Electrical Estimator – Industrial Projects

Sasso Consulting (Pty) Ltd; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 279,000 - 335,000; Full time

Job summary

Sasso Consulting (Pty) Ltd is seeking an experienced Electrical Estimator to join the Projects team in Johannesburg. This role focuses on costing electrical scopes for industrial projects, with emphasis on industrial refrigeration plants and related equipment.

Applicants should have an Electrical Engineering qualification or a Trade Test and extensive experience in electrical estimating, tender preparation, and cost control across LV/MV systems. On-site travel is required.

Qualifications

• National Diploma or Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering – Heavy Current or related field; OR
• Trade-Tested Electrician qualification with relevant estimating experience.
• Registration as Installation Electrician, Master Installation Electrician or with ECSA advantageous.
• Certification in Cost Estimation or Project Management advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of costing and estimation from initial enquiry through to final tender price.
• Analyse electrical drawings, single-line diagrams, schedules and technical specifications.
• Conduct detailed quantity take-offs for electrical equipment, cabling, containment, lighting, earthing and terminations.
• Build up material, labour/man-hour, plant, subcontractor and preliminary costs.
• Obtain and compare quotations from electrical suppliers, panel builders and subcontractors.

Skills

Electrical estimating

Industrial refrigeration

Cost control

Tendering

Project coordination

Education

Electrical Engineering – Heavy Current (degree/diploma)

Trade-Tested Electrician

Tools

CCS Candy

CostX

MS Project

ERP/SAP systems

Job description

Electrical Estimator – Industrial Projects

Location: Crown Mines, Johannesburg
Employment Type: Permanent
Salary: R25,000 – R30,000 per month
Department: Projects
Travel: Site assessments and project visits required

About the Role

An established engineering company is seeking an experienced Electrical Estimator to join its Projects team in Johannesburg.

The successful candidate will take ownership of the costing and estimation of electrical scopes for industrial projects, with a particular focus on industrial refrigeration projects and plants.

This is a technically specialised estimating position requiring a strong understanding of industrial electrical installations, including compressor drives and starters, motor control centres (MCCs), control panels, PLC/SCADA systems, field instrumentation, hazardous-area equipment, gas detection systems and heating systems.

Candidates must have proven electrical estimating experience together with either an appropriate Electrical Engineering qualification or an Electrical Trade Test.

Key Responsibilities

Electrical Cost Estimation

• Take full ownership of the costing and estimation of electrical scopes from initial enquiry through to final tender price.
• Analyse electrical drawings, single-line diagrams, schedules and technical specifications.
• Conduct detailed quantity take-offs for electrical equipment, cabling, containment, lighting, earthing and terminations.
• Build up material, labour/man-hour, plant, subcontractor and preliminary costs.
• Obtain and compare quotations from electrical suppliers, panel builders and subcontractors.

Industrial Refrigeration Electrical Estimating

• Estimate complete electrical scopes for industrial refrigeration projects and plants.
• Cost compressor motor starting systems including VSDs, soft starters, star-delta and DOL starters.
• Estimate MCCs, distribution boards, PLC/SCADA control panels and field instrumentation.
• Price plant-room and cold-store electrical requirements.
• Allow for hazardous-area (Ex) equipment used in ammonia plant rooms.
• Cost refrigerant gas detection and emergency ventilation interlocks.
• Estimate low-temperature and high-IP lighting.
• Price underfloor/frost-heave heating, door and drain-line trace heating and evaporator/condenser fan circuits.
• Verify sizing of major electrical items including motors, cables, protection, power-factor correction and supply capacity in consultation with engineering.
• Clearly define interfaces between electrical, refrigeration/mechanical, civil and client scopes.

Tendering & Commercial Responsibilities

• Prepare electrical sections of tender submissions.
• Compile priced Bills of Quantities (BOQs) and schedules of rates.
• Prepare technical clarifications, qualifications, inclusions and exclusions.
• Review tender specifications and clarify requirements with relevant stakeholders.
• Attend pre-tender meetings and conduct site surveys.
• Assess existing plants for extensions and upgrades.
• Consolidate electrical pricing with mechanical/refrigeration estimates to establish the overall project price.
• Hand awarded projects over to the project team with a clearly defined electrical cost baseline.

Supplier, Client & Stakeholder Management

• Engage with clients to understand technical and project requirements during the tender phase.
• Work closely with project managers, engineers and procurement teams.
• Maintain relationships with electrical suppliers, panel builders and subcontractors.
• Negotiate and obtain competitive pricing and appropriate lead times.

Cost Control & Reporting

• Establish the electrical cost baseline for awarded projects.
• Assist project managers in tracking actual costs against estimates.
• Price electrical variations and change orders during project execution.
• Review supplier and subcontractor performance.
• Prepare project cost reports, profitability analyses and variance reports.
• Conduct post-project reviews comparing actual costs and man-hours against original estimates.
• Use project outcomes to continuously improve future estimating accuracy.

Minimum Qualifications

Candidates must have one of the following:

• National Diploma or Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering – Heavy Current or a related field; OR
• Trade-Tested Electrician qualification supported by relevant electrical estimating experience.

Registration as an Installation Electrician, Master Installation Electrician or with ECSA will be advantageous.

Certification in Cost Estimation or Project Management will also be advantageous.

Minimum Experience

• Minimum 5 years' experience in electrical estimating within an engineering, construction or industrial contracting environment.
• Proven experience estimating the full electrical scope of industrial projects.
• Strong preference for candidates with direct experience in industrial refrigeration projects and plants, including ammonia, CO, HFC/HFO plants, cold stores and/or food and beverage processing facilities.
• Experience pricing LV/MV reticulation, MCCs, VSDs, PLC control systems, cabling and containment.
• Strong background in cost control, tendering and procurement.

Technical Knowledge & Skills

The successful candidate should have strong working knowledge of:

• Electrical estimating and detailed costing
• Industrial electrical installations
• LV and MV electrical systems
• MCCs and distribution boards
• VSDs, soft starters, star-delta and DOL motor starting
• PLC/SCADA control systems
• Cabling and containment
• Cable sizing and voltage-drop calculationsElectrical protection principles
• Field instrumentation
• Electrical drawings and single-line diagrams
• Cable schedules
• P&IDs and control philosophies
• BOQs and schedules of rates
• Supplier and subcontractor quotations
• Tender preparation
• Cost control and variance analysis
• Advanced Microsoft Excel
• Estimating/project software such as CCS Candy, CostX or MS Project
• ERP/SAP systems advantageous.

Standards & Compliance Knowledge

Candidates should have familiarity with relevant South African electrical, safety and engineering standards, including:

• SANS 10142-1
• SANS 10108 – hazardous locations
• SANS 10147 as applicable to refrigeration plant electrical installations
• Electrical Installation Regulations
• Certificates of Compliance
• ISO 9001 – Quality Management
• ISO 14001 – Environmental Management
• ISO 45001 – Occupational Health & Safety.

Personal Attributes

We are looking for someone who is:

• Highly analytical and numerically strong
• Accurate and detail-oriented
• Commercially aware
• Strong in problem-solving and decision-making
• Able to interpret complex technical documentation
• Organised and capable of managing multiple estimates simultaneously
• Comfortable working under pressure and to tight tender deadlines
• Confident communicating with clients, engineers, project managers, suppliers and subcontractors
• Proactive and accountable
• Strong in negotiation and stakeholder management

Additional Requirements

• Valid driver's licence
• Willing and able to travel for site assessments and project visits
• Comfortable conducting surveys at operating industrial plants and construction sites
• Able to work in cold-store/freezer environments where required
• Willing to comply with PPE and site safety requirements, including environments where ammonia or other hazardous materials may be present.

Important

This is not a general electrical estimating position. Candidates should have substantial experience estimating industrial electrical projects, with direct industrial refrigeration exposure being highly desirable.

Salary: R25,000 – R30,000 per month, depending on experience and qualifications.