Cost Estimator
At Salas O’Brien, we tell our clients that we’re engineered for impact. This passion for making a difference applies just as much to our team as it does to our projects. That’s why we’re committed to living our values every day: inspiring, achieving, and connecting as shared owners of our success with a focus on a sustainable future.
Building for the long term means that all of our team members can expect to work on amazing projects with a people-first approach to problem-solving. It also means that each member of our team has truly limitless potential to build a unique, meaningful, and high-impact career—and they’ll receive great total rewards along the way.
About Us:
Founded in 1975, Salas O’Brien is an employee-owned engineering and professional services firm focused on achieving impact for our clients, our team, and the world. We know that tomorrow’s requirements are today’s opportunities, and we are here to design lasting solutions for pressing challenges.
We work across a variety of industries providing integrated engineering and consulting services. Our specialized experience includes design for data centers, healthcare, science and technology, high-rise buildings, clean energy, education, and other building types as well as structural and building sciences, infrastructure asset management, advanced robotics, and more.
Our technical expertise is paired with an exceptional team of business development, human resources, finance and accounting, information technology, and marketing professionals, all of whom play a key role in bringing our commitments to life every day.
Job Summary:
The Cost Estimator for Salas O’Brien is a member of the technical staff and fills a pivotal role to coordinate, complete, and review detailed design, construction, and repair cost estimates. The estimator will effectively manage last-minute changes to schedules, budgets, and project scopes. The estimator collects and analyzes data to estimate the time, money, materials, and labor required to perform construction or provide a service at specific locations.
Essential Functions:
Work tasks will vary and require flexibility and versatility in support of engineering consulting goals. Responsibilities include:
- Develop conceptual estimates and detailed cost estimates from engineering drawings or from study/assessment narratives.
- Proactively identify deficiencies and/or questions and actively assist the project team.
- Proactively establish a routine reporting cycle that clearly communicates when an estimate changes and the reasons for the change.
- Prepare and review material take-offs from planning documents or engineering drawings.
- Prepare detailed breakdown of components and elements of estimates for systems and subsystems.
- Obtain real-time quotes for unique systems or components and validate them against other pricing references.
- Review labor rates to ensure conformance to the contract specifications and project location.
- Develop wage rate analysis using BLS, Davis Bacon, and R.S. Means labor cost data.
- Review labor productivity to ensure that the labor hours are in conformance with working restrictions, location, etc.
- Review the material pricing and validate against R.S. Means data for other pricing references.
- Review pre-purchased material or equipment and/or equipment rental rates against fair and reasonable pricing references.
- Review contractor mark-ups to ensure that the correct mark-ups are being used and that any mark-up caps are not exceeded.
- Determine points of disagreement and paths to resolution.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Building Science, or Engineering-related fields or applicable work experience in lieu of a degree
- 3 years of cost estimating experience directly related to engineering and construction projects and operations and maintenance (O&M) requirements
- Previous experience managing a small estimating department (preferred)
- Certification as a cost professional (CCP) or as an estimating professional (CEP) (preferred)
Hardware / Software Skills:
- Demonstrated proficiency using pricing formats, including Uniformat II and MasterFormat
- Proficient with industry estimating databases and other estimating data sources
- Proficient with large-scale estimating software
- Microsoft Office Suite with a high proficiency using Microsoft Excel
- Experience with On-screen Take-off and Bluebeam is highly desirable
Competencies:
- Ability to perform assigned duties with minimal supervision
- Confident and ambitious problem solver
- Creative and Innovative
- Self-directed
- Dependable
- Detail oriented
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal)
- Ability to read to interpret construction drawings
- Ability to develop work breakdown structures (WBS)
- Familiar with standard construction means methods for most disciplines
- Ability to develop conceptual designs or repair needs to develop project scopes or rough order of magnitude (ROM) estimates
Work Authorization/Security Clearance:
- Must be a US Citizen for Security Clearance requirements
- Ability to obtain clearance from the Defense Security Service and other Federal Government Agencies
Location:
- Merritt Island, FL
- Hybrid (1-2 days/week in-office)
Travel: 30% travel to project locations primarily in the U.S.
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
- Industrial site investigations will be required.
- Performing inspections of project sites may require climbing ladders and stairs and accessing spaces such as roofs, basements, crawl spaces, or utility tunnels.
- The employee must frequently lift or move objects up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift or move objects up to 25 pounds.
Equal Opportunity Employment Statement:
Salas O’Brien provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, colour, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/provincial, or local laws. Salas O’Brien will accommodate the disability-related needs of applicants as required by law.