Senior Heavy Civil Estimator

Job Description

Job Description

A growing heavy civil contractor is seeking an experienced Senior Heavy Civil Estimator to take a key role within its estimating operation. The company currently generates approximately $15M in annual revenue and is targeting growth to approximately $30M over the next two to three years.

This is a priority hire designed to strengthen the company's estimating capacity and support its continued growth across the Texas public infrastructure market.

The primary focus is finding an estimator who already understands Texas heavy civil construction , particularly TxDOT, county, and municipal work. The ideal candidate has experience with a contractor performing similar scopes and understands not only how to build an estimate, but also how to evaluate opportunities, identify risk, understand the competitive landscape, and determine which projects are worth pursuing.

The company is open to candidates at different experience levels within the $120,000 to $160,000 compensation range, with an emphasis on finding the right combination of heavy civil knowledge, estimating capability, and long term fit.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare accurate and competitive estimates for heavy civil and public infrastructure projects.
• Manage assigned estimates from initial opportunity review through final bid submission.
• Perform quantity takeoffs, pricing, bid preparation, and detailed scope analysis.
• Estimate projects involving roadway construction, concrete paving, underground utilities, drainage, earthwork, site preparation, structural concrete, and related civil scopes.
• Review plans, specifications, geotechnical information, engineer estimates, and bid documents to identify scope requirements, risks, exclusions, and opportunities.
• Develop labor, equipment, material, subcontractor, and production assumptions based on project requirements and field conditions.
• Evaluate potential bid opportunities and help determine which projects align with the company's capabilities, resources, and competitive position.
• Solicit, review, and analyze subcontractor and supplier proposals.
• Identify scope gaps and ensure complete bid coverage before submission.
• Maintain historical pricing, production rates, labor productivity, and estimating data to improve future bid accuracy.
• Coordinate with operations and project management to ensure estimating assumptions reflect realistic construction means, methods, and production expectations.
• Participate in bid reviews and clearly communicate pricing strategy, assumptions, risks, and opportunities to leadership.
• Assist with bid handoff to operations following successful awards.
• Help strengthen and develop estimating processes as the organization continues to grow.
• Operate independently and take ownership of assigned pursuits with limited day to day oversight.

Primary Project Experience

The strongest candidates will have direct estimating experience across several of the following:

• TxDOT projects
• County infrastructure projects
• Municipal and city civil projects
• Roadway construction
• Concrete paving
• Underground utilities
• Storm drainage
• Earthwork and excavation
• Site preparation
• Structural concrete
• Public infrastructure improvements

The immediate priority is public heavy civil experience . Commercial sitework and commercial utility experience are beneficial but are not required for this position.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of civil or heavy civil estimating experience preferred.
• Strong experience with a Texas heavy civil, roadway, or public infrastructure contractor.
• Demonstrated experience estimating TxDOT, county, municipal, or comparable public civil projects.
• Strong understanding of heavy civil construction means and methods.
• Knowledge of labor productivity, equipment utilization, material costs, subcontractor pricing, and production rates.
• Ability to independently review potential projects and evaluate scope, risk, pricing, and competitiveness.
• HeavyBid experience strongly preferred.
• Strong quantity takeoff and cost analysis capabilities.
• Ability to read and interpret civil drawings, specifications, geotechnical information, and bid documents.
• Experience soliciting and evaluating subcontractor and supplier pricing.
• Ability to manage multiple estimates and bid deadlines simultaneously.
• Strong communication, analytical, organizational, and problem solving skills.
• Self sufficient and capable of taking ownership of estimates without extensive day to day supervision.

Ideal Candidate Background

The ideal candidate will come from a Texas heavy civil contractor performing similar public infrastructure work and already understand the bidding environment associated with TxDOT, county, roadway, paving, utility, and municipal projects.

The company is less concerned with a specific current title than with the candidate's actual capabilities. Candidates may range from an experienced Estimator ready to take greater ownership to a Senior Estimator who can immediately assume significant responsibility for the estimating function.

Commercial estimating or business development experience is a plus, but the priority for this hire is someone who understands the company's core public heavy civil work .

Schedule

This is a hybrid position offering a combination of office and remote work.

Candidates must be able to work from the Houston office on a regular weekly basis to collaborate with leadership, estimating, and operations. This is not a fully remote position.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: $120,000 to $160,000
• Performance based bonus opportunity
• Full health benefits
• Employee health coverage included
• No 401(k) currently offered

What Success Looks Like

Success in this position means becoming a trusted owner of the estimating process and helping the organization make better decisions about both how projects are priced and which projects should be pursued .

The successful candidate will understand the Texas public heavy civil market, produce competitive and disciplined estimates, recognize when an opportunity does or does not fit the company's capabilities, and work closely with operations to ensure awarded projects are positioned for successful execution.

As the company continues to grow, this individual will play an important role in building a stronger, more scalable estimating operation.

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check and drug screening in accordance with company policy and applicable laws. Failure to meet these requirements may result in withdrawal of the offer.

Job Posted by ApplicantPro