Junior Estimator

JP Services; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

JP Services is seeking a Junior Estimator to join our Estimating team, focused on the maintenance segment of our pigging, chemical cleaning, and ILI tool support business. This role will develop cost estimates and build competitive proposals for online and offline pigging/ILI support projects.

The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, proficient in Excel, and curious about how AI tools can improve estimating workflows.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel (formulas, data organization; advanced functions a plus).
• Strong written communication skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to read and interpret technical documents (specs, drawings, RFPs).
• Willingness to learn pipeline maintenance operations and terminology from the ground up.
• Interest in or familiarity with AI tools and how they can be applied to business workflows.

Responsibilities

• Learn and apply estimating methodology to build cost estimates for maintenance-focused projects.
• Interpret client RFPs, scopes of work, alignment sheets, KMZ files, and specs to identify requirements.
• Build detailed estimates covering labor, equipment, consumables, logistics, and subcontracted services.
• Assemble clear proposals and bid packages for client submission.
• Collaborate with senior estimators to learn pricing logic and historical data.
• Maintain opportunity data within NetSuite CRM and reconcile bid spreadsheets.
• Explore AI tools to streamline data extraction, template population, and drafting.
• Participate in debriefs to compare estimated vs. actual costs and refine estimates.

Skills

Excel proficiency

Attention to detail

Technical document reading

AI tools interest

Written communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

NetSuite CRM

Job description

JOB SUMMARY:

JP Services is seeking a Junior Estimator to join our Estimating team, focused on the maintenance segment of our pigging, chemical cleaning, and In-Line Inspection (ILI) tool support business. This role will develop cost estimates and build competitive proposals for online and offline pigging/ILI support projects. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, comfortable learning technical pipeline maintenance concepts, proficient in Excel, and curious about how AI tools can improve estimating workflows.

This is a growth-track role: JPServices will invest in training the right candidate across all relevant service lines, with a path toward increasing estimating responsibility and future positions in project management.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Learn and apply company’s estimating methodology to build cost estimates for maintenance-focused pigging and ILI support projects, including:
  • Two-phase separation
  • Filter separation
  • Pigging / chemical cleaning (online and offline)
  • ILI tool support
  • Flaring
  • Nitrogen pumping
  • Pipeline survey and pig tracking
  • Light make-ready
• Interpret client RFPs, scopes of work, alignment sheets, KMZ files, and specifications to identify project requirements and scope boundaries
• Build detailed cost estimates covering labor, equipment, consumables, mobilization/logistics, and subcontracted services
• Assemble clear, professional proposals and bid packages for client submission
• Collaborate with senior estimators to learn estimating standards, pricing logic, and historical project data
• Maintain and update opportunity data within company’s CRM: NetSuite
• Support data organization and reconciliation across bid tracking, margin, and project spreadsheets
• Identify opportunities to use AI tools (e.g., Claude, Excel-based automation) to streamline repetitive estimating tasks — such as data extraction from specs/drawings, template population, and proposal drafting
• Participate in project debriefs to compare estimated vs. actual costs and refine future estimates

EXAMPLE PROJECT TYPES

• Online Chemical Clean & ILI Support
  • Install temporary two-phase separation equipment, perform chemical pig runs to clean the pipeline in preparation for ILI, and support the ILI tool run.
• Offline Chemical Clean & ILI Support
  • Flare down the pipeline, purge with nitrogen for safe work conditions, rig up for chemical pig runs, clean the pipeline offline under nitrogen, and support the offline ILI tool run (JPS provides flaring, nitrogen, and pigging support in-house).

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel (formulas, data organization; experience with more advanced functions a plus)
• Strong written communication skills and attention to detail
• Ability to read and interpret technical documents (specs, drawings, RFPs)
• Willingness to learn pipeline maintenance operations and terminology from the ground up
• Interest in or familiarity with AI tools and how they can be applied to business workflows

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Exposure to the oil & gas, pipeline, or midstream services industry
• Familiarity with CRM systems (NetSuite or similar)
• Basic understanding of pipeline operations, pigging, or ILI concepts
• Experience using AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, etc.) for research, data processing, or document drafting

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN THE FIRST YEAR

• Demonstrates working knowledge of all core maintenance service lines listed above
• Independently builds accurate cost estimates for standard online/offline chemical clean and ILI support scopes
• Comfortably navigates NetSuite for opportunity and project tracking
• Contributes at least one process improvement using Excel or AI tools that reduces estimating turnaround time