Estimating Manager – Commercial Construction
Hanna Design Group, Inc. – Aurora, IL
$80,000–$100,000 | Full-Time | On-Site + Project-Based Bonus Opportunity
About Hanna Design Group
Hanna Design Group, Inc. is a nationally recognized commercial general contractor specializing in fast-track retail build-outs, remodels, and ground-up construction projects throughout the United States. Our projects range from smaller retail projects around $300,000 to ground-up construction and remodels typically not exceeding $5 million.
We partner with regional and national brands to deliver high-quality construction solutions in fast-paced environments where relationships, responsiveness, organization, and execution matter.
As we continue to grow, we are seeking an organized, hands-on Estimating Manager to lead our bidding department, manage our team of Bid Coordinators, strengthen subcontractor outreach, and ensure our established bidding processes are executed consistently and effectively.
About the Opportunity:
We are seeking a strong people and process manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of our commercial construction bidding department and lead a team of approximately five Bid Coordinators.
This is not a traditional senior estimator position focused heavily on performing takeoffs or developing detailed cost estimates from scratch. Hanna Design Group utilizes a hard-bid process in which our Bid Coordinators solicit, collect, and organize subcontractor bids that are ultimately used by our Construction Project Managers to develop proposals for clients.
Our project portfolio primarily consists of commercial retail, remodel, build-out, and ground-up projects ranging from approximately $300,000 to $5 million. We are looking for someone whose experience aligns well with this type and scale of fast-paced commercial construction rather than someone whose background has been focused exclusively on very large-scale projects exceeding $20 million.
The Estimating Manager will be responsible for ensuring that our bidding process runs effectively, consistently, and on schedule. This person will hold the team accountable to established standards, improve utilization of Procore, monitor bidding milestones, and ensure adequate subcontractor coverage across each project. A major focus of this role will also be strengthening subcontractor outreach and relationship development. We are looking for a manager who understands that successful bidding requires more than sending emails — it requires picking up the phone, building relationships, expanding subcontractor networks, and proactively pursuing competitive bids.
This is a 100% in-office position in Aurora, IL, with occasional travel to preconstruction and construction meetings as needed.
Key Responsibilities
Bidding Department Leadership
- Lead, coach, and manage a team of approximately five Bid Coordinators, including both in-office and remote team members.
- Oversee the day-to-day bidding workflow and ensure established processes, milestones, and deadlines are consistently followed.
- Set clear expectations and hold team members accountable for performance, responsiveness, follow-through, and quality of work.
- Conduct regular reviews of active bids to identify gaps, delays, and areas requiring additional subcontractor coverage.
- Maintain visibility into team activity and ensure bidding priorities are appropriately assigned and managed.
- Provide coaching, feedback, training, and ongoing development to Bid Coordinators.
- Foster a proactive, accountable, and results-oriented team environment.
Bid Process Management
- Oversee the distribution of bid documents and solicitation of subcontractor proposals for commercial construction projects.
- Ensure Bid Coordinators effectively utilize multiple electronic bid rooms, bidding platforms, industry resources, and company databases to identify prospective subcontractors.
- Maintain Hanna Design Group's standard of obtaining a minimum of three qualified bids per applicable category/line item whenever possible.
- Monitor mid-bid reviews, bidding milestones, due dates, and other established checkpoints throughout the bidding process.
- Review bid activity and coverage to ensure the team is positioned to deliver complete and competitive information to Construction Project Managers.
- Identify bottlenecks or breakdowns within the bidding process and implement practical solutions to improve consistency and efficiency.
- Coordinate closely with Construction Project Managers and other internal stakeholders throughout the bidding and preconstruction process.
Subcontractor Outreach & Network Development
- Drive proactive subcontractor outreach through phone calls, direct communication, networking, referrals, and relationship building.
- Hold Bid Coordinators accountable for maintaining appropriate call activity and documenting outreach efforts.
- Expand Hanna Design Group's subcontractor network in both existing and new markets throughout the United States.
- Re-engage past and current subcontractors while continually identifying new qualified trade partners.
- Research local subcontractors and vendors when bidding projects in new or developing markets.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with subcontractors to improve responsiveness, bid participation, and overall coverage.
- Encourage a relationship-driven approach to subcontractor engagement rather than relying solely on electronic bid invitations and email communication.
Procore & Process Improvement
- Champion the effective use of Procore throughout the bidding department.
- Ensure Bid Coordinators consistently and accurately utilize Procore for applicable bidding activities, documentation, communication, and tracking.
- Identify opportunities to better leverage existing Procore functionality and improve adoption across the team.
- Maintain visibility into subcontractor outreach, call logs, bid participation, and bidding activity.
- Evaluate existing workflows and recommend improvements that increase accountability, organization, efficiency, and consistency.
- Develop and reinforce procedures, expectations, and best practices as the bidding department and organization continue to grow.
Qualifications
- 3–7+ years of experience in commercial construction, bidding, preconstruction, estimating coordination, project coordination, subcontractor management, or a related field.
- Previous experience successfully supervising, managing, or leading a team.
- Strong understanding of commercial construction bidding processes and subcontractor solicitation.
- Experience working for a commercial general contractor is strongly preferred.
- Experience with Procore is strongly preferred.
- Comfortable working within electronic bid rooms, subcontractor databases, and other construction bidding platforms.
- Strong relationship-building and communication skills with the confidence to proactively contact subcontractors by phone.
- Demonstrated ability to establish expectations, monitor performance, and hold team members accountable.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple active bids, priorities, deadlines, and team members simultaneously.
- Process-oriented with strong attention to detail and follow-through.
- Comfortable identifying problems, implementing improvements, and reinforcing established procedures.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and construction-related technology.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work 100% on-site in Aurora, IL.
- Ability to travel occasionally for preconstruction and construction meetings as needed.
Preferred Experience
Experience with one or more of the following is highly preferred:
- Commercial general contracting
- Retail construction
- Commercial projects generally ranging from approximately $300K–$5M
- Ground-up commercial construction
- Commercial remodels and build-outs
- Multi-state or national construction projects
- Procore
- Electronic bid rooms and subcontractor solicitation platforms
- Subcontractor/vendor relationship management
- Managing or developing bidding/preconstruction teams
What Success Looks Like
- Consistent execution of Hanna Design Group's established bidding process across all active projects.
- A minimum of three qualified bids per applicable category/line item whenever possible.
- Increased proactive phone outreach and relationship building with subcontractors.
- Improved utilization and adoption of Procore across the bidding department.
- Strong accountability, organization, and follow-through among Bid Coordinators.
- Successful completion of mid-bid reviews, milestones, and bidding deadlines.
- Continued expansion of Hanna Design Group's subcontractor network across multiple markets.
- Improved visibility into bidding activity, outreach efforts, and overall team performance.
- A well-managed, proactive, and accountable bidding department that consistently supports Construction Project Managers with strong bid coverage.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary: $80,000–$100,000 annually, commensurate with experience.
Bonus: This position is eligible for a bonus structure based on projects won.
Benefits include:
- Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Potential Profit Sharing
- Paid time off and paid holidays
Why Join Us?
This is an opportunity to take ownership of an important function within a growing national commercial general contractor. Rather than simply managing individual estimates, you'll have the opportunity to lead a team, strengthen processes, expand subcontractor relationships, and create greater accountability and consistency across the bidding department.
You'll work closely with company leadership and Construction Project Managers while helping Hanna Design Group continue to improve how we identify, engage, and build relationships with subcontractors across the country.
If you're a hands-on leader who enjoys developing people, improving processes, building relationships, and creating accountability within a fast-paced commercial construction environment, we'd love to hear from you.
We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage all qualified candidates to apply. We look forward to bringing on a motivated and experienced individual to help deliver exceptional results for our clients across the country.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $80,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Experience:
- bidding: 3 years (Preferred)
- pre-construction: 3 years (Preferred)
Willingness to travel:
Work Location: In person
