Construction Cost Estimator

PAE Government Services Inc.; United States; On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) matching

Educational reimbursement

Parental leave

Employee stock purchase plan

Disability and life insurance

Job summary

Amentum is seeking a Construction Cost Estimator to support the Spent Fuel Handling Project (SFHP). You will prepare independent cost estimates for change orders, analyze specifications and drawings, and become a subject matter expert on contract verbiage.

Collaborate with the Project Manager, engineers, and scheduling team to develop bottom-up, production-based estimates aligned to construction schedules, document Basis of Estimate and variance analyses, and support risk and price negotiations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, Accounting or related field.
• 4 or more years of experience; education can substitute for some experience.
• Must obtain and maintain facility credentials; U.S. Citizenship required for this work location.
• Experience in large-scale heavy industrial projects and multiple lifecycle phases.

Responsibilities

• Prepare independent cost estimates for change orders.
• Analyze specifications, drawings, and contract documents.
• Develop bottom-up estimates aligned to construction schedules; document Basis of Estimate.

Skills

Microsoft Excel

Education

Engineering degree

Construction Management

Business degree

Accounting

Tools

WinEst

Estimating software

Job description

Amentum is a global leader in advanced engineering and innovative solutions, supporting critical missions across defense, intelligence, energy, and civilian sectors. Our people are our competitive advantage, driven by purpose, collaboration, and a commitment to delivering excellence for our customers and communities.

Role Overview

We are currently seeking a Construction Cost Estimator to support our Spent Fuel Handling Project (SFHP).

Responsibilities

• Prepare independent cost estimates for submitted change order proposals
• Analyze specifications, sketches, drawings, contract document agreements, and prior change order proposals
• Become a subject matter expert on the contract verbiage for the contract being supported
• Utilize knowledge of construction and estimating principles, theories, concepts, and industry practices and standards to perform moderately complex assignments under general supervision to produce accurate and quality cost estimates
• Consult with the Project Manager and Engineers to discuss and formulate quality take-offs
• Identify areas of scope creep or scope gap in the change orders being proposed
• Provide assistance in price negotiations, working closely with Project Manager and Project Controls management
• Collaborate with scheduling team to develop production-based bottom-up cost estimates and to ensure alignment of estimates to construction schedules
• Accumulates, evaluates, and documents historical cost data and construction means and methods in order to maintain current estimating standards and databases
• Review and perform variance analysis on completed estimates to assess accuracy and lessons learned
• Support costing of Risk Registers and collaborate with Risk team to ensure all risk register items are aligned to project’s risk profile
• Perform detailed peer reviews of those estimates from fellow team members
• For all work done, it is expected that the estimator clearly document and communicate the scope of the estimate, the assumptions made, and any pertinent information gathered from the Project Manager or Engineering team
• Provide a narrative write-up explaining the Basis of Estimate and a Variance Analysis write up for estimates that fall outside our target threshold

Qualifications

• Microsoft Excel expertise
• Bachelors degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, Accounting or other related field highly preferred
• 4 or more years of experience, education can substitute for some experience
• Must be able to obtain and maintain facility credentials/authorization. U.S. Citizenship is required for facility credentials/authorization at this work location
• Experience in large scale heavy industrial projects highly preferred
• Experience in multiple phases of project lifecycle (Predesign, Design, Procurement, Construction, and Post-Construction phases)
• Experience preparing cost estimates on behalf of general contractor using a variety of Estimating tools, including Excel spreadsheets, WinEst, and/or other estimating software
• Ability to communicate clearly through Basis of Estimate narrative write ups, variance analysis reports, and in-person presentations to all levels of the project team

Compensation Details

$130,000 - $170,000

Benefits Overview

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off and holidays
• Retirement benefits (including 401(k) matching)
• Educational reimbursement
• Parental leave
• Employee stock purchase plan
• Tax-saving options
• Disability and life insurance
• Pet insurance

Positions governed by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), or other employment contracts may include different provisions/benefits.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Amentum is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our hiring practices provide equal opportunity for employment without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding), age, ancestry, United States military or veteran status, color, religion, creed, marital or domestic partner status, medical condition, genetic information, national origin, citizenship status, low-income status, or mental or physical disability so long as the essential functions of the job can be performed with or without reasonable accommodation, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law.

Accommodation and Contact

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please complete our Accommodation Request. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case‑by‑case basis. If you need assistance, please reach out to [e-mail].

Our headquarters are in Chantilly, VA.

Company Overview

For more than 100 years, Amentum has tackled the world’s toughest challenges to deliver agile and steadfast solutions to the U.S. government and its allies. With more than 50,000 employees on all seven continents and in more than 60 countries, Amentum delivers a broad range of operational support services to meet the critical needs of our clients.

Original Posting: 10/19/2026 - Until Filled. Amentum anticipates this job requisition will remain open for at least three days, with a closing date no earlier than three days after the original posting. This timeline may change based on business needs.