Project Estimator

Salary: Depends on Qualifications
Location : Houston, TX
Job Type: Regular Full-time
Job Number: 16808
Department: Flood Control District
Opening Date: 08/03/2026
Closing Date: 9/3/2026 11:59 PM Central
Max Number of Applicants: 250


Position Description
About Harris County Flood Control District:
The Flood Control District has the mission to reduce the risk of flooding in Harris County, the third most populated county in the United States, with a population in excess of 4.7 million, including the City of Houston, the nation's fourth largest city. The Flood Control District has jurisdiction over the primary stormwater facilities in the county, which consist of approximately 1,500 channels totaling nearly 2,500 miles in length, as well as more than 60 regional stormwater detention basins, totaling more than 10,000 acres and several wetlands mitigation banks including Greens bayou.
What you will do at Harris County Flood Control District:

Reporting to the Project Controls Manager, the Project Estimator is responsible for working with the District's project teams to develop and validate project estimates. This position is also responsible for producing estimates and validating engineers' estimates for projects throughout the life cycle of the project delivery including providing desk-side mentoring on estimating processes to project managers and other project support staff.
Essential Functions and Duties:

• Develop and validate estimates for the District's projects in accordance with its estimating procedures.
• Work with the District staff, engineering firms, and construction contractors to produce accurate estimates for project delivery.
• Analyze project plans, specifications, and other relevant documents to determine the scope of work and accurately estimate project costs. This includes material, labor, equipment, and subcontractor costs.
• Perform continuous analysis of industry trends on costs in comparison with the District's historical expenditures to continuously improve estimating accuracy.
• Produce reports for stakeholders on an as-needed basis for continuous monitoring and progress of District projects.
• Conduct desk-side mentoring as needed for project managers and other project support staff in their respective roles regarding the District's estimating standards.
• Assist with business processes and policy development for continuous improvement initiatives. Stay up to date on industry trends, construction methods, and cost management techniques to enhance accuracy and efficiency in estimation processes.
• Perform other duties that may be added or changed as the course and scope of the job directs.

Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer


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This position is subject to a criminal history check. Only relevant convictions will be considered and, even when considered, may not automatically disqualify the candidate.

Requirements
Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in a related field.
• Three (3) years of directly related work experience in the project controls industry as an estimator.

OR

• Associate degree from a college or technical school in a related field.
• Five (5) years of directly related work experience in the project controls industry as an estimator.

Required Licenses:

• Valid Class "C" Texas Driver's License.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent communication skills to collaborate effectively with project teams and stakeholders (verbal, written, and data).
• Advanced knowledge with Microsoft Office products, such as MS Excel.
• Advanced knowledge of estimating principles for civil projects.
• Advanced knowledge of project delivery life cycles.
• Proficiency in using estimation software, spreadsheets, and databases to generate detailed and accurate cost estimates.
• Ability to work under pressure, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines.

NOTE : Qualifying education, experience, knowledge, and skills must be documented on your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation but ONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. "See Resume" will not be accepted for qualifications.
General Information
Position Type:

• Regular Full-Time

Hours:

• 40 hours per week

Location:

• Project Controls | 9900 Northwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77092

Salary:

• To be discussed at the interview

Physical Demands and Environmental Exposure:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions:

• Occasional standing and walking; prolonged sitting.
• Occasional ascending/descending stairs, stooping, bending, reaching, lifting, and carrying of items up to 10 pounds.
• Occasional sorting, filing, shelving, and handling of documents, books, files, file drawers, and related materials and equipment required for clerical operations.
• Work is performed indoors in a normal office environment with acceptable lighting, temperature, air conditions, and noise levels.
• Require extensive use of a video display terminal (computer monitor).

Employment may be contingent on passing a drug screen and meeting other standards.

Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date or at the discretion of the Hiring Department.

HARRIS COUNTY EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

Harris County offers a highly competitive benefits program, featuring a comprehensive group health plan and defined benefit retirement plan.
The following benefits are offered only to Harris County employees in regular (full-time) positions:
Health & Wellness Benefits

• Medical Coverage
• Dental Coverage
• Vision Coverage
• Wellness Plan
• Life Insurance
• Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Healthcare Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account

Paid Time Off (PTO)

• Ten (10) days of vacation leave per year (accrual rate increases after 5 years of service)
• Eleven (11) County-observed holidays
• One (1) floating holiday per year
• Paid Parental Leave*
• Sick Leave

Retirement Savings Benefit

• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan

The following benefits are available to Harris County employees in full-time and select part-time positions:

• Professional learning & development opportunities
• Retirement pension (TCDRS defined benefit plan)
• Flexible work schedule*
• METRO RideSponsor Program*

* Participation may vary by County department. The employee benefits plans of Harris County are extended to all eligible participants across various departments with the exception of the Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, for which the cited Health & Wellness Benefits are administered through the State of Texas.
In accordance with the Harris County Personnel Regulations, group health and related benefits are subject to amendment or discontinuance at any time. Harris County Commissioners Court reserves the right to make benefit modifications on the County's behalf as needed.
For plan details, visit the Harris County Benefits & Wellness website:
01


Which of the following best describes your highest level of education completed as it relates to this position?

• High School or GED diploma
• Associate Degree
• Bachelor's Degree
• Master's Degree or higher
• None of the above

02


Which of the following best describes your verifiable directly related work experience in the project controls industry as an estimator?(To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history)

• Less than three (3) years
• Three (3) years but less than four (4) years
• Four (4) years but less than five (5) years
• Five (5) years or more
• I do not have this experience

03


Please provide details about your verifiable directly related work experience in the project controls industry as an estimator.Do not use "Please see Resume" or "See Resume"(To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history)If you do not have this experience, please type "None" in the space provided.
04


Which of the following describes your level of proficiency using a personal computer and common office software such as MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook). Please select your level of proficiency based on the following descriptions:Advanced:A person with this level of skills is able to produce very large, complex formal documents that require a table of contents, footnotes, endnotes, bookmarks, and other special elements; a wide range of graphic effects, and use advanced techniques for analyzing and manipulating data. Has full mastery of Macro commands and skills to tie the objects together into a cohesive system by using Macros and Visual Basic for Applications code. Makes interactive presentations by using hyperlinks and action buttons.Intermediate:A person with this level of skills is able to customize toolbars, import and insert graphs, embed Excel data, and elaborate reports. Understands the concepts of databases and is able to work with charts and to use the list management capabilities of Excel. Able to use complex query techniques, create efficient forms and reports, and create Macros to automate these forms. Makes interactive presentations by using hyperlinks and action buttons.Basic:A person with this level of skills is able to use basic formatting, editing, printing functions, and understands the document page setup. Has the ability to enter and correct data, modify a workbook, format a worksheet, and use printing functions. Understands the different database concepts and structures and is familiar with data validation and is able to create a simple presentation in PowerPoint, run it, and print it.Entry Level:A person with this level of skills has the ability to open, create, save and modify documents in Word, send and receive email in Outlook and create spreadsheets in Excel. Format documents for printing, comfortable using the printer menu to preview documents. Has ability to change the font, the margins, insert or delete pages and use the built-in spellchecker and grammar check.

• Advanced
• Intermediate
• Basic
• Entry Level
• Not proficient

05


This role requires a Valid Driver's License (Texas upon hire)Do you have a Valid Driver's License?

• Yes, I have a Valid Texas Driver's License
• Yes, I have a Valid Driver's License but understand I must obtain a Valid Texas Driver's License prior to start date
• No, I'm not interested

Required Question