Estimating Manager

About the Company:

MFS is ranked #79 on ENR's Top NYC Design Firm list and #16 Best Place to Work in NJ.

MFS is an independent and innovative consulting engineering and construction management firm headquartered in South Plainfield, New Jersey. We share a total commitment to excellence both internally and externally. Externally, we offer clients expertise in site/civil, structural, geotechnical and foundation, survey, geotechnical drilling, and construction management services. Internally, we offer excellent benefit packages that include: Paid Vacation, Personal, and Holidays, 401K, Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability Insurance (long and short), Life Insurance, Training, and Tuition Reimbursement. To learn more, please visit us on the web at www.MFSconstruction.com. MFS is an EEO/AAP Employer.

Seeking an Estimating Manager to join our growing General Construction and Construction Management team. The Estimating Manager is a primary member of the estimating team who has overall responsibility for the creation of budgets and estimates along with detailed scopes of work and related proposal components. The Estimating Manager is responsible for the oversight of the estimating process as well as oversees standardized procedures, methods, and processes for estimating deliverables such as bid packages and budget tracking tools. Furthermore, the Estimating Manager is responsible for managing the estimating team, fulfilling the bidding process and successfully completing construction estimates that lead to awarded construction projects. This position reports to the Construction Department Lead. The Estimating Manager works predominantly out of the South Plainfield, NJ office.

Responsibilities:

• Prepares accurate pricing of estimates with the proper level of detail, including labor, material, and subcontract items.
• Must have the ability to create estimates as self-perform to compare with subcontractor pricing.
• Must have required managerial skills in order to develop and lead the team.
• Must have required communications skills and strong network of subcontractors.
• Researches and reviews construction and design documents and analyzes specifications to determine estimated costs
• Critically analyzes bid documents and understands risk and opportunities and articulates those to management
• Prepares quantity take-offs and estimates costs of materials, labor, and use of equipment required to fulfill all provisions of the contract
• Solicits sub-contractor’s bids and material supplier quotations and determines acceptable bids by comparing to self-perform estimates.
• Collects historical cost data to estimate costs
• Assesses cost effectiveness of products, projects or services, tracking actual costs relative to bids as the project develops maintaining the project cost history
• Collaborates with contractors, engineers, and architects during estimate creation in order to ensure overall accuracy and conformity to fulfill all provisions of contract requirements
• Manages and tracks multiple preconstruction projects at once
• Develops cost estimates for change orders
• Prepares and presents estimates to management
• Recommends and incorporates cost-reduction options for more competitive bids
• Attends project site pre-bid meetings, site tours, and post-bid interviews as required
• Prepares and maintains a directory of suppliers, contractors and subcontractors
• Keeps current on market conditions and construction industry trends
• Manages, supports, and assists with the training of the estimating staff
• Assigns responsibilities for the estimating team on each project
• Reviews project plans and specifications and coordinates with the team to confirm complete scope
• Identifies and evaluates all the technical issues that are related to projects
• Oversees the soliciting of vital information for cost estimates to efficiently deliver optimized services
• Ensures the flow of project information is maintained and documented.
• Ensures that a quality submission is included along with an estimated price when bidding for new work
• Assessing material, labor, and equipment that are required, and also analyzing various quotes from different subcontractors and suppliers at negotiated rates to win competitive contracts while keeping a close eye on profit margins.
• Actively participates in industry, client, and community relations to enhance company image and to develop and maintain effective relationships
• Critically analyzes bid documents and understands opportunities and risk and their order of magnitude and articulates those to management
• Oversees the project cost history and historical data utilized to estimate costs
• Oversees the directory of suppliers, contractors and subcontractors
• Keeps current on market conditions and construction industry trends and disseminates information to team

Physical Requirements:

• Continually required to stand, walk, and sit
• Continually required to utilize hand and finger dexterity
• Continually required to talk or hear
• Continually utilize visual acuity to operate office and field equipment
• Occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions
• Occasionally required to bend, stoop, and kneel
• Occasionally required to lift and carry items less than 40 pounds

• Minimum of 5 years of estimator/industry experience in industrial and/or commercial and/or heavy civil construction projects
• Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or a related discipline
• Experience with ground-up construction
• Expertise in one or more areas of heavy civil
• Proficient in MS Office Suite with advanced knowledge of Excel
• Experience with software such as Bluebeam, P6 and MS Projects
• Ability to read, understand and organize construction plans and specifications
• Capable of taking a project from receipt of documents to rough estimate ready for review (project size $100k to $30 million)
• Capability to complete complex competitive bid projects
• Ability to breakdown construction operations into a logical sequence of activities
• Ability to buyout after winning bid with understanding of scopes of work, cost comparison and procurement means/methods
• Experience with mechanical and electrical systems and the costs of these systems
• Ability to manage projects efficiently
• Sound mathematical knowledge
• Detail oriented, collaborative, sense of urgency, open minded and ‘can do’ attitude
• Interpersonal communication skills, both written and verbal
• Critical thinking, analytical, and organizational skills
• Ability to multitask
• Time management skills
• Valid driver’s license and means of transportation
• Background check

Preferences:

• Certification of Professional Estimators from American Society of Professional Estimators or related certification
• Preferred experience with assisted living and medical facilities
• Advanced project estimator skills that include performing engineering calculations
• Experience with site work, concrete, paving, steel preferred and building construction
• Spanish is a plus, but is not required

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

Notice to Third Party Agencies:

Please note that MFS, which is comprised of MFS Engineers and Surveyor, DPC, MFS Construction, LLC, MFS Consulting, LLC and MFS Consulting Engineers, CORP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or staffing firms. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to the HR Department or any job sourcing ad of MFS, in the form of an e-mail, fax, or mail will be deemed to be the property of MFS. In the event a recruiter or agency submits a candidate without a previously signed agreement and approved engagement request from MFS' HR Department, MFS reserves the unrestricted right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without incurring any liability (financial or otherwise) to the recruiter, agency, and/or staffing firm.