Estimator

Design and Production Incorporated; Lorton (VA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Design & Production Inc. (D&P) seeks a Senior Estimator to lead cost and commercial thinking on complex, multi-million-dollar museum and experiential projects across the United States.

You will translate creative concepts into credible delivery plans, shaping scope, materials and procurement from early design conversations through to delivery. You will work with project managers, production teams, designers and clients to bring clarity to evolving designs, assess risks and opportunities, and

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in estimating, preconstruction or commercial management.
• Experience on complex, multi-million-dollar construction or fabrication projects.
• Ability to read drawings and understand materials, methods, and procurement.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills with designers, managers, and clients.

Responsibilities

• Own the full estimating process for major projects from concept to final pricing.
• Translate drawings and design intent into comprehensive scopes for fabrication, construction and installation.
• Identify cost drivers, risks and opportunities early and propose value-engineering options.
• Support procurement strategy and cost forecasting with project teams.

Skills

Estimating

Preconstruction

Commercial management

Budgeting

Job description

Before a landmark takes shape, you shape its possibilities.

Extraordinary projects begin with ambitious ideas. Bringing them to life takes someone who can see how every detail will be built, where the risks lie and what the vision will cost.

For 75 years, Design & Production Inc. (D&P) has brought museums, exhibitions and cultural destinations to life across the United States. Our portfolio includes the National Museum of the United States Army, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and the landmark Treasures of Tutankhamen exhibition.

We are looking for a Senior Estimator to lead the cost and commercial thinking behind our next generation of complex, multi-million-dollar projects.

Someone who understands the numbers and the craft behind them.

YOUR ROLE

• You will help turn creative ambition into a credible plan for delivery.
• Working at the intersection of design, specialist fabrication, construction and technology, you will develop estimates that reflect how a project will actually be built. Your judgment will influence scope, materials, procurement and execution from the earliest design conversations through delivery.
• You will partner closely with Project Managers, Production teams, designers, subcontractors and clients, bringing clarity to evolving designs and confidence to consequential decisions.
• Your expertise will shape the project long before fabrication begins.

WHAT YOU WILL LEAD

• The full estimating process: own estimates for major museum and experiential projects, from concept budgets and design development through final pricing.
• Scope clarity: translate drawings, specifications and design intent into comprehensive scopes that account for fabrication, construction and installation.
• Risk and opportunity: identify cost drivers, scope gaps and execution risks early, recommending value-engineering options that preserve the creative intent.
• Procurement strategy: work with Project and Production teams to determine how packages should be sourced, subcontracted and delivered.
• Competitive, credible pricing: lead supplier and subcontractor pricing, bid analysis and scope leveling.
• Commercial decisions throughout delivery: support Project Managers with cost forecasting, challenge assumptions and make clear, informed recommendations.
• Better ways of working: strengthen D&P's estimating, preconstruction and cost-control processes.

THE EXPERIENCE YOU BRING

You have 7+ years of experience in estimating, preconstruction or commercial management, with a track record on complex, multi-million-dollar construction, fabrication or specialty projects.

You read drawings with a builder's eye. You understand materials, construction methods, procurement and the practical consequences of design decisions.

You know where an estimate needs greater detail, where an assumption needs testing and where a different approach could improve delivery.

You also bring:

• Strong commercial judgment grounded in project risk and execution.
• The ability to work confidently with designers, Project Managers, fabricators, subcontractors and clients.
• Comfort developing budgets as designs evolve and resolving uncertainty through collaboration.
• Clear communication, sound negotiation skills and rigorous analysis.

Experience in museum exhibits, architectural fabrication, themed environments, custom millwork or similarly bespoke projects would be particularly relevant.

WHY D&P

Work that demands more of your expertise.

Our projects bring together architecture, storytelling, specialist fabrication, technology and construction. Each presents its own technical challenges- an opportunity to build something distinctive.

Here, you will have a voice early. You will influence how major projects are scoped, priced and delivered, working alongside the people who turn those decisions into physical spaces.

And you will see your work become part of cultural experiences visited by millions.

Bring the judgment that makes ambitious projects possible.