Director of Construction Estimating

System One, Inc.; Stoystown (PA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

System One, Inc. is seeking a Director of Construction Estimating in Stoystown, PA. This onsite, direct-hire role leads the estimating department, sets standards, and drives bid strategy for high-value projects.

You will oversee complex estimates, review project documents, coordinate with operations and engineering, and mentor the estimating staff to improve margins and win rates.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Business or related field preferred, or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in construction estimating, management, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for the construction estimating department.
• Establish estimating processes, standards and best practices.
• Guide estimates from initial review through bid submission and handoff.
• Evaluate prospective projects and decide which to pursue.
• Oversee major and high-value estimates for accuracy and profitability.
• Review drawings, specs, and contracts; develop cost estimates.

Skills

Leadership

Estimating expertise

Bid analysis

Cost controls

Reading drawings

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management

Job description

Job Title: Director of Construction Estimating
Location: Stoystown, PA
Type: Direct-Hire
Work Model: Onsite
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and direction for the construction estimating department
• Establish and maintain consistent estimating processes, standards, and best practices
• Guide estimates from initial project review through bid submission and handoff to project teams
• Evaluate prospective projects and recommend which to pursue
• Prioritize estimating work based on project value, strategic importance, capacity, and likelihood of award
• Oversee major, complex, and high-value estimates to ensure they are accurate, complete, competitive, and profitable
• Review drawings, specifications, scopes of work, schedules, contracts, and related project documents
• Develop and validate labor, material, equipment, subcontractor, fabrication, engineering, supervision, and general-condition costs
• Set realistic labor and manpower assumptions based on project requirements and execution conditions
• Obtain and evaluate subcontractor and vendor pricing
• Identify project risks, exclusions, assumptions, and potential cost exposures
• Lead formal estimate review meetings for significant projects
• Review margins and pricing strategies with executive leadership, balancing competitiveness, risk, capacity, and profitability
• Work with operations and project management to define realistic execution assumptions
• Coordinate with engineering and fabrication to assess internal capabilities, capacity, schedules, and costs
• Support pursuit strategy and market opportunities alongside business development and executive leadership
• Participate in pre-bid meetings, customer meetings, job walks, and negotiations
• Transition awarded projects from estimating to project management and operations, and communicate scope, pricing, exclusions, risks, and assumptions to the project team
• Lead, coach, and mentor estimating staff, setting departmental goals, priorities, and performance expectations
• Assign estimates according to complexity, workload, experience, and available resources
• Review team estimates for quality, accuracy, completeness, and competitiveness, and advise on complex estimating issues and risks
• Participate in hiring, performance management, compensation recommendations, and professional development
• Establish and monitor estimating metrics, including bid volume, win rate, gross margin, estimate accuracy, turnaround time, and estimate-to-actual results
• Analyze bid results and project performance to identify trends and improvement opportunities
• Build processes to capture actual project costs and use historical data to refine future estimates
• Compare estimated labor hours, productivity, equipment, and subcontractor costs against actual results
• Improve estimating technology, systems, databases, templates, and processes
• Monitor construction market conditions, labor availability, material pricing, and subcontractor markets

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Business, or a related field preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and significant relevant experience
• 10+ years of progressive experience in construction estimating, project management, construction operations, or a related field
• Significant experience estimating complex construction projects
• Prior experience leading or managing an estimating team
• Experience in a senior estimating, estimating management, construction operations, or comparable leadership role
• Strong understanding of construction labor, materials, equipment, subcontracting, fabrication, engineering, and project costs
• Ability to read and interpret construction drawings, specifications, bid documents, contracts, schedules, and scopes of work
• Strong understanding of construction financials, project margins, cost controls, and estimate-to-actual analysis
• Experience developing or improving estimating processes, systems, and standards
• Experience with construction estimating and/or project management software
• Strong project risk assessment and problem-solving skills

System One, and its subsidiaries including Mountain Ltd., are leaders in delivering outsourced services and workforce solutions across North America. We help clients get work done more efficiently and economically, without compromising quality. System One not only serves as a valued partner for our clients, but we offer eligible employees health and welfare benefits coverage options including medical, dental, vision, spending accounts, life insurance, voluntary plans, as well as participation in a 401(k) plan.
System One is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, family care or medical leave status, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
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