Data Center Estimator

Job Title: Data Center Estimator (OSP, ISP, Telecom)

Reports To: Program Manager or Director of Delivery

Department: Technical Services

FLSA Status: Exempt

Salary: $100,000-$125,000

Location: Remote

At Smartlink, we believe exceptional people create exceptional results. Guided by our core values, Creating Customer Fanatics, Innovate and Create, One Team, We Are All In, and Safety Leads to Success, we foster a culture where driven, ambitious individuals are empowered to make an impact, grow their careers, and help drive our success.

We are a fast-paced, high-performance organization where accountability, teamwork, and innovation are expected and rewarded. This is not a traditional 40-hour workweek environment. Success often requires flexibility, dedication, and a willingness to go above and beyond to deliver for our customers and teammates.

In return, you'll be surrounded by talented professionals who challenge and support one another, with opportunities for career growth, skill development, and meaningful contributions that make a real difference.

If you're competitive, motivated by achievement, and ready to be All In, Smartlink offers more than a job. It offers the opportunity to build an exceptional career while helping shape the future of our industry. If you're ready to be All In, we invite you to join us and help shape the future of Smartlink.

The Data Center Estimator (OSP, ISP, Data Centers) prepares accurate takeoffs, BOMs, and cost estimates for OSP fiber, ISP cabling, and data center projects. The role supports pre-sales, bidding, and project handoff, ensuring scopes are complete, compliant, and aligned with cost and margin goals. The Estimator partners with sales, engineering, project management, vendors, and field teams to deliver competitive, buildable proposals.

• Review RFPs, contract documents, drawings, and specifications (civil, architectural, electrical, low-voltage, and owner standards) to define OSP, ISP, and data center scopes, assumptions, and exclusions.
• Perform detailed OSP quantity take-offs, including:
  • Conduit and duct banks
  • Manholes, handholes, pull boxes, and vaults
  • Trenching, boring, and restoration
  • Aerial plant (strand, anchors, make-ready)
  • Fiber cables, splice cases, slack loops, and storage
• Perform detailed ISP and data center quantity take-offs, including:
  • Backbone and horizontal copper and fiber cabling
  • Cable tray, ladder rack, J-hooks, and raceway systems
  • Racks, cabinets, patch panels, and terminations
  • PDUs, grounding and bonding, labeling, and testing
• Translate design intent into structured, buildable Bills of Materials across OSP, ISP, and data center environments.

• Develop complete cost estimates covering materials, labor, equipment, subcontractors, logistics, and indirects for OSP construction, ISP cabling, and data center white-space buildouts.
• Build, maintain, and refine labor units and production rates for:
  • Trenching, boring, and restoration
  • Aerial placement and make-ready
  • Cable installation, termination, and testing (fiber and copper)
• Solicit, analyze, compare, and negotiate vendor and subcontractor pricing, including civil contractors, aerial crews, splicers, testing providers, and specialty data center hardware suppliers.
• Prepare proposal packages including:
  • Scope narratives
  • Assumptions, clarifications, and exclusions
  • Alternates and value-engineering options for OSP routing, ISP pathways, and data center layouts.

• Participate in site walks and field surveys for:
  • OSP routes (access, existing utilities, conflicts)
  • ISP pathways (buildings, risers, MDF/IDF rooms)
  • Data center spaces (MMRs, white space, galleries)
• Identify constructability issues, risks, and opportunities such as:
  • Existing conduit or pathway reuse
  • Spare fiber or capacity utilization
  • Alternative routing or design efficiencies
• Incorporate validated site conditions into final estimates and proposals.

• Collaborate with sales, engineering, and project management to align scope, schedule, and pricing strategy across OSP, ISP, and data center work packages.
• Issue and track RFIs to resolve design gaps, conflicts, or missing information (e.g., OSP/ISP tie-ins, routing discrepancies, data center standards).
• Lead formal estimate-to-operations handoff, providing:
  • Take-off markups
  • BOMs and labor breakdowns
  • Key assumptions, exclusions, and identified risks
• Support change order pricing and budget…