Senior Estimator

Wohlsen Construction; Hamden (CT); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Wohlsen Construction is seeking a Sr. Estimator to lead bid pursuits, assemble complete preconstruction estimates, and guide a growing estimating team. You will develop pricing, scopes of work, and bid strategies for complex projects, leveraging tools like Sage Estimating, Planswift, and Bluebeam.

You will travel regionally for site visits, manage subcontractor relationships, and push for value engineering opportunities. A strong background in construction accounting and GMPs is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred in Engineering, Construction Technology, Architecture or a related field.
• 8–10 years of construction estimating experience.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office software and common estimating tools.
• Authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategies to win bid pursuits as Bid Captain.
• Prepare complete estimates with detailed takeoffs and pricing.
• Lead and train estimating team members.
• Attend pre-bid meetings and site visits to assess conditions.
• Develop value engineering concepts and pricing.
• Maintain relationships with subcontractors and suppliers.

Skills

Strong communication

Leadership

Organizational skills

Mentoring

Bid management

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering/Construction

Tools

Sage Estimating

Assemble

Bluebeam

Planswift

Excel

BidDay

Job description

About Your Opportunity
As a Sr. Estimator, you will mentally build the project, pull the necessary components together and establish, in an accurate manner, the anticipated cost of a project. You will lead pursuits for competitive bid proposals and efforts to prepare preconstruction estimates including GMP’s.
Must have a thorough understanding of building construction types including, structural systems, building skin and exterior systems, various finishes, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing services. Must have knowledge and understand construction management, architecture, or engineering.
The Sr. Estimator must possess strong verbal and written communication skills, leadership qualities and organizational skills. This position is also expected to contribute to the training and development of the estimating team.

Responsibilities

• You will develop and execute strategies to win Bid Pursuits as the Bid Captain and in the preparation of complete Preconstruction Estimates.
  • Review of the documents to determine risks and advantages
  • Review of contract terms with input from the Regional Leader, Project Executive and/or Contracts Manager as required
  • Work with the Estimating Manager / VP of Preconstruction & Estimating to make team assignments on projects you are leading
  • Lead pursuit meetings to ensure coverage from subcontractors, completeness of scope and adherence to the Win Strategy
• You will prepare complete estimates including:
  • Quantity Survey/Detailed Take-offs
  • Develop Pricing
  • Development of Scopes of Work
  • Preparation of Bids and Proposals.
• You will utilize the take-off tools including Assemble, Bluebeam, Planswift and others used by the department
• Quantities will be input into Sage Estimating for pricing
• Competitive Bids / GMP’s will be input into BidDay
• You will develop Detailed Estimates on completed project documents as well as Conceptual/Schematic/Design Development Estimates from incomplete design information.
• You will be expected to establish and maintain relationships with Subcontractors and Suppliers in our markets to ensure their participation in our pursuits and to develop competitive advantages when applicable.
• You will develop Value Engineering concepts and pricing for our Bid Pursuits as well as our Preconstruction engagements.
• This role is considered a senior position on the Preconstruction & Estimating Team and the Sr. Estimator is expected to help train and develop the less experienced team members.
• The Sr. Estimator will serve as Bid Captain on some Bid Pursuits and Preconstruction engagements. General Rule would be that this estimator can Bid Captain projects up to $75M. They will also be expected to provide a supporting role as an Estimator on projects they are not leading.
• For projects that the Sr. Estimator served as the Bid Captain they will prepare the Project Hand-Off documents and lead the Hand-Off meeting, input the Historical Cost Data into our system, closeout the estimate and cleanup electronic filing.
• Attend pre-bid meetings and site visits to assess the conditions of the site or existing building. You will also attend kick-off meetings with Estimators, Project Managers, and Superintendents.
  • Identify and document all attendees including subcontractors and competition
  • Take notes and share with estimating team
  • Take photos, including 360 photos, and publish to the file and estimating team
• You will support the team with presentations to Owner’s andArchitect’s.
• Provide purchasing, or support in the purchasing of, subcontractors and suppliers to perform work for the company.
• You will develop estimate reports, books and other presentation materials and participate in presentations to owners and architects when needed.

Authority :

• Maintain or manage relationships with subcontractors
• Provide feedback to Estimating and Preconstruction Team
• When being a Bid Captain on a project, lead the bid team for a successful submission
• Drive continuous improvement in processes, strategies, and project outcomes
• Provide mentoring (if applicable) to estimators 1 and/or 2
• Accountability :
• Meets deadlines
• Maintains strong relationships with subcontractors
• Collaborates with estimating and preconstruction for successful submission
• Follows the Wohlsen policies and procedures
• Continuous improvement

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree preferred, preferably in Engineering, Construction Technology, Architecture or similar field of study.
• 8-10 years of construction estimating experience
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Software Systems, Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint
• Have a valid driver’s license with the ability to travel to regional offices to support local estimating projects.
• Authorization to work in the United States indefinitely without restriction or sponsorship.
• Ability to work additional hours to meet business plan goals.

Physical Requirements
In a normal day, this position requires little to no standing or walking. In a normal day, the employee must be able to sit for 7+ hours. In a normal day, the employee must be able to drive 1-4 hours. Employee must be able to lift/carry up to 10 lbs. maximum; occasionally carry small objects. In this position, employee occasionally (0-33%) must be able to bend at waist, squat the knees, climb (including ladders), reach above shoulders, kneel, crawl, use feet (foot controls), and/or work at heights above 6 feet.

*Note to Recruiters, Placement Agencies, and Similar Organizations: Wohlsen does not accept unsolicited resumes from agencies. Please do not forward unsolicited agency resumes to our website, locations, or to any Wohlsen team member. Wohlsen will not pay fees to any third-party agency or firm and will not be responsible for any agency fees associated with unsolicited resumes. Unsolicited resumes received will be considered property of Wohlsen and will be processed accordingly.

It is the policy of Wohlsen Construction to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. This policy relates to all phases of employment, including, but not limited to, recruiting, employment, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, reduction of workforce and termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, selection for training, the use of all facilities, and participation in all company-sponsored employee activities.

The information contained herein is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the duties and responsibilities of the job, nor are they intended to be an all-inclusive list of the skills and abilities required to do the job. This job description does not constitute a contract of employment and Wohlsen Construction may exercise its employment at-will rights at any time.