Data Center Estimator

Smartlink LLC; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Smartlink LLC is seeking a Data Center Estimator (OSP, ISP, Telecom) for a remote role in the United States. The position supports pre-sales, bidding, and handoff, preparing accurate takeoffs, BOMs, and cost estimates for OSP fiber, ISP cabling, and data center projects.

Responsibilities include scope review, detailed quantity take-offs, vendor price analysis, and proposal packaging. The role requires 3–7+ years in telecom estimating and strong MS Excel skills.

Qualifications

• 3–7+ years of experience in telecom, structured cabling, or data center estimating.
• Ability to read and interpret civil drawings, profiles, and one-lines for telecom projects.
• Strong cost estimation skills covering materials, labor, equipment, and subcontractors.
• Proficiency with MS Excel and digital take-off/estimating tools.

Responsibilities

• Review RFPs and drawings to define scopes (OSP, ISP, data center).
• Develop complete cost estimates and BOMs for OSP, ISP, and data center work.
• Participate in site surveys, assess constructability and risks, and capture site conditions.
• Coordinate with sales, engineering, PMO, and vendors for alignment of scope, schedule, and pricing.
• Ensure estimates comply with codes and customer requirements; contribute to bid competitiveness.

Skills

Time management

Attention to detail

Communication

Analytical thinking

Education

Related degree (construction management / engineering)

Tools

Excel

Bluebeam

PlanSwift

Accubid

Job description

Job Title: Data Center Estimator (OSP, ISP, Telecom)

Reports To: Program Manager or Director of Delivery

Department: Technical Services

FLSA Status: Exempt

Salary: $100,000-$125,000

Location: Remote

Why Smartlink?

At Smartlink, we believe exceptional people create exceptional results. Guided by our core values, Creating Customer Fanatics, Innovate and Create, One Team, We Are All In, and Safety Leads to Success, we foster a culture where driven, ambitious individuals are empowered to make an impact, grow their careers, and help drive our success.

We are a fast-paced, high-performance organization where accountability, teamwork, and innovation are expected and rewarded. This is not a traditional 40-hour workweek environment. Success often requires flexibility, dedication, and a willingness to go above and beyond to deliver for our customers and teammates.

In return, you'll be surrounded by talented professionals who challenge and support one another, with opportunities for career growth, skill development, and meaningful contributions that make a real difference.

If you're competitive, motivated by achievement, and ready to be All In, Smartlink offers more than a job. It offers the opportunity to build an exceptional career while helping shape the future of our industry. If you're ready to be All In, we invite you to join us and help shape the future of Smartlink.

Job Summary:

The Data Center Estimator (OSP, ISP, Data Centers) prepares accurate takeoffs, BOMs, and cost estimates for OSP fiber, ISP cabling, and data center projects. The role supports pre-sales, bidding, and project handoff, ensuring scopes are complete, compliant, and aligned with cost and margin goals. The Estimator partners with sales, engineering, project management, vendors, and field teams to deliver competitive, buildable proposals.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Scope Review & Quantity Take-Offs

• Review RFPs, contract documents, drawings, and specifications (civil, architectural, electrical, low-voltage, and owner standards) to define OSP, ISP, and data center scopes, assumptions, and exclusions.
• Perform detailed OSP quantity take-offs, including:
  • Conduit and duct banks
  • Manholes, handholes, pull boxes, and vaults
  • Trenching, boring, and restoration
  • Aerial plant (strand, anchors, make-ready)
  • Fiber cables, splice cases, slack loops, and storage
• Perform detailed ISP and data center quantity take-offs, including:
  • Backbone and horizontal copper and fiber cabling
  • Cable tray, ladder rack, J-hooks, and raceway systems
  • Racks, cabinets, patch panels, and terminations
  • PDUs, grounding and bonding, labeling, and testing
• Translate design intent into structured, buildable Bills of Materials across OSP, ISP, and data center environments.

Estimating & Pricing

• Develop complete cost estimates covering materials, labor, equipment, subcontractors, logistics, and indirects for OSP construction, ISP cabling, and data center white-space buildouts.
• Build, maintain, and refine labor units and production rates for:
  • Trenching, boring, and restoration
  • Aerial placement and make-ready
  • Cable installation, termination, and testing (fiber and copper)
• Solicit, analyze, compare, and negotiate vendor and subcontractor pricing, including civil contractors, aerial crews, splicers, testing providers, and specialty data center hardware suppliers.
• Prepare proposal packages including:
  • Scope narratives
  • Assumptions, clarifications, and exclusions
  • Alternates and value-engineering options for OSP routing, ISP pathways, and data center layouts.

Site Surveys & Constructability

• Participate in site walks and field surveys for:
  • OSP routes (access, existing utilities, conflicts)
  • ISP pathways (buildings, risers, MDF/IDF rooms)
  • Data center spaces (MMRs, white space, galleries)
• Identify constructability issues, risks, and opportunities such as:
  • Existing conduit or pathway reuse
  • Spare fiber or capacity utilization
  • Alternative routing or design efficiencies
• Incorporate validated site conditions into final estimates and proposals.

Coordination & Project Handoff

• Collaborate with sales, engineering, and project management to align scope, schedule, and pricing strategy across OSP, ISP, and data center work packages.
• Issue and track RFIs to resolve design gaps, conflicts, or missing information (e.g., OSP/ISP tie-ins, routing discrepancies, data center standards).
• Lead formal estimate-to-operations handoff, providing:
  • Take-off markups
  • BOMs and labor breakdowns
  • Key assumptions, exclusions, and identified risks
• Support change order pricing and budget revisions throughout project lifecycle, including OSP reroutes, added ISP pathways, and data hall expansions.

Standards, Compliance & Cost Data

• Ensure all estimates comply with applicable codes, standards, and customer requirements, including:
  • TIA/EIA, BICSI, and NEC
  • NESC and local civil/utility standards
  • Customer and hyperscaler data center specifications
• Maintain and analyze historical cost, labor, and productivity data to improve estimate accuracy, consistency, and competitiveness.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• 3–7+ years of experience in telecom, structured cabling, or data center estimating, project engineering, or project coordination, with exposure to both OSP and ISP scopes.
• Demonstrated ability to read and interpret:
  • Civil drawings, profiles, and details for OSP construction
  • Building plans, risers, and one-lines for ISP and data center projects
• Strong technical understanding of:
  • OSP fiber construction (trench, bore, aerial, splicing, slack management)
  • ISP structured cabling systems (copper/fiber, MDF/IDF/MMR buildouts)
  • Data center telecom infrastructure (racks, cabinets, cross-connects, meet-me rooms)
• Proficiency in MS Office- particularly Excel and digital take-off/estimating tools (e.g., Bluebeam, PlanSwift, Accubid, or similar).
• Proven ability to integrate OSP, ISP, and data center costs into a single, cohesive project estimate.
• Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to reconcile drawings, quantities, and specifications across multiple telecom disciplines.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills; ability to manage multiple bids under tight deadlines.
• Clear, confident communicator who collaborates effectively with sales, engineering, PMO, construction teams, and vendors.
• Analytical and commercially minded, comfortable challenging incomplete or impractical designs with data-driven alternatives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with BICSI, TIA/EIA, NEC, NESC, and hyperscaler data center design standards.
• Direct field experience in OSP construction, ISP installation, data center cabling, splicing, or testing.
• Experience supporting carrier, enterprise, or hyperscale data center programs with repeatable designs and MSAs.
• Degree in construction management, engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent field experience.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

• Primarily office-based role with extended computer and desk work
• Occasional standing, walking, and light lifting (up to 25 lbs)
• Periodic site visits to construction sites or data centers for surveys or meetings
• Site visits may involve uneven surfaces, noise, dust, or weather exposure
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) required when visiting job sites
• Minimal travel for this position as needed to perform job responsibilities.

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