Commercial HVAC Estimator

A bit about us:

A growing commercial HVAC mechanical contractor based in Indianapolis, part of a private equity-backed platform of mechanical and electrical companies expanding across the Midwest. The business has come through a recent turnaround under new leadership and is now sitting on an all-time high backlog, with a clear strategy to diversify into more predictable, longer-cycle commercial work.

Why join us?

• Join a business on the upswing, not a fire drill - all-time high backlog and real momentum
• Commission on gross margin with genuine upside for strong producers
• Opportunity to specialize in K-12, healthcare, or larger-facility work with more predictable project cycles
• Backed by a multi-state platform investing in growth and systems
• Flexible compensation structure built around what matters to you
• Direct access to senior leadership and fast decision-making

Job Details

This company is hiring a third Commercial Project Developer (Estimator) to help diversify its commercial HVAC book of business. The team has stabilized and is sitting on an all-time high backlog, largely built on fast-turning tenant improvement work - this role is about adding more predictable, longer-cycle business alongside it, with a particular focus on K-12 and healthcare and other commercial non-TI projects. You'll own the full lifecycle on your projects, from finding and qualifying the opportunity through estimating, closing, and handoff to the field team, reporting to the General Manager with regular coaching from the Chief Commercial Officer.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain relationships with general contractors, property owners, and other referral sources, with particular emphasis on K-12, healthcare, and larger-facility opportunities
• Track upcoming bid dates and build pipeline well in advance for longer-cycle projects, rather than relying solely on fast-turn or overflow work
• Walk job sites and review plans/specs to scope commercial HVAC projects accurately, including mechanical takeoffs for equipment, ductwork, piping, and controls
• Build competitive, profitable estimates and proposals, balancing price to win against margin targets
• Present and negotiate proposals directly with GCs, owners, and institutional decision-makers, adjusting scope or approach as needed to close the deal
• Hand off won projects cleanly to the project management/field team, with a scope, budget, and timeline that account for longer project durations (6-8 months is typical once a K-12 or healthcare project starts)
• Track and manage a personal pipeline of active bids and opportunities, and report on pipeline health, win rates, and backlog contribution
• Coordinate with the existing commercial team to avoid overlap - one teammate focuses on tenant improvement work, another on traditional design-build/spec work with GCs
• Stay current on local K-12, healthcare, and institutional construction activity, funding cycles, and competitor positioning that affect estimating assumptions

What Success Looks Like

• First 30-60 days: ramped up on the company's systems, pricing standards, and current bid list; shadowing site walks and proposal reviews with the GM and existing commercial team
• First 90 days: independently scoping and estimating projects, with early pipeline built in at least one target vertical (K-12, healthcare, or similar)
• 6-12 months: consistently winning longer-cycle, predictable work that measurably shifts the mix away from tenant-improvement-only backlog - comparable recent performance in this vertical has looked like $2 million across 4 K-12 projects at roughly 35% margin
• Ongoing: known internally as someone who diversifies and stabilizes the business's project mix, not just adds volume to what's already being won

What You Bring - Must-Haves

• Solid, hands-on commercial HVAC estimating experience - comfortable building takeoffs and pricing technical mechanical scopes
• A demonstrated track record of winning business, including generating some of your own leads and relationships rather than relying entirely on handed-off work
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills with GCs, owners, and/or institutional stakeholders
• Comfort working in a non-union commercial HVAC environment

What You Bring - Nice-to-Haves

• K-12, healthcare, or other institutional/larger-facility vertical experience
• Familiarity with longer sales cycles and multi-month project timelines (as opposed to fast, in-and-out tenant improvement work)
• Existing relationships with GCs, owners, or institutional decision-makers in the Indianapolis market
• Design-build estimating experience

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