Chief Estimator - Heavy Civil

About the role

A Southern California heavy civil contractor specializing in earthwork, grading, excavation, demolition and site development is hiring a Chief Estimator-Heavy Civil. The role leads the estimating department and drives public works business development across Southern California, reporting directly to the President. It is a hands-on leadership position with an office presence in Murrieta and travel throughout Southern California as needed.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of estimators and takeoff technicians, set priorities, balance workloads, review estimates and maintain consistent procedures.
• Direct competitive bids for public works projects generally between $1 million and $15 million, covering grading, excavation, demolition, paving, site concrete, hauling, recompaction and underground utilities.
• Build relationships with public agencies, school districts, general contractors and partners to identify opportunities.
• Develop a qualified bid pipeline supporting annual revenue targets, with a mix of school and education projects and other public works.
• Lead bid/no-bid decisions based on project fit, resources, competition, contract terms, bonding, cash flow and profitability.
• Review plans, specs, quantities, labor and equipment rates, material pricing, subcontractor proposals and schedules to ensure complete, competitive estimates.
• Evaluate scope gaps, differing site conditions, utility conflicts, earthwork quantities, hauling and disposal assumptions, schedule constraints and unfavorable contract terms.
• Partner with project managers and superintendents to validate assumptions and support the transition from award to execution.
• Monitor bid volume, win rates, backlog, gross margins, revenue, estimate accuracy and early cost variances, and use results to improve processes.
• Mentor estimators and takeoff technicians and support onboarding of new resources.

Required profile

• Significant heavy civil estimating experience, especially grading, excavation and site preparation.
• Demonstrated experience leading estimating for public works and supervising or overseeing estimators.
• Strong understanding of California public bidding requirements; experience with school districts, education owners, prevailing wage, prequalification and bonding preferred.
• Ability to build client relationships, develop new business and present bid recommendations to executives.
• Strong financial and commercial judgment and excellent communication, organizational and analytical skills.
• Willingness to travel throughout Southern California and maintain a consistent office presence in Murrieta.

Required skills

• B2W Estimate or a comparable estimating platform.
• Familiarity with AGTEK, Bluebeam or similar takeoff and plan-review tools.
• Customer relationship management platforms and AI-assisted tools such as ChatGPT or Claude.

What we offer

• Salary of $175,000 to $225,000 per year.
• Leadership opportunity with direct access to the President and influence over company growth strategy.
• Opportunity to build and develop an estimating team and improve department processes.
• Company bonus and benefits programs, with details provided during the interview.