Senior Estimator
JOB DESCRIPTION
Fort Myer Construction Corporation is a leading, award-winning contractor in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. For over 50 years, we have proudly served the infrastructure needs of DC, Maryland, and Virginia through specialized services including street and highway construction, bridge and structure work, utilities, electrical services, design-build projects, asphalt supply and paving, and emergency response operations. With a workforce of over 700 skilled craftspeople and state-of-the-art equipment, Fort Myer is an ENR-ranked Top 400 Contractor committed to excellence and innovation in the construction industry.
Summary:
The Senior Estimator owns the end-to-end preparation of competitive bids on assigned heavy civil pursuits, including roadway, streetscape, drainage, utility, and bridge work. The Senior Estimator drives bid strategy, schedule integration, self-perform versus subcontract decisions, and risk identification, and serves as a technical leader and mentor within the estimating department. The Senior Estimator contributes to FMCC’s estimating infrastructure, production data, cost trends, and historical bid data, which is owned by Senior Preconstruction Staff.
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Lead the preparation of detailed quantity takeoffs and cost estimates for heavy highway, roadway, drainage, utility, bridge, and civil infrastructure projects, including DDOT, VDOT, FHWA, DC Water, WSSC, and other agency-funded work.
• Own the bid end-to-end on assigned pursuits, from kickoff through submission, including scope definition, pricing strategy, schedule integration, and final bid review.
• Develop preliminary CPM logic and tie pricing to durations on schedule-sensitive items, including MOT, traffic control, dewatering, and seasonal exposure.
• Independently verify agency-provided quantities, flag discrepancies, and develop bid strategy accordingly, including unbalancing, mobilization strategy, and unit price positioning on quantity-vulnerable items.
• Make and document self-perform versus subcontract decisions on assigned pursuits using FMCC crew compositions and production rates.
• Calculate and finalize labor, equipment, material, subcontractor, and overhead costs, applying appropriate contingencies and markup based on risk profile.
• Identify project risks and constructability concerns during the estimating process, producing a risk register and communicating findings to senior leadership.
• Solicit, review, organize and evaluate subcontractor and supplier quotes, confirming scope coverage, competitive pricing, and compliance with contract requirements.
• Manage subcontractor and vendor coordination during the bid process, including bid invitations, addenda tracking, late quote management, and scope gap resolution during bid week.
• Maintain and develop relationships with key subcontractors, material suppliers, and equipment vendors to ensure access to competitive pricing.
• Lead pre-bid site visits, bid walks, and pre-construction meetings — capturing field intelligence and translating it into pricing and risk decisions.
• Submit bidder RFIs to owners and design teams during the bid period and incorporate responses and addenda into final pricing.
• Manage bid-day execution, late sub quotes, last-minute price changes, bid bond, and electronic submission to DDOT, VDOT, and similar platforms.
• Present and defend estimates in internal estimate review meetings prior to submission.
• Support Design-Build (DB) and Progressive Design-Build (PDB) pursuits, including conceptual estimating, GMP development, and pricing under design progression.
• Lead value engineering and alternative cost analysis to improve FMCC’s competitive positioning on target pursuits.
• Mentor and develop Estimator-level staff, providing technical guidance, reviewing takeoffs, and supporting professional growth.
• Contribute to FMCC’s estimating infrastructure, production data, historical bid data, unit cost trends, and post-bid analysis, under the direction of the Senior Preconstruction Staff.
• Support buyout and project handoff, clarifying estimate assumptions, attending buyout meetings, and remaining available for change order pricing on awarded projects.
• Participate in post-bid review and win/loss analysis to continuously improve estimate accuracy and competitive strategy.
Job Requirements:
• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field preferred — equivalent field and estimating experience considered.
• Minimum 7+ years of estimating experience in heavy highway, civil, or infrastructure construction, required.
• Demonstrated experience estimating DDOT, VDOT, FHWA, DC Water, or other DOT/utility agency-funded projects — required.
• Working knowledge of DDOT, VDOT, and FHWA standard specifications and bid item structures, required.
• Experience supporting Design-Build or Progressive Design-Build pursuits preferred.
• Prior experience with DBE/MBE/WBE subcontracting requirements and government bid compliance, required.
• Proficiency in HCSS HeavyBid, required.
• Proficiency in Bluebeam, On-Screen Takeoff, AGTEK, or similar digital takeoff tools — required.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, ability to build and audit complex cost models and quantity spreadsheets.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint).
• Strong working knowledge of CPM scheduling principles and the ability to coordinate pricing with project schedules.
• Working knowledge of construction means and methods, production rates, equipment operations, and crew compositions for heavy civil self-perform work.
• Ability to read and interpret civil engineering drawings, specifications, and geotechnical reports with precision.
• Strong analytical skills, able to develop bid strategy independently, including unbalancing, mobilization positioning, and risk-adjusted pricing.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail, able to manage multiple active bids simultaneously without missing deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to present and defend estimates to senior leadership, owners, and design partners.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and develop junior estimating staff.
• Collaborative team player who works well with project managers, field supervisors, design partners, and subcontractors.
Working Conditions:
• Primarily office-based at FMCC headquarters — prolonged periods working at a desk and computer.
• Regular site visits for pre-bid walks, field verification, and project handoffs.
• Extended hours may be required during active bid periods leading up to bid submission deadlines.
• This role operates in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment — the ability to perform under pressure without compromising accuracy is essential.
• Must successfully pass a pre-employment background check and drug screening prior to employment.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and fully subscribe to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity. Applicants and/or employees are considered for hire, promotion, training opportunities, and work assignments, without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity or sexual orientation) marital status, national origin, age (40 or older) veteran status, disability, or genetic information or any other basis protected by federal or local laws.
Disclaimer:
The information provided in this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by incumbents within this job. It is not designed to be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and working conditions required of employees assigned to this job. Management has discretion to add or modify job duties and to designate other functions as essential at any time.
Benefits at a glance- Administrative Employees
