Senior Estimator - Distribution (Bird Electric)

Job Summary

Bird Electric, a Black & Veatch company, is a U.S. self-perform electrical construction services provider with a national reach in emergency power restoration. With more than 600 employees, Bird Electric delivers grid solutions and operates in adjacent distributed infrastructure markets. The company also has long-established relationships with fuel producers and energy providers.

This position is responsible for the direction, preparation, coordination, and review of lump sum, unit rate, and cost-plus estimates ranging from simple cost analysis to definitive estimates in support of proposals, project controls, studies, and project change orders. Responsible for owning assigned estimates and related customer-required estimating documentation from review through bid submission support.

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Key Responsibilities

• Prepares cost estimates for proposals, projects, studies, budgetary reviews, and change orders, ensuring the estimate content is complete, accurate, and meets the requirements of the estimate, proposal, or project plan.
• Reviews RFP documents, drawings, specifications, contract requirements, bid forms, customer instructions, and supporting documents to understand scope, pricing basis, submission requirements, and required estimate-related deliverables.
• Plans, coordinates, reviews, verifies, and analyzes all aspects of estimate development and estimate presentation.
• Owns assigned estimate responsibilities, including scope review, pricing development, estimate backup, customer-required estimating documentation, and estimate-related bid content.
• Verifies the completeness, accuracy, and quality of assigned estimate-related documents prior to submission.
• Coordinates with the Proposals team for document control, formatting, deliverable tracking, package organization, and assistance obtaining required documents from internal departments.
• Partners with Engineering, Operations, Procurement, Construction, Project Management, Proposals, vendors, and subcontractors to gather and review required estimate inputs.
• Provides technical estimating advice and assistance to project teams in the preparation of estimates ranging in scope and complexity from simple cost analysis to complex lump sum, unit rate, or cost-plus estimates.
• Appraises overall estimate accuracy and recommends contingencies, allowances, or adjustments based on estimate type, scope definition, risk, and available information.
• Assists with independent estimate reviews upon completion of detailed labor, equipment, material, subcontractor, construction, and home office cost summaries.
• Ensures the orderly flow of estimating assignments in support of proposal schedules, project requirements, and available department resources.
• Helps maintain the Company estimating database, historical cost information, estimate backup, templates, and other estimating resources.
• Assists in planning and development of formal and informal training programs to maintain and improve estimating techniques, procedures, and department capabilities for both new and experienced personnel.

Preferred Qualifications

• BS or MS graduate in Construction Management, Engineering, Business, Finance, or related field is preferred, but not required.
• Electric utility, power delivery, construction, EPC, industrial, or related estimating experience preferred.

Preferred Skills:

• Complex estimating principles and practices, including conceptual estimating. Cost engineering. Mathematical skills. Project design scopes. Consulting skills. Planning skills. Analytical skills. Coordination and maintenance of estimating databases. Supervision. Development of subordinates. Ability to interpret and understand drawings, specifications, contracts, scopes of work, bid forms, and customer requirements. Microsoft Excel. Estimating tools and database systems. Verbal and written communication skills. Interpersonal communication skills. Presentation skills. Planning and development of training programs. Ability to identify estimate risks, scope gaps, commercial concerns, and improvement opportunities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Required: 8 to 20 years of relevant experience, including estimating experience.
• Field, project, construction, engineering, project controls, or related experience preferred.
• All applicants must be able to complete pre-employment onboarding requirements (if selected) which may include any/all of the following: criminal/civil background check, drug screen, and motor vehicle records search, in compliance with any applicable laws and regulations.

Work Environment/Physical Demands

Typical office environment. Occasional travel may be required for project site visits, customer meetings, pre-bid meetings, internal coordination meetings, estimate reviews, or project handoff support