Project Estimator

Smartlink Group; Town of Texas (WI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Smartlink Group is seeking a Data Center Estimator to prepare accurate takeoffs, BOMs, and cost estimates for OSP fiber, ISP cabling, and data center projects.

You’ll support pre-sales, bidding, and project handoff, collaborate with sales, engineering, and vendors, and help ensure buildable, cost-competitive proposals. This remote role rewards detail-oriented professionals who thrive in fast‑paced telecom environments and want to shape the future of our data center practices.

Qualifications

• 3-7+ years of experience in telecom, structured cabling, or data center estimating or project coordination.
• Ability to read and interpret civil drawings, profiles, and details for OSP/ISP.
• Strong technical understanding of OSP fiber construction and ISP cabling.
• Familiarity with BICSI, TIA/EIA, NEC, NESC, and hyperscaler data center standards.
• Proficiency in MS Office, especially Excel, and estimating tools.
• Direct field experience in OSP/ISP and data center environments.

Responsibilities

• Perform OSP quantity take-offs, including conduit, handholes, trenches, and aerial plant.
• Develop complete cost estimates for materials, labor, equipment, and subcontractors.
• Coordinate with sales, engineering, PMO, and vendors for alignment on scope and pricing.
• Lead estimate-to-operations handoff with take-off markups, BOMs, and exclusions.
• Participate in site walks and field surveys for OSP routes and data center spaces.
• Prepare proposal packages with scope narratives and value-engineering options.

Skills

MS Excel

Estimating tools

Reading civil drawings

Bid coordination

Project coordination

Data center knowledge

Education

Degree in construction management or engineering

Tools

Bluebeam

PlanSwift

Accubid

Job description

Reports To: Program Manager or Director of Delivery

Department: Technical Services

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: Remote

Why Smartlink?

At Smartlink, we believe exceptional people create exceptional results. Guided by our core values, Creating Customer Fanatics, Innovate and Create, One Team, We Are All In, and Safety Leads to Success, we foster a culture where driven, ambitious individuals are empowered to make an impact, grow their careers, and help drive our success.

We are a fast-paced, high-performance organization where accountability, teamwork, and innovation are expected and rewarded. This is not a traditional 40-hour workweek environment. Success often requires flexibility, dedication, and a willingness to go above and beyond to deliver for our customers and teammates.

In return, you'll be surrounded by talented professionals who challenge and support one another, with opportunities for career growth, skill development, and meaningful contributions that make a real difference.

If you're competitive, motivated by achievement, and ready to be All In, Smartlink offers more than a job. It offers the opportunity to build an exceptional career while helping shape the future of our industry. If you're ready to be All In, we invite you to join us and help shape the future of Smartlink.

Why Smartlink?

At Smartlink, we believe exceptional people create exceptional results. Guided by our core values, Creating Customer Fanatics, Innovate and Create, One Team, We Are All In, and Safety Leads to Success, we foster a culture where driven, ambitious individuals are empowered to make an impact, grow their careers, and help drive our success.

We are a fast-paced, high-performance organization where accountability, teamwork, and innovation are expected and rewarded. This is not a traditional 40-hour workweek environment. Success often requires flexibility, dedication, and a willingness to go above and beyond to deliver for our customers and teammates.

In return, you'll be surrounded by talented professionals who challenge and support one another, with opportunities for career growth, skill development, and meaningful contributions that make a real difference.

If you're competitive, motivated by achievement, and ready to be All In, Smartlink offers more than a job. It offers the opportunity to build an exceptional career while helping shape the future of our industry. If you're ready to be All In, we invite you to join us and help shape the future of Smartlink.

Job Summary:

The Data Center Estimator (OSP, ISP, Data Centers) prepares accurate takeoffs, BOMs, and cost estimates for OSP fiber, ISP cabling, and data center projects. The role supports pre-sales, bidding, and project handoff, ensuring scopes are complete, compliant, and aligned with cost and margin goals. The Estimator partners with sales, engineering, project management, vendors, and field teams to deliver competitive, buildable proposals.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Scope Review & Quantity Take-Offs

• Perform detailed OSP quantity take-offs, including: Conduit and duct banks
• Manholes, handholes, pull boxes, and vaults
• Trenching, boring, and restoration
• Aerial plant (strand, anchors, make-ready)
• Fiber cables, splice cases, slack loops, and storage
• Perform detailed ISP and data center quantity take-offs, including: Backbone and horizontal copper and fiber cabling
• Cable tray, ladder rack, J-hooks, and raceway systems
• Racks, cabinets, patch panels, and terminations
• PDUs, grounding and bonding, labeling, and testing

Translate design intent into structured, buildable Bills of Materials across OSP, ISP, and data center environments.

Develop complete cost estimates covering materials, labor, equipment, subcontractors, logistics, and indirects for OSP construction, ISP cabling, and data center white-space buildouts.

• Build, maintain, and refine labor units and production rates for: Trenching, boring, and restoration
• Aerial placement and make-readyCable installation, termination, and testing (fiber and copper)

Solicit, analyze, compare, and negotiate vendor and subcontractor pricing, including civil contractors, aerial crews, splicers, testing providers, and specialty data center hardware suppliers.

• Prepare proposal packages including: Scope narratives
• Assumptions, clarifications, and exclusions
• Alternates and value-engineering options for OSP routing, ISP pathways, and data center layouts.
• Participate in site walks and field surveys for: OSP routes (access, existing utilities, conflicts)
• Data center spaces (MMRs, white space, galleries)
• Identify constructability issues, risks, and opportunities such as: Existing conduit or pathway reuse
• Spare fiber or capacity utilization

Incorporate validated site conditions into final estimates and proposals.

Coordination & Project Handoff

Collaborate with sales, engineering, and project management to align scope, schedule, and pricing strategy across OSP, ISP, and data center work packages.

Issue and track RFIs to resolve design gaps, conflicts, or missing information (e.g., OSP/ISP tie-ins, routing discrepancies, data center standards).

• Lead formal estimate-to-operations handoff, providing: Take-off markups
• BOMs and labor breakdowns
• Key assumptions, exclusions, and identified risks

Support change order pricing and budget revisions throughout project lifecycle, including OSP reroutes, added ISP pathways, and data hall expansions.

Standards, Compliance & Cost Data

• Ensure all estimates comply with applicable codes, standards, and customer requirements, including: TIA/EIA, BICSI, and NEC
• NESC and local civil/utility standards
• Customer and hyperscaler data center specifications

Maintain and analyze historical cost, labor, and productivity data to improve estimate accuracy, consistency, and competitiveness.

Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Requirements:

To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

3-7+ years of experience in telecom, structured cabling, or data center estimating, project engineering, or project coordination, with exposure to both OSP and ISP scopes.

• Demonstrated ability to read and interpret: Civil drawings, profiles, and details for OSP construction
• Building plans, risers, and one-lines for ISP and data center projects
• Strong technical understanding of: OSP fiber construction (trench, bore, aerial, splicing, slack management)
• ISP structured cabling systems (copper/fiber, MDF/IDF/MMR buildouts)
• Data center telecom infrastructure (racks, cabinets, cross-connects, meet-me rooms)

Proficiency in MS Office- particularly Excel and digital take-off/estimating tools (e.g., Bluebeam, PlanSwift, Accubid, or similar).

Proven ability to integrate OSP, ISP, and data center costs into a single, cohesive project estimate.

Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to reconcile drawings, quantities, and specifications across multiple telecom disciplines.

Strong organizational and time-management skills; ability to manage multiple bids under tight deadlines.

Clear, confident communicator who collaborates effectively with sales, engineering, PMO, construction teams, and vendors.

Analytical and commercially minded, comfortable challenging incomplete or impractical designs with data-driven alternatives.

Preferred Qualifications

Familiarity with BICSI, TIA/EIA, NEC, NESC, and hyperscaler data center design standards.

Direct field experience in OSP construction, ISP installation, data center cabling, splicing, or testing.

Experience supporting carrier, enterprise, or hyperscale data center programs with repeatable designs and MSAs.

Degree in construction management, engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent field experience.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

Primarily office-based role with extended computer and desk work

Occasional standing, walking, and light lifting (up to 25 lbs.)

Periodic site visits to construction sites or data centers for surveys or meetings

Site visits may involve uneven surfaces, noise, dust, or weather exposure

Personal protective equipment (PPE) required when visiting job site

Minimal travel for this position as needed to perform job responsibilities.