Estimating Manager
Responsible for leading, organizing, supervising, and optimizing the operations of the Estimating Department, ensuring accuracy, efficiency, consistency, and on-time delivery of estimates in alignment with the organization’s strategic objectives.
This position requires an individual with technical expertise and strong business judgment within the construction industry, architectural systems manufacturing, doors, windows, curtain walls, facades, or related systems. The primary function of this role is to provide leadership, direction, technical support, quality control, and professional development to the team of Estimators and Junior Estimators.
The Estimating Manager will not be responsible for preparing architectural drawings or shop drawings. However, the individual must have the ability to read, interpret, and validate technical documents, drawings, and specifications, and coordinate with the appropriate resources whenever support from drafters, engineering personnel, or shop drawing teams is required.
This position will play a key role in the evolution of the department into a more robust, organized, and strategic structure that supports company growth and strengthens integration among estimating, sales, operations, and project management teams.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Lead, supervise, and organize the daily operations of the Estimating Department, ensuring clear priorities, proper workload distribution, effective follow-up, and timely completion of assignments.
- Oversee the entire estimating process, from initial document review through the preparation, validation, and submission of commercial and project estimates.
- Review and interpret architectural and structural drawings, technical specifications, schedules, addenda, RFIs, contractual documents, and other project information to ensure a complete understanding of project scope.
- Validate and audit estimates prepared by the team, ensuring accuracy in material quantities, scope, exclusions, inclusions, costs, margins, and commercial terms.
- Provide technical support, mentorship, and guidance to Estimators and Junior Estimators, helping them develop sound judgment, discipline, analytical skills, and business knowledge.
- Develop, train, and elevate the technical capabilities of the estimating team by promoting best practices, process standardization, and consistency in proposal preparation.
- Manage and optimize departmental workflow, identifying continuous improvement opportunities to reduce turnaround times, improve estimate quality, and enhance internal and external customer satisfaction.
- Collaborate closely with Sales, Project Management, Engineering, Operations, Purchasing, and other departments to ensure estimates accurately reflect project scope, production capabilities, actual costs, and the company’s commercial strategies.
- Identify risks, omissions, inconsistencies, or ambiguities within project documents and coordinate the necessary clarifications with the appropriate teams.
- Support the evaluation of alternative products, systems, materials, and pricing strategies that improve proposal competitiveness without compromising profitability.
- Develop and maintain processes, templates, checklists, review standards, and internal controls that strengthen the department’s quality, efficiency, and consistency.
- Establish, monitor, and report key performance indicators (KPIs), including productivity, turnaround times, schedule compliance, estimate accuracy, revision frequency, and workload distribution.
- Promote a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, collaboration, and results-oriented performance within the Estimating Department.
- Ensure compliance with company policies, procedures, and quality standards.
- Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned based on business needs.
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline. Civil Engineering, Architecture, or equivalent industry experience is preferred.
- Minimum of five (5) years of experience in estimating, estimating management, preconstruction, project management, or related functions within the construction industry, architectural manufacturing, doors, windows, curtain walls, aluminum, glass, or related systems.
- Experience leading, supervising, or developing technical or administrative teams.
- Advanced proficiency in reading and interpreting architectural and structural drawings, technical specifications, schedules, contractual documents, and construction documents.
- Experience preparing, reviewing, or auditing detailed estimates, quantity takeoffs, cost analyses, material quantification, and commercial proposals.
- Strong knowledge of construction processes, project coordination, cost management, profit margins, change orders, and scope analysis.
- Ability to identify risks, omissions, discrepancies, and opportunities for improvement within project documents.
- Fully bilingual in English and Spanish, both written and verbal.
- Excellent technical communication, leadership, organizational, and follow-up skills.
Technical and Functional Competencies
- Advanced ability to read and interpret drawings and specifications.
- Ability to review, validate, and audit detailed estimates based on technical documentation.
- Experience with quantity takeoffs, material quantification, cost analysis, and proposal preparation.
- Preferred knowledge of doors, windows, curtain walls, architectural systems, or related products.
- Ability to prepare project breakdown structures for cost, materials, resources, and scope analysis.
- Development, maintenance, and updating of Bills of Materials (BOMs) for new and existing products.
- Experience managing change orders, including analysis of impacts on cost, scope, schedule, and project conditions.
- Sufficient technical knowledge to advise internal teams on products, systems, applications, risks, and alternatives.
- Ability to interpret shop drawings and coordinate technical clarifications with shop drawing teams, engineering personnel, or drafters, as applicable.
- Proficiency in estimating tools and software such as On-Screen Takeoff, Bluebeam, Microsoft Excel, and similar platforms.
- Ability to develop departmental processes, controls, templates, and standards.
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Employee assistance program
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Professional development assistance
Application Question(s):
- Experience in takeoffs, material quantity estimating, cost analysis, and proposal preparation.
- Ability to prepare project breakdowns for cost analysis, materials, resources, and scope definition.
Experience:
- Construction estimating: 5 years (Required)
Work Location: In person
