Field Mechanical Estimator in Pottstown, Pennsylvania at M.J. Nester Specialty Contractors

Position Title: Field Mechanical Estimator

Reports To: Managing Partner-Operations

Location: Pottstown, PA - Frequent Travel to Customer Sites

Position Type: Full-Time, Salary

About M.J. Nester

M.J. Nester is a specialty industrial contractor providing millwright, mechanical, electrical, and automation services to clients across the United States. Since its founding in 2015, the company has expanded from a niche installation contractor into a full-service provider with capabilities including welding and fabrication, rigging, pipefitting, plant relocation, industrial cleaning, and PLC-based controls and automation. The company operates with a strong focus on safety, execution, and field performance, supported by OSHA-certified crews and a collaborative approach between estimating, operations, and project teams. M.J. Nester delivers end-to-end industrial solutions, supporting projects from early-stage planning and estimating through installation, commissioning, and ongoing facility support.

Job Purpose:

M.J. Nester is seeking a detail-oriented and field-experienced Field Mechanical Estimator to take ownership of estimating for industrial and commercial mechanical work. This role focuses on field-validated estimating for mechanical installations, piping, equipment setting, rigging, structural supports, fabrication-to-field coordination, facility upgrades, maintenance work, and outage or shutdown support.

The estimator will develop accurate, competitive, and profitable bids by translating technical documents, site conditions, production assumptions, supplier and subcontractor coverage, schedule constraints, safety requirements, permit assumptions, temporary-works needs, and cost history into a clear written basis of estimate. The role remains focused on estimating, scope validation, preconstruction decision support, project handoff, and cost feedback rather than day-to-day project execution.

This role assesses time, money, materials, labor, equipment, subcontractor requirements, and risk for a documented scope at a specific location and point in time. The estimator reads technical documents, collaborates with engineers, clients, contractors, and internal leaders, and maintains records of estimated and actual costs so estimates support project feasibility, alternatives analysis, control, and funding decisions.

Organizational Context / Reporting:

• Reports to the Managing Partner-Operations within a preconstruction-focused estimating function.
• Operates within a hub-and-spoke model: one estimating leader responsible for shared standards, review gates, and historical cost data, with discipline-aware estimators aligned to major service lines.
• Maintains formal working ties with business development, operations, project management, shop and fabrication leadership, safety, procurement, and finance.
• Supports an estimating structure that stays closely connected to preconstruction and operations leadership while providing responsive input to sales and client-facing pursuits.

Work Environment / Field Structure:

• Primary work performed through a mix of office-based estimating, site walks, and customer-site scope validation.
• Frequent travel to customer sites required; travel expectations vary by bid workload and field investigation needs.
• Field visits, job walks, and pre-bid reviews required for scope verification, logistics planning, access review, and constructability input.
• Collaborative environment with strong support from operations, field leadership, shop and fabrication teams, safety, procurement, and finance.

Job Responsibilities:

Estimating, Scope & Basis of Estimate:

• Lead full-scope estimating efforts for assigned industrial and commercial mechanical projects, including piping, process mechanical systems, equipment setting, rigging, structural supports, fabrication, maintenance work, and facility upgrades.
• Own scope mapping, quantity logic, production assumptions, quote coverage, temporary-works allowances, stated safety and permit assumptions, explicit exclusions, clarifications, and the written basis of estimate.
• Review drawings, specifications, addenda, P&IDs, piping plans, isometrics, spool drawings, equipment specifications, rigging information, structural details, shop/fabrication requirements, and contract documents to fully define project scope.
• Perform complete material, labor, equipment, and subcontractor takeoffs; determine manpower, crew mix, productivity assumptions, crane and lift needs, tooling, trucking, staging, and pricing strategy.
• Perform system analysis of mechanical systems, piping, equipment setting, rigging requirements, access constraints, tie-ins, shutdown windows, sequencing, logistics, constructability, and field execution requirements.
• Conduct site walks and field measurements to validate scope, site conditions, access, existing utilities, safety constraints, and practical installation assumptions.
• Collaborate with engineers, clients, contractors, project managers, field leadership, and business-line leadership to clarify technical requirements, commercial intent, and execution assumptions.
• Develop accurate and competitive estimates using historical data, current market pricing, supplier input, subcontractor quotes, and field productivity feedback.

Project Types & Bid Range:

• Estimate a wide range of work, including industrial mechanical installations, process piping, equipment setting, rigging, structural support work, fabrication-supported projects, facility upgrades, maintenance work, and shutdown or outage work.
• Projects may range from small service and maintenance scopes to large-scale industrial projects reaching multi-million-dollar values.
• Participate in competitive bid work as well as negotiated, design-build, budgetary, and time-sensitive field estimating opportunities.

Bid Strategy, Risk & Financial Review:

• Evaluate bid/no-bid decisions with project managers and business-line leadership, considering strategic fit, capacity, schedule, client requirements, competition, margin, and risk profile.
• Run pre-estimate meetings with project managers, operations, field leadership, shop and fabrication leadership, and business-line leaders to align on scope, assumptions, responsibilities, review gates, and pursuit strategy.
• Integrate schedule and logistics assumptions into the estimate, including access constraints, phasing, temporary works, crane and rigging plans, trucking, laydown, prefabrication, shutdown or outage windows, owner operating requirements, and site-specific conditions.
• Conduct financial-risk reviews related to escalation, labor productivity, field access, supply chain exposure, subcontractor coverage, allowances, contingencies, equipment rentals, overhead, fee, and margin strategy.
• Prepare complete bid proposals including labor, material, equipment, subcontractor pricing, supplier coverage, assumptions, exclusions, alternates, clarifications, overhead, and margin.
• Support final bid review, client or subcontractor negotiation, and value-engineering or alternatives analysis.

Supplier, Subcontractor & Procurement Strategy:

• Secure supplier and subcontractor quotes, confirm quote coverage, compare inclusions and exclusions, and resolve gaps before final bid review.
• Develop subcontractor strategy based on scope, schedule, specialty trade requirements, market conditions, risk, capacity, and commercial leverage.
• Coordinate with procurement, shop and fabrication leadership, vendors, and subcontractors on lead times, prefabrication opportunities, specialty equipment, crane and rigging support, coatings, insulation, testing, and long-lead materials.

Operations Handoff, Cost History & Continuous Improvement:

• Collaborate with operations, project management, field leadership, shop/fabrication teams, and safety to ensure awarded projects transition smoothly from bid to build.
• Prepare clear turnover packages that capture scope maps, basis of estimate, quantity logic, production assumptions, quote coverage, inclusions, exclusions, risks, opportunities, schedule assumptions, and logistics constraints.
• Feed final job data, awarded scope, quantities, estimate assumptions, production data, actual costs, and lessons learned back into the estimating database.
• Maintain and improve estimating databases, unit pricing, labor units, cost history, risk registers, templates, and review documentation.
• Participate in post-bid and post-project reviews to improve accuracy, close feedback loops with the field, and strengthen future estimates.

Standards, Procedures & Leadership:

• Contribute to estimating standards, procedures, checklists, risk assessments, review gates, approval practices, and final bid-review discipline.
• Support staff development by sharing estimating methods, reviewing work product, mentoring less-experienced team members, and promoting consistent documentation practices.
• Stay current on material pricing trends, labor rates, code requirements, mechanical means and methods, safety and permit considerations, equipment rental markets, and industry conditions affecting mechanical construction.

Business Development & Sales Responsibilities:

• Proactively identify, pursue, and help develop new project opportunities within assigned markets, accounts, and service lines.
• Maintain regular contact with existing customers, contractors, facility managers, engineers, and industry partners to uncover upcoming work, shutdown opportunities, maintenance needs, and capital projects.
• Participate in client meetings, site visits, pre-bid discussions, and relationship-building activities to strengthen customer partnerships and position M.J. Nester for future opportunities.
• Collaborate with business development leadership and operations teams to support strategic account growth, target high-value opportunities, and improve market visibility.
• Track leads, proposal activity, and pursuit status to maintain an active pipeline of estimating opportunities.
• Support qualification and bid/no-bid decisions by evaluating strategic fit, competitive positioning, customer relationships, resource availability, and potential return on investment.
• Develop conceptual budgets, budgetary pricing, and early-stage estimates that help clients advance projects from planning to execution.
• Seek opportunities to expand the company's presence within existing accounts by identifying additional maintenance, outage, fabrication, upgrade, or improvement projects.
• Contribute to annual sales and growth objectives through active participation in securing new work and converting opportunities into awarded projects.
• Serve as a trusted technical resource to clients by providing practical input on constructability, cost drivers, scheduling considerations, and value-based alternatives during the preconstruction process.

Job Qualifications:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in mechanical field installations, industrial construction, mechanical estimating, or a closely related role.
• Strong understanding of mechanical systems, process piping, rigging, equipment setting, structural supports, fabrication processes, and shop-to-field coordination.
• Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, specifications, P&IDs, piping isometrics, spool drawings, equipment specifications, structural details, rigging plans, and contract documents.
• Experience performing quantity takeoffs, labor and equipment planning, site-condition reviews, and field productivity assessments.
• Experience with crane operations, hoisting plans, rigging requirements, heavy equipment coordination, and temporary works preferred.
• Proficiency with Bluebeam, Microsoft Excel, estimating databases, digital takeoff tools, and field reporting, estimating, or project coordination software.
• Strong mathematical, analytical, organizational, communication, negotiation, and decision-making skills with high attention to detail.
• Commercial judgment, execution literacy, and ability to balance competitiveness, risk, margin, and field reality.
• OSHA 30 certification required; additional safety training preferred.
• Valid driver's license and willingness to travel to job sites as needed.

Why Join M.J. Nester:

• Opportunity to take ownership of diverse and challenging industrial, commercial, field mechanical, and fabrication-supported estimating work.
• Direct impact on project success, company growth, margin performance, and preconstruction discipline.
• Growing estimating function with opportunities to influence standards, procedures, tools, cost history, and review practices.
• Strong collaboration between estimating, operations, field leadership, shop and fabrication teams, procurement, safety, finance, and business-line leadership.
• Field-focused estimating role that connects practical installation knowledge with disciplined commercial decision-making.

M.J. Nester is building a disciplined estimating function that connects commercial strategy with field execution. Candidates who thrive in a fast-paced, detail-driven environment and can turn field conditions and technical scope into clear, defensible project cost forecasts will excel in this role.

Job Qualifications:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in mechanical field installations, industrial construction, mechanical estimating, or a closely related role.
• Strong understanding of mechanical systems, process piping, rigging, equipment setting, structural supports, fabrication processes, and shop-to-field coordination.
• Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, specifications, P&IDs, piping isometrics, spool drawings, equipment specifications, structural details, rigging plans, and contract documents.
• Experience performing quantity takeoffs, labor and equipment planning, site-condition reviews, and field productivity assessments.
• Experience with crane operations, hoisting plans, rigging requirements, heavy equipment coordination, and temporary works preferred.
• Proficiency with Bluebeam, Microsoft Excel, estimating databases, digital takeoff tools, and field reporting, estimating, or project coordination software.
• Strong mathematical, analytical, organizational, communication, negotiation, and decision-making skills with high attention to detail.
• Commercial judgment, execution literacy, and ability to balance competitiveness, risk, margin, and field reality.
• OSHA 30 certification required; additional safety training preferred.
• Valid driver's license and willingness to travel to job sites as needed.