Senior Cost Estimator: Design-Build Pre-Construction Leader

Gray; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP

Competitive Salary

Performance Bonuses

Retirement Planning

Comprehensive Healthcare

Tax-Advantaged Accounts

Wellness & Career Mobility

Job summary

Gray is seeking a Cost Estimator in the Versailles, KY area to lead pre-construction estimating for large-scale commercial and industrial projects. You will develop budgets from napkin sketches to detailed GMP and lump-sum bids, applying your design-build expertise and market knowledge.

You will guide junior estimators, collaborate with design, procurement and operations teams, and present defensible, client-ready estimates while maximizing value engineering opportunities and risk mitigation for

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in construction-related field with 5–10 years pre-construction/estimating experience.
• Proven track record estimating large-scale commercial/industrial projects ($10M–$50M+) in Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, and Distribution sectors.
• Deep understanding of design-build delivery and ability to build budgets from minimal design information.

Responsibilities

• Lead pursuit execution: drive day-to-day pre-construction inputs to deliver competitive final pricing.
• Develop multi-tiered estimates from concept budgets to GMP and lump-sum bids.
• Value engineering and market analysis to optimize costs and support budget discussions.
• Collaborate with design managers, operations, and schedulers to evaluate constructability and handoffs.
• Act as primary pre-construction contact for clients, design partners, and vendors to validate scope and pricing.
• Perform de-scoping of trade proposals to verify compliance and defend budgets.
• Identify cost drivers and risks; escalate with mitigations to senior leadership.
• Mentor junior estimators and leverage Gray’s cost databases and benchmarking.

Skills

Estimating

Leadership

Collaboration

Risk assessment

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management/Civil-Engineering/Building Science

Tools

Bluebeam Revu

Timberline/Sage

OnScreen Takeoff

MS Excel

Autodesk Suite

BuildingConnected

Job description

Gray is seeking a Cost Estimator in the Versailles, KY area to lead pre-construction estimating for large-scale commercial and industrial projects. You will develop budgets from napkin sketches to detailed GMP and lump-sum bids, applying your design-build expertise and market knowledge.

You will guide junior estimators, collaborate with design, procurement and operations teams, and present defensible, client-ready estimates while maximizing value engineering opportunities and risk mitigation for