
Chief Estimator
- Omaha, NE
- $145,500-195,500 per year
- Permanent
- Full-time
- Do you have the desire, skills, and proven strategy to be part of a winning team?
- Do you love the challenge of finding unique solutions for complex projects?
- Does the idea of growth and expansion motivate you?
- Are you a team player who is ready to take on the responsibility of a prime role in a growing company?
- Strategy Development: Collaboratively lead the estimating and proposal process for the pre-construction group by providing strategic insights to pursuit strategy. Actively participate in the design review process, including leading stakeholder decision meetings and providing client-focused solutions. Review and analyze project plans and specifications to determine project requirements and scope of work. Actively participate in RFQ and RFP responses, including client interviews. Review bid results and provide feedback to the team on areas of improvement. Effectively communicate information regarding project risks, challenges, and opportunities to clients and colleagues.
- Estimating: Lead and develop the estimating team through mentorship, structured training, and performance tracking. Manage department budgets and assist with forecasting. Establish and document standard operating procedures. Review and approve all estimates, bid submissions, and prequalification documents. Oversee project tracking systems including CRM, bid logs, and WBS reports. Validate cost estimates, labor projections, quotes, and bid forms for accuracy, completeness, and compliance. Prepare executive-level bid estimates for final approval.
- Business Development & Outreach: Attend pre-bid meetings and business development outreach events. Collaborate with marketing on Small Business Enterprise (SBE) plans and outreach initiatives. Meet with General Contractors and clients monthly to strengthen relationships and generate new business opportunities. Review ITB folders weekly, assisting the coordinator in selecting and setting up projects for bidding. Log all business activity in CRM for tracking future opportunities and strategic growth. Build strategic capture plans and assist the VP of Preconstruction in defining strategy for each project before take-off begins. Travel as needed for scope reviews, interviews, and General Contractor (GC) project reviews.
- Compliance & Process Implementation: Ensure compliance with company policies and procedures, as well as local, state, and federal regulations. Develop and maintain industry best practices for estimating processes. Identify and implement value engineering opportunities. Facilitate project handoff to the operations team.
- Collaborative Leadership: Lead a team of estimators to ensure timely and accurate estimates are produced for all projects. Effectively manage and assign workloads to direct reports to leverage staff strengths, training opportunities, and departmental consistency. Foster employee engagement and career growth by providing training opportunities, effective feedback, and guidance while setting clear expectations and accountability. Work collaboratively with project managers and engineers to optimize estimating strategies.
- Industry Networking: Act as a brand ambassador for the company, promoting its values and expertise in the electrical contracting sector. Demonstrate the highest level of integrity and ethics with internal and external stakeholders. Build relationships with clients, subcontractors, and suppliers to stay informed of market trends and pricing.
- Additional duties as assigned.
- Strong ability to complete due diligence and risk assessment
- Impeccable integrity and ethics with internal and external stakeholders.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships.
- Ability to work under tight deadlines and manage multiple priorities.
- Knowledge of local, state, and federal regulations and codes.
- Identifying, preparing, and proposing value engineering opportunities. Demonstrated success working with customers and design teams on design build and design assist projects
- Experience with estimating software and tools: Bluebeam, Accubid Anywhere, and Live count.
- Proven experience individually bidding on projects valued above $25 million and leading and contributing to team efforts on projects exceeding $50 million.
- Bachelor's degree or Associate’s degree in a relevant field or a combination of relevant experience.
- Minimum of 10 years of experience in electrical estimating, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.