Senior Civil Estimator at McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. in San Diego, California

Civil Earthwork Senior Estimator

We are seeking an experienced Civil Earthwork Senior Estimator to join our Southern California Civil Preconstruction team. This role actively participates in the development of conceptual budgets, cost models, GMP estimates, and competitive bids for earthwork scopes with an emphasis on site demolition, earthwork, grading, and related self-perform and subcontracted work. The ideal candidate brings strong earthwork estimating expertise, a practical understanding of means and methods, and the ability to collaborate closely with operations, design partners, and trade partners throughout the pursuit process. This role reports to the Civil Earthwork Estimating Manager and is expected to work closely with estimating leadership while taking an active, hands-on role in the day-to-day estimating process. This position is based in Southern California, supports multiple office locations, and requires regional travel as needed. The role is primarily in-office, with some flexibility based on business needs.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the development of estimate strategy, cost models, and budget alignment for civil scopes across CMAR, Design-Build, and hard bid pursuits, supporting multiple offices and project teams throughout the region.
• Build, mentor, and develop estimating talent while helping drive consistency, best practices, and continuous improvement across civil estimating efforts.
• Lead scope alignment, bid coverage, bid leveling, and risk evaluation to support complete, accurate, and competitive estimates.
• Clearly communicate estimate scope, assumptions, key cost drivers, risks, and strategic recommendations to internal leadership, operations partners, and clients.
• Review bidding, design, and contract documents to identify, evaluate, and communicate key project risks, scope considerations, and estimating implications.
• Oversee the preparation of bid documents, scope exhibits, quantity takeoffs, and pricing deliverables to support high-quality preconstruction outcomes.
• Evaluate trade partner proposals and develop clear comparison tools that support informed decision-making and alignment on scope and cost.
• Partner closely with operations, preconstruction, and design teams to influence design decisions, validate construction assumptions, and support the best outcome for the project.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with trade partners, vendors, clients, and internal teams, representing McCarthy with professionalism in the market and industry.
• Support change order pricing, value analysis, and ongoing document review to help identify cost drivers, opportunities, and project solutions.
• Validate production assumptions, staffing approaches, equipment needs, and means and methods in collaboration with operations and field leadership.
• Stay current on estimating tools, market conditions, industry trends, and cost information to continuously strengthen estimating accuracy and effectiveness.
• Lead the development of qualifications, assumptions, exclusions, and other estimate documentation to ensure alignment with project requirements and contractual expectations.
• Communicate proactively with owners, engineers, and project partners to clarify scope, schedule, materials, and other factors that impact pricing and project strategy.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or related field
• 5+ years of earthwork estimating, preconstruction, or self-perform field/estimating experience
• Experience preparing conceptual estimates, detailed estimates, GMPs, and hard bids for earthwork scopes
• Technical knowledge of earthwork construction and ability to quantify and accurately price demolition, earthwork, grading, and related civil scopes
• Technical knowledge of earthwork construction, with specific experience in understanding and articulating means and methods, productions, crews, and equipment
• General knowledge of construction principles and processes, as well as negotiated/hard bid and GMP processes
• Ability to read and interpret drawings, specifications, and geotechnical reports, including ability to identify risk elements for evaluation
• Demonstrate behaviors consistent with McCarthy core values while bringing a value-added approach to estimating

McCarthy is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veteran status. For California locations only, the salary range for this position is: $100-150k. This does not include possible bonus and other benefits which can impact total compensation. Compensation offered may vary based on work location, experience, qualifications, specialty, training, and market and business considerations, among other factors.