Principal Lead Estimator (Hyperscale Data Centers)

Job Description

Oracle is seeking a highly experienced Principal Lead Estimator to support hyperscale data center development, build-out, and infrastructure delivery across multiple regions. This is a senior hands-on estimating leadership role responsible for developing complex estimates, shaping estimating strategy, supporting cost negotiations, improving estimating processes, and delivering executive-ready cost recommendations.

This role requires a builder mindset. The successful candidate will help scale a growing estimating function while personally developing estimates, improving cost models, challenging vendor assumptions, and creating repeatable tools and processes. The ideal candidate is adaptable, commercially strong, technically credible, and comfortable working in fast-moving environments with incomplete information and evolving priorities.

Responsibilities

• Develop, validate, reconcile, and defend complex estimates for hyperscale data center projects, programs, and strategic initiatives.

• Lead estimating efforts across multiple disciplines, including electrical, low voltage, mechanical, civil, structural, architectural, controls, security, network, site infrastructure, and related mission-critical scopes.

• Build conceptual, budgetary, and detailed estimates using drawings, design narratives, BOMs, specifications, contractor proposals, colocation provider inputs, historical data, market benchmarks, and parametric models.

• Develop and maintain estimating models, including quantity-based, labor-hour, productivity-based, parametric, benchmark, and should-cost models.

• Review and challenge vendor, contractor, consultant, trade partner, and colocation provider pricing for completeness, transparency, consistency, and commercial reasonableness.

• Support cost negotiations with contractors, vendors, specialty trades, consultants, and colocation providers.

• Develop defensible should-cost positions using internal cost models, historical benchmarks, market data, regional labor assumptions, productivity expectations, and project-specific scope analysis.

• Lead bid leveling, proposal analysis, pricing normalization, scope reconciliation, commercial review, and estimate gap analysis.

• Identify missing scope, undefined interfaces, pricing anomalies, cost risks, constructability concerns, commercial gaps, and estimate assumptions requiring leadership attention.

• Develop assumptions, inclusions, exclusions, allowances, escalation, contingency recommendations, risk items, and basis-of-estimate documentation.

• Build and improve estimating templates, cost databases, benchmarking tools, reporting formats, executive summaries, and estimate governance processes.

• Create repeatable estimating processes that improve speed, accuracy, consistency, transparency, and accountability across projects and regions.

• Compare estimates against historical actuals, awarded bids, contractor proposals, change orders, and market data to improve estimate accuracy over time.

• Partner with design, construction, procurement, legal, finance, commercial, cost management, scheduling, operations, and executive stakeholders.

• Indirectly lead external estimating partners by setting expectations, reviewing deliverables, challenging assumptions, and driving accountability.

• Prepare executive-ready cost summaries, dashboards, decision documents, presentation materials, and recommendation memos.

• Present estimate strategy, cost drivers, risks, budget deltas, vendor gaps, commercial positions, and recommendations to Vice Presidents and senior leaders.

• Operate effectively in an evolving function where tools, processes, templates, and standards are still being developed.

Responsibilities

Qualifications

• 15+ years of estimating, cost management, preconstruction, commercial management, or related experience in data centers, mission-critical infrastructure, industrial, semiconductor, technology infrastructure, or complex capital projects.

• Experience estimating large-scale, multi-discipline construction or infrastructure programs.

• Strong working knowledge of electrical and low voltage systems, including power distribution, UPS and generator interfaces, feeders, busway, rack power, grounding, controls, structured cabling, fiber, copper, pathways, containment, monitoring systems, and related infrastructure.

• Ability to understand and integrate mechanical, civil, structural, architectural, controls, site infrastructure, and other related scopes into a complete project estimate.

• Proven experience developing conceptual, budgetary, and detailed estimates with limited or evolving design information.

• Experience building estimating models, cost models, benchmark models, labor-hour models, productivity assumptions, and should-cost analyses.

• Strong capability in bid leveling, contractor proposal review, vendor pricing analysis, quantity validation, scope reconciliation, and commercial review.

• Experience supporting cost negotiations with contractors, vendors, consultants, specialty trades, or colocation providers.

• Ability to identify scope gaps, pricing risks, missing assumptions, commercial issues, and estimate inconsistencies.

• Strong Excel and analytical skills for cost modeling, estimate development, bid analysis, benchmarking, scenario analysis, and executive reporting.

• Ability to create clear, polished, executive-ready documents and presentations.

• Strong communication and influencing skills, including the ability to present to Vice Presidents and senior stakeholders.

• Ability to work independently in a fast-moving, ambiguous, high-accountability environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hyperscale data center, colocation, cloud infrastructure, mission-critical, semiconductor, industrial, or large-scale technology infrastructure experience.

• Owner-side estimating, cost management, preconstruction, procurement, commercial management, or contract negotiation support experience.

• Experience working with colocation providers on build-out pricing, tenant improvements, customer-specific infrastructure, non-recurring charges, commercial terms, and change order validation.

• Experience across multiple regions, construction markets, delivery models, vendors, or colocation providers.

• Experience building or improving estimating processes, cost databases, templates, governance standards, benchmarking tools, or reporting mechanisms.

• Experience with Class 1-5 estimates, contingency modeling, early-stage capital planning, and risk-adjusted cost development.

• Familiarity with MEP systems, controls, commissioning, long-lead equipment, general conditions, escalation, contractor markups, and regional labor markets.

Key Attributes

• Builder mindset with the ability to create structure, standards, and tools in a growing function.

• Hands-on ownership style; willing and able to personally develop estimates while leading broader estimating initiatives.

• Strong commercial judgment and confidence challenging assumptions, pricing, and scope gaps.

• Multidiscipline perspective with strong electrical and low voltage credibility.

• Executive presence with the ability to simplify complex cost issues for senior leaders.

• Adaptable, resourceful, and comfortable operating with ambiguity, incomplete information, and shifting priorities.

• Strong influencer who can drive accountability across vendors, consultants, contractors, and internal stakeholders without direct authority.

Disclaimer:

Certain U.S. based or U.S. customer or client-facing roles may be required to comply with applicable requirements, such as immunization/occupational health mandates, and/or drug testing requirements.

Range and benefit information provided in this posting are specific to the stated locations only

US: Hiring Range in USD from: $115,300 to $264,100 per annum. May be eligible for bonus, equity, and compensation deferral.

Oracle maintains broad salary ranges for its roles in order to account for variations in knowledge, skills, experience, market conditions and locations, as well as reflect Oracle's differing products, industries and lines of business.

Candidates are typically placed into the range based on the preceding factors as well as internal peer equity.

Oracle US offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes the following:

1. Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including expert medical opinion

2. Short term disability and long term disability

3. Life insurance and AD&D

4. Supplemental life insurance (Employee/Spouse/Child)

5. Health care and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts

6. Pre-tax commuter and parking benefits

7. 401(k) Savings and Investment Plan with company match

8. Paid time off: Flexible Vacation is provided to all eligible employees assigned to a salaried (non-overtime eligible) position. Accrued Vacation is provided to all other employees eligible for vacation benefits. For employees working at least 35 hours per week, the vacation accrual rate is 13 days annually for the first three years of employment and 18 days annually for subsequent years of employment. Vacation accrual is prorated for employees working between 20 and 34 hours per week. Employees working fewer than 20 hours per week are not eligible for vacation.

9. 11 paid holidays

10. Paid sick leave: 72 hours of paid sick leave upon date of hire. Refreshes each calendar year. Unused balance will carry over each year up to a maximum cap of 112 hours.

11. Paid parental leave

12. Adoption assistance

13. Employee Stock Purchase Plan

14. Financial planning and group legal

15. Voluntary benefits including auto, homeowner and pet insurance

The role will generally accept applications for at least three calendar days from the posting date or as long as the job remains posted.

Career Level - IC5

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