Senior Estimator

Senior Estimator – Strategic Leadership in Major Construction Tendering

Join our dynamic team as a **Senior Estimator**, where you will play a pivotal role in shaping the financial success of high-value construction projects. In this position, you will lead the preparation, analysis, and defense of comprehensive tender submissions, ensuring competitive pricing, risk mitigation, and strategic commercial positioning for complex, multidisciplinary projects. This is an opportunity to leverage your extensive expertise in estimation, procurement, and market dynamics to deliver world-class project valuations that drive business growth and client satisfaction.

As a **Senior Estimator**, you will be responsible for guiding the entire tender lifecycle—from initial document review to final price approval—while fostering collaboration across technical, commercial, and procurement teams. Your strategic insight will be critical in identifying cost-saving opportunities, optimizing resource allocation, and ensuring alignment with market realities in the Saudi construction sector. This role demands a blend of analytical rigor, commercial acumen, and leadership to deliver estimates that are both defensible and commercially robust.

Key Responsibilities

Your role will encompass a broad spectrum of high-impact activities, including but not limited to:

• Strategic Tender Leadership: Lead the review of tender documents, including drawings, specifications, Bill of Quantities (BOQs), contract conditions, and commercial clauses, to identify scope gaps, discrepancies, and potential risks. Develop and defend a cohesive tender strategy that balances competitiveness with profitability.
• Comprehensive Cost Estimation: Prepare and oversee detailed quantity take-offs, cost estimates, and rate build-ups for all project components—materials, labor, equipment, subcontracts, preliminaries, logistics, temporary works, testing, commissioning, overheads, risk allowances, and profit margins. Ensure all elements are accurately reflected in the final tender submission.
• Subcontractor and Supplier Engagement: Issue Requests for Quotations (RFQs) and evaluate competitive bids from subcontractors and suppliers. Normalize quotations to ensure fairness, completeness, and alignment with market rates while maintaining a robust database of subcontractor performance and pricing trends.
• Market and Risk Intelligence: Maintain an in-depth understanding of the Saudi construction market, including labor productivity, material costs, and subcontractor pricing. Assess and mitigate commercial and technical risks such as liquidated damages (LDs), bonds, retention percentages, payment terms, design responsibilities, warranties, and long-lead item procurement.
• Collaborative Project Oversight: Coordinate closely with Procurement, Technical, Planning, Commercial, and Construction teams to ensure that tender assumptions—such as project duration, manpower planning, productivity metrics, and construction methodologies—are accurately captured and reflected in the estimate.
• Value Engineering and Optimization: Identify and evaluate value engineering opportunities, providing clear cost-benefit analyses for alternative solutions. Present actionable recommendations to enhance project efficiency without compromising quality or scope.
• Tender Defense and Negotiation: Support post-tender clarifications, negotiations, and commercial discussions with clients, ensuring that the final tender position is both defensible and aligned with business objectives. Act as the primary point of contact for client inquiries related to pricing and commercial terms.
• Knowledge Transfer and Team Development: Mentor junior estimators, establish consistent estimation practices, and contribute to the refinement of cost databases and industry benchmarks. Ensure best practices are adhered to across all tender-related activities.
• Post-Award Handover: Facilitate a seamless transition of tender documentation, quotations, assumptions, risks, and commercial positions to the project and commercial teams upon award, ensuring continuity and accountability.

Qualifications and Experience

We are seeking a **highly experienced Senior Estimator** with a proven track record in the construction industry, particularly within the GCC region. The ideal candidate will possess:

• Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying, or a related discipline. Advanced certifications in estimation, procurement, or construction management are a significant advantage.
• Experience: Minimum of **15 years** of hands-on experience in estimation and tendering, specifically within a **main contractor or established construction company**. Preference will be given to candidates with extensive experience in the **Saudi construction market**, including familiarity with local regulations, labor laws, and procurement practices.
• Project Expertise: Proven success in preparing **complete estimates** for major tenders, with a focus on projects valued at **SAR 100 million and above**. Experience in **multidisciplinary projects**—spanning civil, architectural, fit-out, MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing), landscape, and specialist works—is essential. Prior involvement in **complex construction, cultural, hospitality, public building, or similar high-profile projects** is highly desirable.
• Technical Proficiency: Proficiency in **Excel** and industry-standard estimation/quantity take-off software. Familiarity with **AutoCAD, Revit/BIM, Primavera, and ERP systems** is an asset. Strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret technical documents with precision are critical.
• Strategic Thinking: A demonstrated ability to **build and defend comprehensive estimates** for competitive tenders, with a focus on achieving award-winning results. Candidates should be prepared to discuss **three major tenders** they have personally handled, detailing the pricing strategy, key subcontract packages, risk management, value engineering initiatives, and the final tender outcome.
• Leadership and Collaboration: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills to engage with cross-functional teams, clients, and stakeholders. Ability to **mentor junior estimators** and drive consistency in estimation methodologies while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

This is an opportunity for a **seasoned professional** to leverage their expertise in a dynamic environment where precision, innovation, and commercial acumen are paramount. If you are passionate about delivering high-impact results and shaping the future of construction estimation, we invite you to apply.