Estimator III - Highway Construction

Orion Engineers, PLLC; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Parental leave

Vision insurance

Wellness resources

401(k)

401(k) matching

Bonus based on performance

Company parties

Competitive salary

Dental insurance

Free food & snacks

Company car

Job summary

Orion Engineers, PLLC is seeking a dynamic Project Engineer focused on infrastructure and transportation to join our team. You will prepare detailed cost estimates, perform takeoffs, and support procurement and bid activities for large civil projects.

Flexible work from home options are available, with emphasis on delivering accurate estimates and collaborating with scheduling and management teams to align with project schedules.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management or related degree with 6 years relevant experience.
• Alternatively, 10 years relevant experience in cost estimating.

Responsibilities

• Prepares detailed cost estimates using Cost Breakdown Structure and creates unit/component cost breakdowns.
• Performs conceptual estimating and collaborates with project supervisor to meet financial/regulatory guidelines.
• Supports price negotiations and collects cost data for materials/services; participates in client presentations.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management or related degree

10 years relevant experience in cost estimates (in lieu of education)

Tools

Excel

Sage Timberline

HCSS HeavyBid

Job description

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Vision insurance
• Wellness resources
• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Bonus based on performance
• Company parties
• Competitive salary
• Dental insurance
• Free food & snacks
• Company car

Orion Engineers, PLLC was founded to make a difference to our employees, clients, and fellow military veterans who bravely served our country. Our team of dynamic and diverse professionals drive creative engineering solutions that are responsive, proactive, and cost effective for our clients and communities. Orion Engineers is looking for a dynamic Project Engineer with a focus on infrastructure and the transportation industry to join our growing firm.

Let’s build the future together.

This opportunity entails preparing all aspects of detailed cost estimates with minimal supervision for projects that are generally larger and more complex estimating assignments. Accurately projecting the cost of upcoming projects. Responsible for conceptual, definitive, man-hour, and equipment factored total installed cost estimates. Duties may also include preparing economic cost studies, cash flows, and contingency analyses.

Responsibilities

• Performs detailed cost estimates utilizing the Cost Breakdown Structure, determining the cost of each item from experience and summarizing the total. Prepares detailed breakdown of components and elements of estimates for systems and subsystems.
• Performs conceptual estimating by establishing a project’s cost prior to development of graphical representation of a facility. Works closely with the project supervisor to ensure the project estimate meets all financial and regulatory guidelines. Operates and provides oversight and guidance on the use of selected estimating software.
• Provides support in price negotiations. Obtains cost information for materials and services. Participates in client presentations as required.
• Performs detailed cost estimates for professional services.
• Develops duration estimates of specific construction activities based on assumed construction approach and appropriate production rates. Prepares independent cost estimates for submitted change order proposals.
• Collaborates with scheduling team to develop productivity-based cost estimates and to ensure alignment of estimates to construction schedules.
• Analyzes specifications, drawings, sketches, and sample layouts to calculate total construction cost using labor, material, and equipment pricing schedules in concert with historical data.
• Reviews contractual documents and contract modifications to determine scope of work and scope changes.
• Accumulates, evaluates, and documents historical cost data and construction means and methods to maintain current estimating standards and databases.
• Prepares takeoffs on complex projects, drawings, and plans with project management and checks for mathematical and technical accuracy. Assigns material costs and staffing costs to the takeoffs.
• Supports the preparation of procurement documents related to Estimating Specifications.

Daily responsibilities

• Prepares reviews of engineers estimates for complex civil contracts,
• Compiles independent quantity take-offs on major projects for quality check purposes,
• Prepares independent change order estimates for construction contracts
• Updates cost forecasts for upcoming work,
• Analyzes bid tabulations,
• Updates price database, and
• Produces economic cost studies, cash flows, and contingency analyses

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management or related degree and 6 years relevant experience, or
• In lieu of education, 10 years relevant experience with the development of cost estimates

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

• AACE’s CEP (Certified Estimating Professional) or equivalent designation
• Experience developing cost estimates and quantity takeoffs in heavy highway construction
• Experience estimating and bidding projects with a general contractor or subcontractor on heavy civil projects
• Familiarity with basic design requirements for roads and bridges
• Experience preparing cost estimates using a variety of Estimating tools, including Excel spreadsheets, Sage Timberline, HCSS HeavyBid, and/or other estimating software

Flexible work from home options available.