Senior Estimator - Fairbanks, Alaska

ESTIMATOR – Lead the Work that Builds Alaska

Cornerstone General Contractors | Fairbanks, Alaska

More than estimating. A seat at the table.

At Cornerstone, a Senior Estimator is not behind the scenes simply assembling numbers. You help decide how we pursue work, how we price risk, where opportunity exists, and what it will take to build successfully in Alaska.

Based in Fairbanks you will be Cornerstone's senior estimating resource for Interior/Western Alaska. You will have the autonomy to lead assigned pursuits, the responsibility to challenge assumptions, and the opportunity to influence projects before a shovel ever hits the ground.

If you like the competition of winning work, the discipline of getting the details right, and the satisfaction of seeing an estimate become a successful project, this role gives you room to do your best work and help others get better at theirs.

WHY ESTIMATING (WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS)

The Senior Estimator sits at the center of Cornerstone's Get Work Team. Your judgment affects which risks we take, how confidently we price work, how effectively we engage the subcontractor market, and how well our project teams understand the job they are inheriting.

Interior Alaska adds another layer: freight, marine and air transportation, labor availability, staging, housing, weather, mobilization, and a limited subcontractor market can materially change the right answer. We need someone who enjoys turning those constraints into a plan - not someone who waits for perfect information.

WHAT YOU’LL DO (THE IMPACT YOU’LL HAVE)

You will lead estimates from the first review through final pricing and turnover, while partnering directly with the VP of Preconstruction, Preconstruction, Operations, and the teams that help Cornerstone win work.

Own the Estimate

• Lead assigned vertical commercial estimates from initial document review through final pricing, bid review, submission, and turnover.
• Build and review quantity takeoffs, scope, pricing, allowances, escalation, contingency, general conditions, and self-perform work when applicable.
• Develop conceptual and design-phase estimates when the documents are incomplete, clearly documenting assumptions, gaps, and unresolved pricing decisions.
• Lead estimate and bid-review meetings and clearly present the basis of estimate, opportunities, risks, and recommended pricing decisions.

Know the Market and Build the Coverage

• Develop strong working relationships with subcontractors and suppliers serving Fairbanks, Interior, and Western Alaska.
• Create subcontractor coverage plans, identify gaps early, and pursue the pricing needed to create real competition.
• Review and level subcontractor and supplier proposals for scope, exclusions, qualifications, schedule requirements, commercial conditions, and price.

Price Alaska, Not a Spreadsheet

• Build Interior/Western Alaska realities into the estimate, including freight, marine or air transportation, staging, labor, housing, weather, mobilization, procurement, and limited subcontractor availability.
• Partner with Operations to validate logistics, sequencing, general requirements, workforce assumptions, equipment needs, and schedule impacts.
• Identify and quantify exposure created by incomplete design, escalation, procurement, schedule, contract requirements, and other project-specific risks.

Shape the Project Before It Is Built

• Support negotiated and collaborative-delivery work through conceptual estimating, cost planning, estimate reconciliation, value management, constructability analysis, and GMP development.
• Track why costs move between estimate milestones and help the team understand the scope, quantity, pricing, escalation, or assumption driving the change.
• Develop practical value-management alternatives that protect project goals while clearly documenting cost and scope impacts.

Lead the Handoff and Raise the Team

• Lead estimate turnover so Operations understands the basis of estimate, assumptions, coverage, allowances, exclusions, procurement needs, and unresolved risks.
• Stay connected through initial buyout when estimating knowledge is needed to preserve continuity from pursuit to construction.
• Review estimating work assigned to developing team members and coach takeoffs, scope development, proposal leveling, cost analysis, and bid preparation.
• Capture bid results, market pricing, actual project cost information, and lessons learned so the next estimate is better than the last.

Help Cornerstone Win the Right Work

• Contribute estimating expertise to pursuit strategy, go/no-go discussions, proposals, and interviews.
• Provide the VP of Preconstruction with clear information on pricing conditions, subcontractor coverage, estimating resources, project risk, and the Southeast Alaska market.
• Partner across Marketing & Growth, Preconstruction, Operations, and the field so our pursuit strategy reflects how the project can actually be built.

WHAT YOU BRING

We are looking for an experienced estimator who has already led meaningful commercial work and is ready to be accountable for the quality of the estimate, not simply their assigned portion of it.

• 8+ years of commercial construction experience, including at least 5 years estimating vertical commercial construction projects.
• Lead-estimator responsibility on at least 5 vertical commercial estimates or bids from initial review through final pricing submission.
• Experience leading estimates for at least 2 vertical commercial projects valued at $10 million or greater.
• Experience performing takeoffs and developing pricing for at least 5 major construction divisions or building systems.
• Experience soliciting, reviewing, and leveling subcontractor or supplier proposals on at least 5 vertical commercial projects.
• Experience developing at least 3 conceptual, schematic-design, design-development, GMP, or other estimates from documents that were less than 100% complete.
• Experience presenting estimate results, assumptions, subcontractor coverage, pricing, and risk during formal estimate or bid-review meetings.
• 3+ years using commercial estimating or digital takeoff software, plus Microsoft Excel for estimating and cost analysis.

WHAT WILL HELP YOU STAND OUT

• 10+ years of vertical commercial construction experience.
• Experience estimating 3 or more projects valued at $20 million or greater.
• Alaska estimating experience, particularly Juneau, Southeast Alaska, or other logistically constrained markets.
• Experience across at least 2 delivery methods such as hard bid/design-bid-build, CM/GC, CMAR, Design-Build, or negotiated GMP.
• Experience pricing self-perform construction scopes.

COMPENSATION

• Competitive salary. $110,000 - $150,000+ based on experience and capability

• Up to 15% annual bonus tied to performance and company results

Our philosophy is simple:

high performers are rewarded, growth is supported, and success is shared across the team.

WHAT YOU GET (TOTAL REWARDS THAT ACTUALLY MATTER)

Health & Wellness

• Full medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their families.
• Benefits designed to provide meaningful long-term value, not just coverage on paper.
• Wellness-focused support that encourages balance and sustainability.

Time & Flexibility

• Generous PTO that supports work-life balance and recovery.
• Paid holidays plus a company-wide break from Christmas through New Year’s.
• Paid volunteer time to support causes important to you.

Your Future

• 401(k) with profit sharing of at least 3% or more, depending on company performance.
• Performance-based incentives aligned with company success.
• Opportunities for increased technical leadership and responsibility.
• Support for continued professional growth and development.

Where We Go Beyond the Market

• Wellness stipend for real-life use.
• Referral bonuses plus additional PTO.
• Merit-based advancement driven by contribution, not tenure.
• Life-event support programs and a PTO donation program for team members during times of need.

WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO WORK HERE

Your judgment matters . You are expected to identify risk, challenge assumptions, and bring forward a point of view - not simply complete a takeoff.

You own meaningful work . When you lead an estimate, you have visibility from pursuit through pricing, turnover, and the lessons that come back from construction.

You are part of the team that wins the work . Estimating works directly with Preconstruction, Operations, Marketing & Growth, and the field to decide how Cornerstone pursues and delivers projects.

You help other people grow . Senior means more than experience. Your review, coaching, and example help developing estimators become stronger practitioners.

Your work has a visible result . The estimate becomes a real building, a real project team, and work that matters to communities across Alaska.

WHY CORNERSTONE

• A 100% Alaskan-owned company building meaningful projects across the state.
• A performance-focused culture where contribution, accountability, and results are visible.
• Direct access to leadership and the opportunity to influence how work is pursued and priced.
• A team that values collaboration between estimating, preconstruction, operations, and the field.
• A role where Southeast Alaska knowledge and relationships are a strategic advantage, not an afterthought.

Lead the Work that Builds Al