Job Title: Chief Electrical Estimator
Location: On Site - Poway, California, United States
Salary: $175,000-$200,000
Skills: Electrical, Construction, Estimation, Chief Estimator
About the Construction Industry / The Opportunity:
Join a growing construction company delivering technically complex electrical projects across Southern California. This senior leadership opportunity puts you at the center of project selection, preconstruction, estimating strategy, and business growth. You will lead the estimating function, build strong industry relationships, and help secure the right projects at the right margins.
Responsibilities:
- Lead the electrical estimating function and set priorities, standards, and bid strategies.
- Evaluate project opportunities and develop conceptual, budgetary, negotiated, design-build, and hard-bid estimates.
- Analyze construction documents and prepare detailed takeoffs, labor estimates, pricing, and bid breakdowns.
- Solicit and level subcontractor and vendor proposals, identifying scope gaps, discrepancies, and risks.
- Coordinate with owners, general contractors, design teams, vendors, and internal operations throughout preconstruction.
- Present estimates and pursuit strategies to leadership and support value engineering and constructability reviews.
- Partner with project teams to support smooth project turnover and apply historical cost insights to future estimates.
- Mentor estimating staff and contribute to business development, pipeline planning, and customer relationships.
Must-Have Skills:
- 10+ years of electrical construction estimating experience, including large and complex projects.
- Leadership experience as a Chief Estimator, Senior Estimator, Estimating Manager, or in a comparable role.
- Strong commercial electrical construction knowledge, including materials, equipment, labor, productivity, codes, and installation methods.
- Ability to develop complete, accurate estimates independently from plans and specifications.
- Experience with conceptual estimating, design-build, negotiated, GMP, and competitive hard-bid projects.
- Proficiency analyzing vendor and subcontractor proposals, project contracts, commercial terms, and risk allocation.
- Demonstrated team leadership, mentoring, communication, negotiation, and analytical skills.
- Strong computer skills and familiarity with industry-standard estimating and construction software.
Nice-to-Have Skills:
- Estimating experience in biotech, life sciences, healthcare, medical, pharmaceutical, laboratory, cleanroom, or advanced manufacturing facilities.
- Knowledge of complex power distribution, emergency power, controls, lighting, low-voltage systems, specialty equipment, and commissioning requirements.
- Experience with mission-critical, high-tech commercial, or institutional construction projects.
- Experience building subcontractor and vendor networks and supporting negotiated or design-build pursuits.
- Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Electrical Engineering, Engineering, or a related field; equivalent industry experience will also be considered.