Lead Project Cost Estimator

Leads and supervises a team of Estimators, including designating daily assignments

Plans and participates in the preparation of construction cost estimates of buildings or other structures from drawings, outlines, and specifications

Prepares and reviews cost estimates and forms and other materials submitted to secure State and/or federal grants and loans from school aid programs and represents the district on matters pertinent to securing such funds

Checks construction cost estimates submitted by commissioned architects and engineers for accuracy and completeness and compares them with District estimates

Confers with commissioned architects and engineers to resolve differences in their cost estimates and District estimates for each project and negotiates agreements on preliminary estimates of construction costs

Conducts studies and prepare reports when contractors' bids vary widely from the agreed construction cost estimate

Checks segregations of contract costs as estimated by building contractors and recommends acceptance or rejection as a basis for progress payments

Analyzes change orders on construction work under contract and approves or rejects extras or credits submitted

Prepares or reviews cost estimates for projects

Establishes and maintains procedures for approval of plans and specifications for building projects and submission of approved projects to public bidding

Develop methods for maintaining data used in records, charts, and graphs reflecting estimated construction costs compared with actual costs

Conducts and participates in seminars and workshops with staff and minority contractors relative to school construction bidding procedures, contracts, and cost estimating

Estimates costs of damages to District property caused by fire, natural disaster, and major acts of vandalism

Establishes budgets for school building projects

Assists other branches with related functions

Prepares preliminary and final independent cost estimates of projects for comparison with designer or contractor for PM/CM to establish negotiating position

Provides support in price negotiations

Prepares claim analysis and estimates

Review of contractor’s claims and proposals for merit and accountability

Performs related duties as assigned

• Fourteen (14) years full-time paid professional experience in the preparation of complete cost estimates for major/complex type I, II, or III, and V building construction as defined by the State building codes AND
• Graduation from a recognized college or university with a bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering or construction management AND
• Three (3) years of full-time paid experience in supervising estimators AND
• Must have worked for a construction cost consulting firm for at least five (5) years
• OR
• Twenty (20) or more years solid full-time paid professional experience in the preparation of complete cost estimates for major/complex type I, II, or III, and V building construction as defined by the State building codes AND
• Degree not required AND
• Five (5) years of full-time paid experience in supervising estimators AND
• Must have worked for a construction cost consulting firm for at least five (5) years

• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Extensive knowledge and experience in developing conceptual and pre-construction cost estimates for complex school building projects
• Ability to prepare cost estimates quickly in a fast- paced working environment
• Knowledge of current local construction labor and material costs
• Extensive experience in developing and estimating the scope of work for change orders
• Ability to compare the independent cost estimate with contractor proposal to quickly identify differences
• Ability to develop scope of work based on RFI/RFC answers and estimates the detailed costs of those scopes of work independent of the contractor proposal