Senior Civil Project Manager / Estimator
Earthwork, Site Development & Underground Utilities
Company: ESQ Resources LLC
Location: Central Texas
Position Type: Project-Based Contract with Path to Full-Time Leadership
The Opportunity
ESQ Resources is seeking an experienced Senior Civil Project Manager / Estimator to help evaluate, estimate, plan, and manage civil construction and site-development projects throughout Central Texas.
This role is designed for an accomplished civil professional who wants more than a traditional project-management position. You will work directly with company ownership and have the opportunity to help shape our estimating standards, project controls, customer relationships, and approach to project delivery.
The position will begin on a project-based contract basis, with a defined opportunity to transition into a full-time leadership role as our project pipeline grows and the selected individual demonstrates results.
We are looking for someone who understands how civil projects are priced, planned, sold, and constructed—not someone who only prepares takeoffs or manages paperwork.
What You’ll Do
- Review civil drawings, specifications, geotechnical reports, addenda, and contract documents.
- Perform detailed quantity takeoffs for earthwork, excavation, grading, drainage, underground utilities, clearing, demolition, and site preparation.
- Prepare complete estimates covering labor, equipment, materials, trucking, rentals, subcontractors, mobilization, overhead, risk, and margin.
- Develop realistic production rates, crew plans, equipment requirements, schedules, and construction sequences.
- Obtain and evaluate current pricing from local suppliers, subcontractors, trucking companies, disposal facilities, and equipment providers.
- Prepare professional proposals, scopes of work, assumptions, exclusions, clarifications, alternates, and preliminary schedules.
- Identify drawing conflicts, scope gaps, constructability concerns, and financial risks before bid submission.
- Participate in pre-bid meetings, site visits, bid reviews, scope discussions, and proposal presentations.
- Work with our Business Development team to evaluate opportunities, support bid/no-bid decisions, and ensure customer commitments are properly scoped and operationally achievable.
- Manage awarded projects from preconstruction and mobilization through completion and closeout.
- Develop and maintain project budgets, schedules, cost forecasts, procurement plans, and execution strategies.
- Coordinate RFIs, submittals, change orders, suppliers, subcontractors, inspections, testing, billing support, and project documentation.
- Monitor project production and costs against the approved estimate and identify potential issues early.
- Conduct project turnover meetings and provide field leadership with clear scopes, quantities, budgets, schedules, and production expectations.
- Support the foreman while maintaining the foreman’s ownership of daily crews, equipment, safety, quality, and field production.
- Maintain clear communication between customers, company leadership, Business Development, and field operations.
- Compare estimated performance against actual project results to improve future estimates and operations.
- Help develop scalable estimating templates, cost databases, production-rate libraries, project controls, and operating procedures.
Relevant Project Experience
Qualified candidates should have substantial experience with several of the following:
- Commercial and residential site development
- Site preparation and building pad construction
- Clearing, grubbing, and demolition
- Mass excavation and detailed excavation
- Cut-and-fill operations and earthwork balancing
- Rough and finish grading
- Soil stabilization and moisture conditioning
- Storm drainage, culverts, channels, and detention facilities
- Underground water, sanitary sewer, and storm-drain utilities
- Utility trenching, bedding, backfill, testing, and restoration
- Roadway and parking-lot subgrade preparation
- Material import, export, hauling, and disposal
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Construction Science, or a closely related field.
- Minimum of 10 years of relevant civil construction, site-development, or civil engineering experience.
- Experience working for a civil contractor, sitework contractor, excavation contractor, underground utility contractor, or civil engineering firm.
- Proven experience estimating and managing earthwork, grading, excavation, drainage, and underground utility projects.
- Strong ability to read and interpret grading plans, drainage plans, utility plans, profiles, details, specifications, and geotechnical reports.
- Experience preparing detailed quantity takeoffs, estimates, proposals, schedules, project budgets, and cost forecasts.
- Strong understanding of civil construction methods, equipment production, labor productivity, trucking, materials, and subcontractor pricing.
- Experience managing RFIs, submittals, change orders, project costs, billing support, and closeout.
- Strong commercial judgment with an understanding of contract scope, project risk, cost control, and profitability.
- Professional communication, organization, negotiation, and customer-management skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and construction estimating, takeoff, or project-management software.
- Ability to manage multiple opportunities and active projects with limited oversight.
- Valid driver’s license and ability to travel to project sites throughout Central Texas.
Preferred Qualifications
- PE license or EIT certification.
- Experience with HCSS HeavyBid, AGTEK, Bluebeam, PlanSwift, Trimble Business Center, AutoCAD Civil 3D, or comparable software.
- Experience with GPS machine control, digital terrain models, or earthwork modeling.
- OSHA 30 certification.
- Established Central Texas relationships with contractors, engineers, suppliers, or subcontractors.
- Experience building estimating systems, cost databases, production tracking, or project-management procedures.
Growth and Leadership Opportunity
ESQ Resources is at an important stage of growth, with an expanding project pipeline and a clear vision for building a respected civil construction operation.
The successful candidate will have an opportunity to work directly with ownership and influence how the company approaches estimating, project selection, customer coordination, project management, and operational execution.
This position is intended to develop into a full-time role when performance and awarded project volume support the transition. As the company grows, the right individual may advance into a senior leadership position overseeing:
- Estimating and preconstruction
- Project management and project controls
- Bid strategy and opportunity selection
- Customer and general-contractor relationships
- Project financial performance
- Development of future project personnel
- Expansion of ESQ Resources’ civil construction capabilities
This opportunity is best suited for someone who takes ownership, performs with limited oversight, and is excited by the opportunity to help build something larger.
About ESQ Resources
ESQ Resources LLC is a growing Central Texas civil construction and site-development company serving general contractors, developers, builders, commercial clients, and property owners. Through our EarthWorks Division, we provide land clearing, site preparation, earthwork, excavation, grading, drainage, underground utilities, pad construction, and related sitework services.
With an expanding project pipeline, we are building the team and systems needed to take on increasingly complex projects. Our goal is to become a trusted civil construction partner known for accurate estimating, professional communication, disciplined execution, and lasting customer relationships.
Excellent. Service. Quality.
Safety First. No Shortcuts.
ESQ Resources LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, experience, demonstrated performance, and business needs.
Pay: $90,000.00 - $130,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Cell phone reimbursement
- Flexible schedule
- Opportunities for advancement
- Paid time off
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Austin, TX 78703
