Senior Estimator / Preconstruction Lead

Trueline; Bakersfield (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 265,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Base salary in the $200,000-$265,000

Annual discretionary bonus

Employee ownership through ESOP

401(k) with 4% company match

Company-paid employee medical coverage

Dental and vision coverage options

FSA options for medical and dependent—

EAP and mental health resources

PTO with up to 3 weeks

5 sick days and 8 holidays

Tuition, training, and certification

Mileage reimbursement

Relocation assistance may be possible

Job summary

Trueline's client seeks a Senior Estimator / Preconstruction Lead in Bakersfield, CA to guide a growing estimating function and influence backlog strategy across multifamily, commercial, institutional, and industrial projects.

You will lead, mentor, and partner with executive leadership to pursue and win new work, combining hands-on estimating with business development visibility. Strong CA market knowledge is essential.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of estimating experience with a general contractor.
• Strong leadership of an estimating team.
• Proven ability to pursue and win new work.
• Experience with multifamily and commercial projects.
• Client-facing leadership and executive communication.
• Onsite work in Bakersfield, CA.
• Strong knowledge of CA construction practices and codes.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of 3 estimators and 1 estimating assistant.
• Oversee estimating workload, deadlines, quality control, and departmental performance.
• Prepare and lead conceptual, design-build, negotiated, and hard-bid estimates across project types.
• Review drawings, specifications, takeoffs, subcontractor pricing, general conditions, allowances, contingencies, and final bid strategy.
• Partner with leadership to identify and pursue new project opportunities to strengthen backlog.
• Participate in bid strategy, bid/no-bid decisions, value engineering, and pricing discussions.
• Serve as a visible client-facing representative in meetings and negotiations.
• Build and maintain relationships with owners, developers, architects, engineers, subcontractors, and industry partners.
• Help position the company competitively through communication, market insight, and estimating support.
• Maintain estimating databases, cost history, and benchmarking tools for decision-making.
• Support clean turnover to PM after award with scopes, schedules, proposals, and handoffs.
• Track estimating performance metrics such as accuracy, win rate, profitability, and backlog contribution.

Skills

Estimating leadership

Client-facing leadership

Mentoring team

Multifamily/Commercial

CA construction knowledge

Education

Bachelor's in Construction Mgmt / Civil Eng

Certifications: CMAA / AACE / CCS

Tools

Bluebeam

PlanSwift

RSMeans

Sage Estimating

Autodesk Takeoff

ProEst

MS Office

Job description

Trueline's client, a long-established employee-owned general contractor with a strong reputation across California, is seeking a Senior Estimator / Preconstruction Lead to join their team in Bakersfield, CA. This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for an experienced estimator who can lead a growing estimating function, partner with executive leadership to pursue and win new work, and help shape backlog strategy across multifamily, commercial, institutional, and industrial projects. The role combines hands‑on estimating leadership with business development visibility, making it a strong fit for someone who wants to influence both project pursuit strategy and long‑term company growth.

What You’ll Do as the Senior Estimator / Preconstruction Lead

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 3 estimators and 1 estimating assistant
• Oversee estimating workload, deadlines, quality control, and departmental performance
• Prepare and lead conceptual, design‑build, negotiated, and hard‑bid estimates across a range of project types
• Review drawings, specifications, takeoffs, subcontractor pricing, general conditions, allowances, contingencies, and final bid strategy
• Partner with company leadership to identify and pursue new project opportunities that strengthen backlog
• Participate in bid strategy, bid/no‑bid decisions, value engineering, and pricing discussions
• Serve as a visible client‑facing representative in meetings, presentations, negotiations, and preconstruction conversations
• Build and maintain relationships with owners, developers, architects, engineers, subcontractors, and other industry partners
• Help position the company competitively through strong communication, market insight, and strategic estimating support
• Maintain estimating databases, cost history, and benchmarking tools to improve consistency and decision‑making
• Support clean turnover to project management after award, including scopes, clarifications, schedules, proposals, and handoff documentation
• Track estimating performance metrics such as estimate accuracy, win rate, profitability, and backlog contribution

Must‑Haves as the Sales / Lead Estimator

• 10+ years of construction estimating experience with a general contractor
• Strong estimating experience in multifamily and commercial construction
• Experience leading, mentoring, or managing an estimating team
• Ability to develop conceptual, negotiated, design‑build, and hard‑bid estimates
• Strong understanding of California construction practices, building code, and market conditions
• Confidence operating in a client‑facing leadership role, not solely a back‑office estimating function
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage owners, executives, project teams, and subcontractors
• Ability to work onsite in Bakersfield, CA
• Strong organizational, analytical, and strategic thinking skills

Nice‑to‑Haves as the Sales / Lead Estimator

• Experience with multifamily projects ranging from mid‑size to large apartment communities
• Exposure to institutional, education, medical, religious, hospitality‑style, or light industrial projects
• Experience with value engineering, subcontractor prequalification, and vendor strategy
• Background supporting executive bid presentations, risk reviews, and backlog planning
• Familiarity with tools such as Bluebeam, PlanSwift, RSMeans, Sage Estimating, Autodesk Takeoff, ProEst, and Microsoft Office
• Interest in improving estimating workflows through technology or AI‑assisted takeoff tools
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or a related field
• Certifications such as CMAA, AACE, or CCS

Our Client Offers

• Base salary in the $200,000-$265,000 range
• Annual discretionary bonus
• Employee ownership through an ESOP
• 401(k) with 4% company match
• Company‑paid employee medical coverage
• Dental and vision coverage options
• FSA options for medical and dependent care
• EAP and mental health resources
• Negotiable PTO, with up to 3 weeks available
• 5 sick days and 8 paid holidays
• Tuition, training, and certification support as needed
• Mileage reimbursement and possible fuel support depending on role
• Relocation assistance may be considered for the right candidate

Trueline and its clients are unabashed equal‑opportunity employers committed to a diverse workforce. We welcome smart and ambitious applicants and recruit, refer, hire, place, and promote without regard to race, color, gender, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, age, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law.