Senior Estimator

The Blue Collar Recruiter of Marietta; Bartlett (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

401(k) matching

Bonus based on performance

Competitive salary

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Opportunity for advancement

Paid time off

Training & development

Vision insurance

Wellness resources

Job summary

The Blue Collar Recruiter of Marietta seeks a Senior Estimator to lead the full estimating lifecycle for HVAC projects across commercial, industrial, and institutional sectors. This role emphasizes independent bid strategy, risk assessment, and margin-focused pricing.

You will build market relationships, guide pricing strategy, and provide technical leadership to sales and operations while mentoring junior estimators. Strong communication and lifecycle analysis skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in Mechanical Engineering, HVAC Technology, Construction Management, or related field.
• 6–10+ years HVAC estimating experience for commercial and industrial projects.
• Proven design/build leadership with ability to develop creative, code compliant solutions.
• Strong ability to read and interpret complex construction documents and engineering specifications.
• Experience with department financials, recovery of indirect costs, and setting estimating department margins.
• Business development or sales enablement experience with measurable outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and approve detailed cost estimates for HVAC service work, repairs, retrofits, replacements, and design/build projects.
• Lead reviews of service requests, site assessments, blueprints, and technician feedback to develop accurate labor and material estimates.
• Attend pre-bid meetings to determine scope, risk, and required resources.
• Direct vendor and subcontractor sourcing and pricing strategies, negotiate terms for margins.
• Maintain records of estimates, job costing data, benchmarking, and pricing trends.
• Ensure estimates comply with standards and codes; implement QA/QC processes.
• Identify and champion value engineering opportunities with lifecycle and ROI analysis.
• Identify, qualify, and secure new project opportunities through networking and market research.
• Collaborate with sales leadership on market entry strategies and growth roadmaps.
• Build executive level relationships with clients and industry partners.
• Lead bid strategy and make go/no-go recommendations based on risk and margin.

Skills

Math skills

Analytical skills

Risk assessment

Communication

Presentation

Interpersonal skills

Mechanical plans

Specifications

Takeoff software

Value engineering

Cost savings

Total cost of ownership

Mentoring

Stakeholder influence

Organization

Multitask management

Integrity

Accountability

Technical excellence

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, HVAC Technology, Construction Management, or related field

Associate degree considered with exceptional experience

Tools

MS Office

Estimating software

Takeoff tools

Job description

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Bonus based on performance
• Competitive salary
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Opportunity for advancement
• Paid time off
• Training & development
• Vision insurance
• Wellness resources

The Senior Estimator leads the full estimating lifecycle for commercial, industrial, and institutional HVAC projects, including service, repairs, retrofits, replacements, and large design/build and plan/spec projects. This role combines advanced technical estimating with independent opportunity generation, bid strategy, and negotiation authority. The Senior Estimator builds market relationships, sets pricing strategy, evaluates risk, and provides technical guidance to sales and operations, delivering value driven solutions and measurable margin improvement. This individual requires minimal oversight, is a self starter, and can manage multiple large bid opportunities across the geography. Must have strong recent experience in this role for a large HVAC project based business.

Responsibilities

• Independently prepare and approve detailed cost estimates for HVAC service work, repairs, retrofits, replacements, and design/build projects.
• Lead comprehensive reviews of service requests, site assessments, blueprints, technical documents, and technician feedback to develop highly accurate labor and material estimates.
• Own analysis of project specifications and drawings, attend and lead pre-bid meetings to determine scope, risk profile, and required resources.
• Direct vendor and subcontractor sourcing and pricing strategies, negotiate terms to ensure cost effective and timely delivery aligned with margin targets.
• Establish and maintain accurate records of estimates, job costing data, benchmarking, and pricing trends to inform future quotations and strategy.
• Ensure all estimates comply with company standards, client specifications, and applicable codes, implement estimating QA/QC processes.
• Identify and champion value engineering opportunities, present cost saving alternatives with lifecycle and ROI analysis.
• Proactively identify, qualify, and secure new project opportunities through networking, client outreach, and market research, owning a personal pipeline and conversion targets.
• Collaborate with sales leadership to develop market entry strategies, pursuit plans, and key account growth roadmaps.
• Build and sustain executive level relationships with clients, general contractors, and industry partners to expand market presence.
• Lead bid strategy and presentation efforts, make recommendations on go or no go decisions based on risk, capacity, and margin objectives.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, HVAC Technology, Construction Management, or a related field. An Associate degree will be considered with exceptional experience.

Experience: 6 to 10 or more years of HVAC estimating experience for commercial and industrial projects, with proven experience estimating self perform HVAC projects in excess of $10M. Proven design/build leadership with the ability to develop creative, code compliant solutions and alternatives. Advanced understanding of commercial HVAC systems, components, controls, and service operations, including lifecycle cost analysis and the ability to provide budgeting proposals on large HVAC projects with limited drawings. Advanced ability to read and interpret complex construction documents and engineering specifications. Strong working knowledge of standard MS Office and industry specific estimating, takeoff, and project management software. Demonstrated experience with department financials, recovery of indirect costs, and setting estimating department margins. Business development or sales enablement experience with measurable outcomes.

Certificates, licenses, registrations: None required.

Skill requirements

• Exceptional mathematical, analytical, and risk assessment skills with strong attention to detail.
• Executive level communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in reading and interpreting mechanical plans, specifications, and work orders, fluency with estimating software and takeoff tools.
• Expertise in value engineering, cost saving strategies, and total cost of ownership analysis.
• Ability to mentor junior estimators and influence stakeholders without direct authority.
• Highly organized, with the ability to manage multiple complex estimates and deadlines independently.
• High professional integrity, accountability, and commitment to technical excellence.

Work environment: professional office environment, with the ability to sit and/or stand for extended periods.