel via car or plane to visit project sites in various geographic locations.