Chief Estimator - Office Lead

Essential Functions
Office Lead
• Build customer relationships to ensure high standards of technical service, secure repeat business and develop a profitable workload
• Manage the execution of commissions, including directly managing staff within the core service section, fee budgets, and section and project profitability
• Responsible for ongoing revenue, costs, and profits of the office
• Identify opportunities with existing clients to cross-sell other services of Rider Levett Bucknall
• Contribute to monthly team meetings and business development activity
• Share marketing information with other regions within the Company
• Assist with the preparation of proposals and fee submissions
• Preparation and delivery of presentations
• Maintain individual project profiles
• Responsible for the management of staff, including carrying out performance reviews and disciplinary issues
• Responsible for recruitment and career development of staff

Chief Estimating Duties
• Review construction plans and specifications during preconstruction to complete quantity take-offs and prepare estimates for all architectural, structural, and civil scopes from schematic through final design for new construction and renovation projects
• Prepare value engineering, cost option, and cost strategy estimates
• Prepare independent post-contract estimates, including reporting differences in scope, quantities, and pricing from the contractor’s estimate
• Work as an integral part of our Estimating Team to perform plan and specification analysis, takeoff, and pricing of various types of construction projects
• Acts as lead individual for specific projects
• Review estimates prepared by the Estimating Team, prior to the supervisor final review
• Compiles and analyzes data on all factors that influence costs, such as material, labor, equipment, and profit margins
• Evaluates cost-estimating deliverables prepared by architects and engineers, for cost containment
• Acquires and evaluates historical and vendor cost data for the development of cost estimates and price recommendations
• Accurately forecasts costs of future projects and changes to existing projects
• Prepares technical evaluations, cost estimating draft reports, memos, and letters and presents recommendations to management and client
• Attend client meetings
• Participate in design charrettes and design workshops, including presenting estimates to the client and AE team
• Participate in Value Engineering studies, reconciliations, and negotiations with contractors
• Prepare valuations of work-in-progress reports from contractor draw requests
• Undertake other cost-related tasks as directed by supervisor, including review of estimates prepared by others
• Assist with training and mentoring others
• Contributes to team performance by collaboration and effective communication.
• Contributes to and understands the clients desired project outcomes and identifies opportunities to add value to accomplish the desired outcomes.
• Adds to team effort by accomplishing other duties as assigned.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate a positive, proactive approach to the role and be committed to delivering customer service excellence with good commercial results.

• Minimum Education (or substitute experience) required: 4-year college degree in quantity surveying, construction management, architecture, or engineering science.
• Minimum Experience required: 5-10 years relevant experience in management of staff, including project professionals and/or technicians, managing major projects, including development of project scope, goals, work plans, timeliness and implantation strategies, developing measurement processes/methods for assessing progress toward goals and project outcomes. Prior experience with developing and monitoring contracts is required.
• Skills Required: Expert in quantity surveying, cost management, or project management, including planning, development, implementation and evaluation of large, complex projects. Good communication skills are required.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:
• Often works in an indoor office environment, and the equipment used includes computers and standard office machines. Essential physical tasks include: the ability to work on a computer and the ability to answer and speak on a telephone.
• May also require:
o Sitting
o Standing for long periods of time
o Walking, carrying, pushing, stooping, crouching, and pulling

RLB is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This company does not and will not discriminate in employment and personnel practices based on race, sex, age, handicap, religion, national origin or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. Hiring, transferring and promotion practices are performed without regard to the above listed items.