Estimator; Public Works & Federal Construction) in Portland

Job Description Job Description Estimator (Public Works & Federal Construction)

Company: Skyward Construction LLC

Location: Ridgefield, WA (Pacific Northwest)

Job Type: Full-time

Compensation: $100,000 to $155,000+ total (base $80,000 to $125,000 DOE)

Experience: 2+ years of GC estimating; VA, DOE, and DOW backgrounds prioritized

Travel: Bid walks and jobsite visits required

Reports to: Company leadership / Preconstruction

Veterans are encouraged to apply.

Skyward Construction is a commercial general contractor headquartered in Ridgefield, WA, and a proud Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). We build and renovate K-12 education, healthcare, and public facilities across the Pacific Northwest, and we are expanding our federal and agency pipeline, with SBA 8(a) and HUBZone certifications in progress. We are looking for an estimator who knows how to win public and federal work and wants to grow with a company building a serious public pipeline.

Skyward’s SDVOSB status matters in the federal space. It can mean fewer competitors, more relationship-driven procurement, and a clearer path to award when the proposal is complete and the team is credible. If you have federal estimating and technical proposal experience, you can win more of the right work here.

We are hiring an Estimator with a track record on public and prevailing wage projects to lead takeoffs, pricing, and competitive bid assembly on work from $500K to $15M. You will work hard-bid and best-value solicitations, author technical proposals for federal procurements, manage prevailing wage and compliance requirements, and serve as the primary preconstruction contact with GCs, owners, and government representatives.

• Prepare detailed, defensible estimates for public, federal, and commercial projects from $500K to $15M
• Read and interpret public solicitations, drawings, specifications, and bid documents
• Author technical proposals for federal procurements, including written narratives, approach sections, and supporting documentation
• Develop scope-of-work narratives, pricing assumptions, and exclusion logs
• Analyze and incorporate prevailing wage rates (Oregon BOLI / Washington L&I) into pricing
• Lead bid-day compilation: vet, validate, and compile subcontractor proposals with discipline
• Serve as the primary preconstruction contact with GCs, owners, and government representatives
• Attend pre-bid walks and jobsite visits (travel required)
• Help decide which work we pursue and which we walk away from

• 2+ years of GC estimating experience, with public or government project work
• Experience authoring technical proposals for public or federal projects
• Working knowledge of prevailing wage requirements and compliance
• Ability to read and interpret drawings, specifications, and public bid documents
• Proficiency with takeoff and estimating tools (On-Screen Takeoff, Bluebeam, Excel, or similar)
• Willing to travel for bid walks and jobsite visits; works well remotely
• Valid driver’s license

• Priority given to candidates with VA, DOE, and DOW project backgrounds
• Federal experience (NAVFAC, USACE, VA, GSA, or similar agencies)
• Familiarity with federal small-business programs (SDVOSB, 8(a), HUBZone)
• K-12 and healthcare project experience
• OSHA 30
• Military or veteran background

• Total compensation: $100,000 to $155,000+ (base salary $80,000 to $125,000 DOE)
• Bid win bonuses and margin bonuses
• Medical and dental insurance
• 401(k) with up to 5% employer match
• Paid time off

Skyward Construction LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a proud Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB).