Estimating Manager

CORE Group; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

CORE Group is seeking an Estimating Manager to lead estimating and preconstruction across industrial construction, maintenance, and turnaround work in Houston, TX. You will translate drawings, schedules, and site conditions into competitive estimates and drive bid strategy, risk assessment, and proposal development.

You will oversee labor, materials, equipment, subcontractors, and execution requirements, guiding turnover from estimating to operations while mentoring a team of estimators and

Qualifications

• 10+ years in estimating, project controls, or construction
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent industrial construction experience
• 5+ years direct estimating experience (strongly preferred)
• Leadership or estimating management experience preferred
• Experience reading engineering drawings, specs, bid packages
• Strong knowledge of cost structures, subcontractor procurement, and vendor pricing
• Experience with turnarounds, shutdowns, and large capital projects
• Industrial mechanical construction background: piping, equipment installation, and structural steel

Responsibilities

• Lead estimating and bid lifecycle for industrial projects
• Develop bid strategies, contingencies, and risk assessments
• Review drawings, specs, and client requirements to produce complete estimates
• Coordinate with procurement for pricing and subcontractor quotes
• Mentor estimators and manage multiple bids and deadlines
• Ensure safety, constructability, quality, and profitability throughout estimating

Skills

Estimating

Leadership

Communication

Excel

Bid Strategy

Risk Management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Business

Tools

Excel

Estimating software

Reading drawings/ P&IDs

Job description

Estimating Manager

Job Summary We are seeking an experienced Estimating Manager to lead estimating and preconstruction efforts across a diverse portfolio of industrial construction, maintenance, fabrication, and turnaround work. In this highly visible leadership role, you will drive bid strategy, estimate accuracy, risk identification, pricing, and proposal development—while ensuring a smooth transition of awarded projects from estimating into operations. The right candidate brings deep industrial mechanical construction expertise and can translate drawings, specifications, schedules, labor requirements, and site conditions into competitive, accurate, and executable estimates.

Responsibilities

• Lead the estimating function for industrial construction, maintenance, turnaround, and fabrication opportunities-from small capital projects to large, multidisciplinary scopes.
• Manage the full estimating and bid lifecycle, from opportunity review through proposal submission and project award.
• Review drawings, specifications, bid documents, scopes of work, schedules, and client requirements to build complete estimates.
• Develop and oversee detailed estimates covering labor, materials, equipment, subcontractors, fabrication, transportation, indirect costs, and execution requirements.
• Prepare and review quantity takeoffs, labor productivity assumptions, crew compositions, equipment needs, material pricing, and subcontractor scopes.
• Estimate multidisciplinary scopes including mechanical piping, equipment installation, structural steel, heavy civil, fabrication, and related industrial services.
• Support estimating for plant maintenance, shutdowns, turnarounds, brownfield modifications, and capital construction projects.
• Develop bid strategies, execution assumptions, clarifications, exclusions, contingencies, and risk assessments.
• Lead bid/no-bid evaluations and provide recommendations on risk, resources, schedule, and commercial viability.
• Solicit and evaluate pricing from subcontractors, vendors, fabricators, and material suppliers; review proposals for completeness, scope alignment, terms, and gaps.
• Participate in pre-bid meetings, site visits, job walks, scope reviews, and client discussions.
• Coordinate with operations and project management to validate manpower, productivity, equipment utilization, sequencing, and schedules.
• Partner with procurement to secure competitive material and subcontractor pricing.
• Develop conceptual, budgetary, and detailed estimates based on available engineering and project information.
• Maintain and analyze historical cost and productivity data; track estimate performance vs. actuals and incorporate lessons learned into standards.
• Support change-order pricing, additional work requests, RFPs, and scope modifications on active projects.
• Lead project turnover from estimating to project management and field operations, communicating scope, assumptions, risks, exclusions, and execution strategy.
• Recruit, mentor, and manage estimators; review estimates for accuracy and completeness.
• Manage multiple concurrent bids and ensure proposals are accurate and delivered on deadline.
• Collaborate with business development and leadership to evaluate opportunities and support strategic growth initiatives.
• Maintain focus on safety, constructability, quality, schedule, and profitability throughout the estimating process.

Requirements

• 10+ years of estimating, project controls, project management, or construction experience within industrial construction or heavy industrial services
• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Business, or a related field (or equivalent industrial construction experience)
• 5+ years of direct estimating experience (strongly preferred)
• Previous leadership or estimating management experience (preferred)
• Strong knowledge of industrial mechanical construction and field execution
• Demonstrated experience estimating mechanical piping and equipment installation
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, P&IDs, isometrics, specifications, bid packages, and construction documents
• Experience performing and reviewing detailed quantity takeoffs
• Strong knowledge of material pricing, subcontractor procurement, and vendor solicitation
• Experience developing conceptual, budgetary, and detailed construction estimates
• Strong understanding of cost structures, indirect costs, overhead, contingency, risk, and margin
• Experience supporting change orders and evaluating scope changes
• Ability to manage multiple estimates and deadlines simultaneously
• Strong analytical, organizational, negotiation, and decision-making skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact with clients, vendors, subcontractors, operations teams, and executive leadership
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and estimating-related software
• Ability to travel to project sites, client facilities, and pre-bid meetings as required
• 5+ years of direct estimating experience (strongly preferred)
• Previous leadership or estimating management experience (preferred)
• Experience estimating work in refineries, petrochemical plants, chemical facilities, terminals, midstream facilities, manufacturing plants, or other heavy-industrial operations
• Strong mechanical estimating background involving piping fabrication and installation, vessels, skids, modules, equipment setting, and structural steel
• Experience with turnarounds, shutdowns, maintenance contracts, and small-to-large capital construction projects
• Familiarity with heavy civil scopes (foundations, concrete, excavation, site work)
• Knowledge of ASME/API-related industrial construction and fabrication requirements