Director of Estimating

Executive Summary & Role Purpose


W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Company is seeking an experienced, strategic, and highly technical Director of Estimating to lead the estimating department within the Yates Industrial Division based in Birmingham, Alabama.


The Director of Estimating is responsible for directing all estimating operations, bid preparation, cost modeling, risk evaluation, and preconstruction strategy across Yates core industrial market sectors: Pulp & Paper, Metals (Steel/Aluminum), Process Chemicals, and Power Generation .


The successful candidate will lead and mentor a team of industrial estimators, establish standardized estimating procedures, leverage industry-leading software ( Timberline ), and maintain deep client relationships during the preconstruction and proposal phases.

Key Responsibilities & Principal Duties

A. Leadership & Departmental Management

• Lead, direct, and grow the Industrial Division estimating department, assigning roles and oversight across active tenders and budget studies.
• Establish standardized workflows, cost databases, historical cost benchmarking, and quality assurance processes for all industrial estimates.
• Mentor senior and junior estimators, cost engineers, and discipline specialists (civil, structural, mechanical, piping, electrical, and instrumentation).
• Conduct thorough peer reviews and executive-level bid reviews prior to formal submission.

B. Preconstruction Strategy & Sector Coverage

• Direct estimating strategies tailored to complex heavy industrial markets:
• Pulp & Paper: Mills, boilers, digestors, recovery systems, paper machine installations/modifications.
• Metals: Rolling mills, melt shops, furnaces, casters, and processing facilities.
• Process Chemicals: Chemical processing plants, storage facilities, specialized piping, and vessel installations.
• Power Generation: Combined cycle plants, renewable integration, environmental retrofits, and balance-of-plant (BOP) systems.
• Collaborate with Operations, Safety, Business Development, and Executive Management to align estimate assumptions with execution strategies, schedule logic, risk profiles, and margin targets.

C. Cost Estimating & Risk Analysis

• Prepare and oversee multi-disciplinary conceptual, order-of-magnitude, preliminary, and definitive lump-sum, EPC, GMP, and unit-price estimates.
• Analyze complex industrial engineering packages, P&IDs, equipment lists, and technical specifications.
• Evaluate labor productivity, equipment requirements, craft availability, constructability, site logistics, and specialized subcontractor quotes.
• Perform quantitative risk assessments, contingency modeling, and escalation projections specific to industrial supply chains and labor markets.

D. Software & Technology Management

• Maintain high proficiency in primary estimating platforms: Timberline / WinEst.
• Drive database optimization, rate updating, custom assembly development, and integration with digital takeoff tools (e.g., eTakeoff, PlanSwift) and BIM/3D models.
• Interface cost estimating models with scheduling software (Primavera P6) and corporate ERP/accounting systems.

E. Client, Vendor & Partner Engagement

• Participate in pre-bid meetings, owner presentations, contract negotiations, and value-engineering workshops.
• Cultivate strong relationships with heavy industrial specialty subcontractors, major equipment vendors, and engineering partners.
• Lead post-bid debriefs, project handoffs to field management teams, and post-project cost reconciliations.

Required Qualifications & Competencies

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Construction Management, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent combination of technical training and heavy industrial experience).
• 12 to 15+ years of progressive experience in industrial construction estimating, cost engineering, and preconstruction.
• Minimum of 5 years in a managerial or departmental leadership role overseeing multi-discipline estimating teams.
• Proven track record of successfully estimating and winning major projects ($10M to $250M+) in Pulp & Paper, Metals, Chemical Processing, or Power Generation .

Technical Software Competencies

• Mandatory Competency: High proficiency in Timberline / WinEst .
• Proficiency in digital takeoff applications (eTakeoff, PlanSwift, Bluebeam Revu).
• Familiarity with enterprise scheduling tools (Primavera P6) and cost management software.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (complex financial models, macro integration, and custom formulas).

Key Professional Skills

• In-depth understanding of heavy industrial contracting models: EPC, Design-Build, Hard Bid, Cost Plus, and CM at Risk.
• Deep knowledge of industrial trade disciplines: Heavy Rigging, Mechanical Equipment Setting, Process Piping, Structural Steel, Civil/Foundations, and Electrical & Instrumentation (E&I).
• Strong business acumen, executive presentation skills, negotiation ability, and strategic planning.

Work Location & Travel Expectations

• Primary Base: Yates Construction Industrial Division Office Birmingham, Alabama.
• Travel Requirement: Periodic regional travel to project job sites, client headquarters, pre-bid site walk-throughs, and vendor facilities (approx. 15% 25%).

Summary of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Estimate Accuracy & Hit Rate: Delivery of competitive, winnable bids with precise cost modeling.
• Operational Alignment: Seamless handoff to field execution teams with zero scope gap.
• Database Currency: Continuous updating of labor productivity factors, material pricing, and subcontractor performance metrics.
• Team Development: Training, mentoring, and retention of industrial estimating talent.

About Yates Construction


Ranked among the top commercial and industrial construction companies in the country by Engineering News-Record, Yates Construction is family-owned and provides a wide range of construction and building services. Incorporated in 1964 by William G. Yates Jr., we have steadily grown to become one of the top commercial and industrial construction companies in the nation. We are financially sound with a significant bonding capacity as well as vast personnel and equipment resources.


Our portfolio includes commercial and industrial projects from various sectors including arts and culture, civil, commercial, education, entertainment and gaming, federal, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, municipal, retail, and technology. We work hard to understand our client's business needs and continually look for opportunities to provide additional value to our clients and their projects.


Our client relationships are the foundation of our success, and our primary goal is to help each of our clients achieve their vision. We do this by carefully managing the details and complexities of each project and communicating constantly with all team members.


Yates Construction provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal and state law requirements.



Yates complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities.