Preconstruction Engineer - Hybrid, Equity

Samara; Redwood City (CA); Hybrid; USD 125,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Early-stage equity

Health, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) eligibility

Flexible PTO policy

Job summary

Samara is seeking a Preconstruction Engineer to cost out product development through GMP milestones for our prefab homes. You will work with Product Development, Project Management, Sales, and Site Installation teams to deliver takeoffs, bills of materials, labor estimates, and total project costs.

You will price change orders, develop internal GMPs, and feed cost insights back into design gates. The role blends cost engineering with preconstruction strategy in a fast‑growing startup environment.

Qualifications

• ~5 years of construction estimating experience.
• General contractor background, residential single‑family or small multifamily preferred.
• Working knowledge of light‑gauge steel framing.
• Proficiency with takeoff and estimating tools (Autodesk Construction Cloud and ProEst) and strong Excel skills.
• Sharp attention to detail and clear written and verbal communication.
• Collaborative, social, and comfortable building process in a fast‑moving startup.

Responsibilities

• Develop GMP estimates for internal development projects from conceptual through design development.
• Provide cost feedback to the Product Development team at key design gates.
• Estimate self‑perform installation scopes: structural connections, MEP tie‑ins, drywall, roofing, and exterior siding.
• Run quantity takeoffs from drawings, specs, and 3D models; develop BOMs at milestones.
• Estimate labor hours for internal field crews and compare with production data.
• Price change orders for the internal install team with accuracy and timeliness.
• Offer technical pricing guidance to offshore Remote Estimating team when needed.
• Maintain unit cost libraries using industry databases and Samara data.
• Solicit, level, and award subcontractor and vendor proposals for outsourced scope.
• Highlight cost risks, scope ambiguity, and schedule pressure early with documented assumptions.
• Partner with Estimating Manager to refine templates, workflows, and SOPs.

Skills

Construction estimating

General contractor background

Clear written and verbal communication

Team collaboration in startup

Light-gauge steel framing knowledge

Tools

Autodesk Construction Cloud

ProEst

Excel

Job description

Samara is seeking a Preconstruction Engineer to cost out product development through GMP milestones for our prefab homes. You will work with Product Development, Project Management, Sales, and Site Installation teams to deliver takeoffs, bills of materials, labor estimates, and total project costs.

You will price change orders, develop internal GMPs, and feed cost insights back into design gates. The role blends cost engineering with preconstruction strategy in a fast‑growing startup environment.