Lead Estimator - Heavy Highway Construction

GeoStabilization International®; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 132,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Flexible paid time off

401(k) plan with company match

Paid parental leave

Job summary

A geotechnical construction firm located in Philadelphia is searching for a Senior Estimating Manager. In this role, you will lead a skilled estimating team, establish standardized processes, and oversee detailed cost estimates, collaborating with executive leadership to enhance market competitiveness. Ideal candidates will possess a bachelor's degree in Construction Management and over 10 years of relevant estimating experience in heavy civil construction. This position offers a competitive salary range of $132,000 - $185,000 and excellent benefits.

Qualifications

• 10+ years estimating experience in heavy civil construction.
• Proven success leading an estimating function.
• Deep fluency in DOT specifications and public works bidding.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead a high-density estimating team.
• Establish standardized estimating processes and cost models.
• Oversee bid submissions to ensure quality and competitive positioning.
• Analyze historical performance data for cost forecasting.

Skills

Cognitive agility

Analytical judgment

Negotiation ability

Organizational discipline

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management or Civil Engineering

Tools

HCSS HeavyBid

Bluebeam

OST

Excel

Job description

Overview

GeoStabilization International (GSI) and our affiliated businesses operate in mission-critical infrastructure and geotechnical construction. We win work not because we are the biggest, but because we are the most innovative, the most disciplined, and the most operationally excellent.

We are seeking a Senior Estimating Manager for our RoadGuard division who brings the judgment and leadership capacity to elevate the competitiveness and precision of our preconstruction function across guardrail, highway signage and structures, and commercial/industrial fencing divisions. This is a role for a strategic, analytical, and elite problem solver who can build a high-performance estimating team while personally shaping the way we model cost, manage risk, and price for profitable growth.

A successful Senior Estimating Manager at RoadGuard is not simply a technical estimator; they are leaders capable of supporting business development, influencing division strategy, and enabling field operations to execute at a high margin.

Benefits

• Great medical, dental, and vision insurance options with additional programs available when enrolled
• Mental health benefits
• 401(k) plan to help save for your future including company match
• In addition to 7 observed holidays, salaried team members have flexible paid time off
• Paid parental leave

Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategic Impact

• Build, lead, and develop a high-density estimating team with strong expectations around accuracy, speed, and operational partnership.
• Establish standardized estimating processes, cost models, and submission templates that improve repeatability and scalability across divisions.
• Partner with executive leadership on market positioning, pricing strategy, and targeted pursuit guidance.
• Analyze historical performance data to improve cost forecasting, competitive strategy, and win rates

Estimating Excellence & Bid Strategy

• Oversee the review of bid invitations, specs, and drawings to determine true scope, schedule needs, risks, and value opportunities.
• Lead and personally contribute to detailed cost estimates across labor, materials, equipment, and subcontractor scopes for guardrail, signage, and fencing projects.
• Drive rigorous takeoff processes, ensuring precision and clarity in quantity and risk interpretation.
• Manage bid calendars, ensuring zero misses, high-quality submissions, and clear competitive positioning.
• Conduct bid reviews, lead clarifications, and represent the company in negotiations with DOTs, public agencies, GCs, and owners

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Ensure seamless handoff to Project Managers and Operations with accurate scopes, schedules, and assumptions.
• Partner closely with engineering, operations, and field leadership to challenge assumptions, identify value engineering opportunities, and increase constructability.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, subcontractors, and agencies to improve pricing intelligence and early visibility into market changes.
• Represent the company confidently in pre-bid meetings, industry events, and site walks.

Financial & Operational Insight

• Own the development, maintenance, and accuracy of internal cost databases, production rates, and unit pricing.
• Track cost trends and provide an analysis to operations and finance to support smarter pricing and execution strategies.
• Oversee prequalification submissions and ensure compliance with all DOT and public works procurement requirements.

What Great Looks Like

We are not looking for someone who can just “run the estimating department,” we are looking for someone who can transform it.

Candidates who thrive in this role consistently demonstrate:

• High cognitive agility and exceptional analytical judgment.
• Ability to model cost drivers with precision and explain them in a way operators trust and act on.
• Evidence of past success influencing bid strategy and driving measurable improvements in win rates, pricing discipline, or margin uplift.
• A leadership style that combines clarity, decisiveness, and a bias for speed while maintaining rigor.
• Strong resilience: someone who stays calm when deadlines compress, drawings change, or pricing shifts.
• The ability to lead through ambiguity and innovate under constraints.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of estimating experience in heavy civil construction or specialties such as guardrail, structural signage, or industrial fencing.
• Proven success leading or managing an estimating function.
• Deep fluency in DOT specifications, public works bidding, and government contract structures.
• Proficiency with estimating tools (HCSS HeavyBid, Bluebeam, OST, Excel).
• Strong analytical strength, communication clarity, and negotiation ability.
• Extreme attention to detail, organizational discipline, and reliability.

Preferred Attributes

• Experience with design-build, alternative delivery, or negotiated work.
• Familiarity with steel structures, concrete, and fabrication.
• Ability to see constructability issues early and identify cost or schedule risks.
• A strategic thinker who elevates team performance and enhances market competitiveness.

Travel Requirements

• Approximately 10% company-sponsored travel within the region, including site visits on uneven terrain.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

GeoStabilization International, LLC. is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Location & Compensation

This role will be in-office. Employees will be expected to work in the Folsom, NJ office 5 days per week.

The expected base pay range for this position in the Folsom, NJ area is $132,000.00 - $185,000.00. Salary ranges are dependent on a variety of factors, including qualifications, experience and geographic location. Range is not inclusive of potential bonus or benefits.