Senior Estimator

Job Description

Job Description

The Lead/Senior Estimator is PRO Services’ frontline bid leader - a strategic, hands-on role that combines the bid architecture responsibilities of a Lead Estimator with the detailed technical execution of a Senior Estimator. This person owns assigned bids from kickoff through submission, is accountable for their competitiveness and scope integrity, and directly supervises Staff Estimators in the execution of take-off work. Reporting to the Director of Estimating, this role is the primary engine of PRO Services’ estimating output and a key contributor to profitable growth, risk management, and successful project handoff.

Key Responsibilities

Estimating & Pre-Construction Leadership

● Own assigned bids end-to-end - from receipt of drawings and specifications through scope

development, detailed cost modeling, internal review, and final submission; be accountable

for the competitiveness, completeness, and accuracy of every bid package you lead

● Prepare detailed, full-scope estimates covering labor, material, equipment, subcontractors,

indirect costs, contingencies, escalation, and risk allowances; apply field-grounded

judgment to productivity assumptions, crew composition, and labor sequencing

● Analyze drawings, specifications, addenda, and contract documents to identify scope

requirements, constructability challenges, and cost drivers; define scope inclusions,

exclusions, and assumptions in a format that protects PRO Services during post-bid

negotiations and at project award

● Validate estimates through benchmarking and historical cost analysis; challenge default

productivity assumptions in estimating software when they do not reflect PRO Services’

actual crew performance on comparable work

● Participate in bid/no-bid reviews and support leadership with strategic pricing

recommendations; contribute informed perspective on project risk, scope complexity, and

competitive positioning; present estimates and scope positions to executive leadership and

GC clients as required

● Use AI-assisted take-off tools and emerging estimating technology to drive speed and

accuracy; actively identify opportunities to improve workflow efficiency and bring

recommendations to the Director of Estimating

Trade & Technical Expertise

● Serve as the in-house subject-matter authority on piping and mechanical scope - the person the team turns to when drawings are ambiguous, scope boundaries are contested, or a pricing decision requires technical judgment backed by field experience

● Evaluate means and methods, crew sequencing, prefabrication opportunities, and logistical constraints that affect cost and schedule; identify constructability issues early and propose cost-effective alternatives without compromising scope quality or safety

● Identify value engineering opportunities on every significant bid - alternative materials,

sequencing improvements, or prefabrication strategies that reduce cost without

compromising scope; support development of alternative pricing scenarios where requested

● Identify project risks, quantify cost exposure, and incorporate appropriate contingencies and risk allowances into the estimate; balance competitiveness with margin protection on every bid

● Collaboration & Communication

● Solicit, evaluate, and incorporate vendor and subcontractor pricing; identify the most

competitive and scope-complete options; escalate material discrepancies before bid

submission; coordinate with vendors and subcontractors to validate scope coverage and

obtain compliant pricing

● Participate in pre-bid site walks, scope clarification calls, GC coordination meetings, and

design reviews; represent PRO Services’ technical position with confidence and precision

● Collaborate closely with Project Managers and Superintendents to align estimates with

realistic execution plans; prepare clear scope narratives, assumptions, exclusions, and

clarifications for all proposal packages

Team Development & Mentorship

● Direct and coordinate the take-off assignments of Staff Estimators on your bids - provide

clear scope breakdowns, set quality expectations, review their output, and give specific,

actionable feedback that builds their capability over time

● Support the onboarding and technical development of new Staff Estimators; share field

knowledge, platform expertise, and lessons learned from past bids to accelerate their growth

● Model the estimating standards PRO Services expects - precision in take-off, discipline in

scope documentation, and intellectual honesty in pricing; be the example that raises the

team’s baseline

● Quality, Handoff & Continuous Improvement

● Conduct a final internal review of every bid package before submission - verify that scope, exclusions, alternates, unit prices, and submission requirements are complete, accurate, and clearly presented

● Support smooth handoff from estimating to operations on awarded projects - deliver a

complete scope transfer package including key quantities, pricing assumptions, risk notes,

and excluded items; participate in project kickoff meetings as needed

● Participate in post-bid win/loss debriefs - contribute structured analysis of where PRO’s

number landed relative to the market, what drove the outcome, and what should be refined

in the next bid

Qualifications

Education & Experience

● 8–10+ years of estimating experience in piping, mechanical, or industrial construction —

required. Candidates without direct experience in these trades will not have the technical

foundation this role demands.

● Field experience in piping or mechanical construction is required. Candidates must have

supervised or managed piping or mechanical work in the field - as a foreman, general

foreman, superintendent, or field engineer. This hands-on operational background is not a

preference; it is a baseline requirement. Estimating judgment grounded in field reality is

central to what this role demands.

● Proven experience leading large-scale, complex bids ($10M - $75M+) on industrial capital

projects - data centers, manufacturing facilities, process plants, or comparable work with

significant labor components and complex scope requirements

● Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field preferred;

equivalent field experience and demonstrated estimating performance will be given equal

weight

Technical Skills

● Strong FastPipe proficiency required or demonstrated mastery of a comparable piping

estimating platform; FastPipe is PRO Services’ primary estimating platform and a key

operating environment for this role

● Ability to read and interpret piping isometrics, P&IDs, general arrangement drawings, and full project specifications with the speed and confidence that a high-volume bid environment demands

● Openness to AI-assisted estimating tools and a track record of adapting to new technology - PRO Services is actively building a technology-forward estimating practice and expects this leader to champion that evolution

● Familiarity with union labor environments, agreements, and wage/benefit structures as they apply to piping and mechanical craft work; experience building labor budgets in a union context is required

Leadership & Business Acumen

● Field-credible and competitively minded. You understand piping and mechanical work the

way someone who has done it understands it - operationally, not theoretically. You think about winning, not just submitting, and you use post-bid intelligence to sharpen the next estimate

● Strong analytical and decision-making skills. Able to balance competitiveness with margin

protection and risk awareness; makes sound pricing judgments under deadline pressure

across multiple simultaneous bids

● Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Capable of presenting scope positions

and pricing rationale clearly to GC teams and internal leadership; writes scope narratives and exclusions language that is precise and unambiguous

● High level of professionalism, integrity, and accountability. Takes ownership of bid outcomes, mentors juniors with genuine investment in their growth, and brings the same rigor to a $5M bid as to a $50M bid