Cost Estimator – Data Center Programs

QC Servion; United States; On-site; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k with company match

Paid time off (PTO)

Life insurance

Short/long-term disability

Tuition reimbursement

Professional licensing assistance

Parental leave

Job summary

QC Servion is seeking an experienced Cost Estimator to join the Program Management Office, supporting multiple entities across the QC Ecosystem on complex data center, infrastructure, utility, and mission-critical development programs.

This role partners with development, program management, engineering, construction, and funding stakeholders to support cost planning, budget development, estimate validation, and commercial decisions throughout the project lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• 5+ years estimating, cost management, preconstruction, commercial management, or capital project delivery experience.
• Experience with data center, mission-critical, infrastructure, or utility projects.
• Ability to review and validate contractor estimates, budgets, and pricing assumptions.
• Strong understanding of cost planning, quantity takeoffs, and schedule impacts on cost.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain conceptual to detailed cost estimates across project lifecycles.
• Build cost models for planning, budgeting, and executive decision-making.
• Benchmark costs against similar data center and infrastructure projects.
• Support bid evaluations and procurement activities.
• Provide stakeholders with forecasts and budget visibility throughout execution.

Skills

Analytical skills

Financial analysis

Communication

Budgeting

Cost planning

Schedule impact on cost

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management / Engineering / related field

Tools

CostX

On-Screen Takeoff

Primavera P6 / MS Project

Job description

QC Servion is the centralized hub for human resources, change management, program management, sales & marketing, safety, administration, legal, and accounting services across the QC Ecosystem.
We provide comprehensive operational support that empowers our companies to focus on growth, innovation, and excellence, while ensuring employees thrive in safe, engaging, and well-managed environments.
The entities in our ecosystem include DLB Associates, Galtra Solutions, AI2IO, Fluid2Chip, CEQEL Critical Commissioning, and 2AI-DC Integrators. Collectively, we deliver services across the data center industry.

Position Location: Remote - work virtually from anywhere in the United States

QC Servion recognizes salary ranges from job boards do not necessarily reflect our pay ranges. In many instances we out-compete those ranges for well-qualified candidates.

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Cost Estimator to join the QC Servion Program Management Office (PgMO), supporting multiple entities across the QC Ecosystem on complex data center, infrastructure, utility, and mission-critical development programs.

This role serves as a shared resource across the organization, partnering with development, program management, engineering, construction, and funding stakeholders to support cost planning, budget development, estimate validation, and commercial decision-making throughout the project lifecycle. The Cost Estimator provides cost visibility from early project planning and pursuit activities through procurement, execution, and project closeout.

The position works across multiple operating companies to evaluate project feasibility, develop and maintain budgets, review contractor and consultant estimates, quantify the impact of scope and schedule changes, and provide financial insight that supports project delivery and investment decisions.

The ideal candidate combines strong estimating expertise with a practical understanding of how large capital projects are planned, funded, procured, and delivered. Success in this role requires the ability to translate technical scope, design evolution, procurement strategy, and schedule changes into accurate and actionable cost information for both project teams and executive stakeholders.

Essential Functions

• Develop and maintain conceptual, schematic, design development, and detailed cost estimates throughout the project lifecycle.
• Build and maintain cost models to support planning, budgeting, and executive decision-making.
• Benchmark costs against comparable data center, mission-critical, industrial, and infrastructure projects.
• Perform quantity takeoffs and pricing exercises across:
• Mechanical systems
• Electrical systems
• Site utilities
• Building systems
• Maintain current market pricing, labor assumptions, escalation factors, and productivity data.
• Support value engineering and cost optimization initiatives.

Budget Development & Cost Management

• Develop and maintain project budgets from initial concept through construction.
• Support capital planning, investment analysis, and commercial decision-making.
• Track budget movements and provide clear explanations for variances.
• Evaluate the cost impact of design changes, scope modifications, and procurement decisions.
• Provide stakeholders with accurate forecasting and budget visibility throughout project execution.
• Review, validate, and challenge estimates prepared by contractors, consultants, and trade partners.
• Identify gaps, exclusions, assumptions, contingencies, and cost risks.
• Support bid evaluations, subcontractor leveling, and procurement activities.
• Prepare independent cost opinions and estimate reviews to support project teams and leadership.

Schedule & Cost Integration

• Partner with scheduling and program controls teams to understand schedule impacts.
• Evaluate the cost implications of:
• Acceleration efforts
• Delays
• Long-lead procurement changes
• Scope modifications
• Quantify schedule-related costs such as escalation, extended general conditions, and remobilization.
• Ensure alignment between cost forecasts and master schedules.

Program Support & Stakeholder Coordination

• Collaborate with development, engineering, construction, utility, commissioning, and PMO teams.
• Participate in project planning sessions, design reviews, and program discussions.
• Present estimate assumptions, risks, and recommendations to project teams and leadership.
• Support funding reviews, project reporting, and executive presentations when required.

What Success Looks Like

• Cost estimates accurately reflect project scope, market conditions, and execution strategy.
• Budgets remain aligned with project objectives, funding requirements, and schedule milestones.
• Cost risks are identified early and communicated proactively.
• Stakeholders receive clear, defensible, and actionable cost information.
• Contractor estimates are effectively reviewed and validated.
• Design and schedule changes are reflected accurately and efficiently within project budgets.
• Leadership has confidence in the cost model and financial outlook of active projects.
• Projects are positioned for successful execution through informed commercial decision-making.

Position Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Business, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• 5+ years of estimating, cost management, preconstruction, commercial management, or capital project delivery experience.
• Experience supporting:
• Data center projects
• Mission-critical facilities
• Infrastructure programs
• Energy or utility projects
• Demonstrated experience estimating complex mechanical, electrical, civil, or infrastructure systems.
• Ability to review and validate contractor estimates, budgets, and pricing assumptions.
• Strong understanding of:
  • Cost planning
  • Quantity takeoffs
  • Schedule impacts on cost
• Experience working with estimating software such as:
  • CostX
  • On-Screen Takeoff
• Working knowledge of project scheduling tools such as Primavera P6 or Microsoft Project.
• Strong analytical, financial, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management capabilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Medium-voltage infrastructure
• Utility systems
• Substations
• Microgrids
• Experience supporting capital planning, project finance, or investment reviews.
• CCP, PE, CEM, CCM, PQS, or similar professional certification.
• Experience working within multi-project campus development programs.

Physical Demands

• Frequently required to remain in a stationary position.
• Frequently moving through home office.
• May occasionally lift up to 20 pounds.

Travel Requirements

• Up to 25%, this may include travel to any or all 50 US states.
• Travel is defined as physically leaving home on behalf of business activities including but not limited to client sites, meetings with other employees, meeting for business development purposes, running errands on behalf of the business, attending industry conferences, etc.
• Choice of comprehensive medical plans (including two PPO-style plans and a HDHP w/ HSA option).
• Flex spending accounts (FSA).
• Dental and vision plans.
• Comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits extended to spouse / domestic partner and dependent children up to age 26.
• 401k with company match and self-directed brokerage account option.
• PTOincludingadditionalpaid time off during the last week of the year.
• Company paid life insurance coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Short and long-term disability, AD&D coverage.
• Professional development opportunities, tuitionreimbursement,and professional licensingassistance.
• Paid parental leave after one year of employment.

CO, CA, IL, NY, WA, and Washington DC residents only: In accordance with CO, CA, IL, NY, WA, and Washington DC law, the range provided is QC Servion's reasonable estimate of the base compensation for this role. The actual amount may differ based on non-discriminatory factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and location.

EEO

QC Servion provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome people from all backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and abilities.

Notice To Third Party Agencies

QC Servion does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to QC Servion in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where QC Servion has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of QC Servion and QC Servion will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.

The pay range for this role is:

130,000 - 160,000 USD per year (Remote (United States))