Lead Estimator - Industrial Construction at StaffRight Talent – San Antonio, Texas

(Estimating Lead | Team Mentor | Pre‑Construction Owner)

The Lead Estimator is responsible for leading the estimating and pre‑construction effort for industrial construction projects from opportunity review through proposal submittal and project handoff. This role serves as the technical and functional lead for the estimating team, providing direction, mentorship, and quality control while remaining hands‑on in estimate development.

Working closely with project management, project controls, vendors, subcontractors, and executive leadership, the Lead Estimator ensures estimates are accurate, competitive, well‑documented, and aligned with the client's execution strategy and risk tolerance.

• Serve as the lead estimator on assigned pursuits, setting overall estimating strategy and approach
• Guide and mentor estimators and junior team members throughout the full estimating lifecycle
• Assign work scopes, review quantity takeoffs, and validate pricing and productivity assumptions
• Ensure estimating standards, tools, and best practices are applied consistently
• Support bid / no‑bid decisions by evaluating risk, margin, schedule, and resource requirements

• Log, review, and manage RFQs and associated project documentation
• Develop order‑of‑magnitude and detailed estimates for small to large industrial construction projects
• Review drawings, specifications, and contractual requirements for scope and risk
• Attend bid meetings and jobsite walkthroughs as required
• Lead scope clarification efforts and manage RFIs
• Develop work breakdown structures and perform or oversee quantity takeoffs
• Prepare and manage subcontractor and vendor bid packages
• Evaluate subcontractor and vendor pricing for scope coverage, completeness, and risk
• Compile estimates using company estimating software and established methodologies
• Validate labor productivity assumptions in coordination with project teams and Project Controls
• Coordinate with scheduling teams to ensure estimate logic aligns with execution plans

• Identify, document, and communicate estimating assumptions, exclusions, and risks
• Lead internal estimate reviews with project teams and management
• Participate in executive or corporate bid reviews as required
• Prepare and submit complete, compliant, and competitive proposal packages
• Support negotiations and scope clarifications through project award

• Lead formal estimate‑to‑operations handoff meetings
• Transfer full scope, pricing, assumptions, and risk documentation to execution teams
• Support project teams with change order pricing and estimate revisions
• Capture lessons learned and contribute to continuous improvement of estimating practices

• 7+ years of field or estimating experience in one or more of the following:
  • Concrete
  • Structural steel
  • Process piping
  • Boiler work
  • Millwright
  • Electrical or industrial construction

OR

• 7+ years supporting Project Management or Project Engineering with strong exposure to cost control, estimating, scheduling, or change management

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and Adobe / Bluebeam
• Experience with estimating, scheduling, or project management software
• Strong understanding of construction means, methods, and materials
• Solid construction math skills (geometry, basic trigonometry)
• Ability to read and interpret construction drawings and specifications
• Strong communication skills with the ability to lead cross‑functional discussions

• Ability to work in all U.S. states
• Ability to pass client‑required background checks