Senior Estimator

Classification:

Exempt

Reports to:

Vice President, Estimating or Executive Director, Estimating, or Director, Estimating or Director, Preconstruction or Chief Estimator  

Job Summary

Duties and Responsibilities

Competencies

COMPETENCY

DEFINITION

EXAMPLES OF BEHAVIOR

FOSTERING TEAMWORK

As a team member, the ability and desire to work cooperatively with others on a team; as a team leader, the ability to demonstrate interest, skill, and success in getting groups to learn to work together.

• Listens and responds constructively to other team members’ ideas.
 • Offers support for others’ ideas and proposals.
 • Is open with other team members about his/her concerns.
 • Expresses disagreement constructively (e.g., by emphasizing points of agreement, suggesting alternatives that may be acceptable to the group).
 • Reinforces team members for their contributions.
 • Gives honest and constructive feedback to other team members.
 • Provides assistance to others when they need it.
 • Works for solutions that all team members can support.
 • Shares his/her expertise with others.
 • Seeks opportunities to work on teams as a means to develop experience and knowledge.
 • Provides assistance, information, or support to others, to build or maintain relationships with them.

DEVELOPING OTHERS

The ability to delegate responsibility and to work with others and coach them to develop their capabilities.

• Provides helpful, behaviorally specific feedback to others.
 • Shares information, advice, and suggestions to help others to be more successful; provides effective coaching.
 • Gives people assignments that will help develop their abilities.
 • Regularly meets with employees to review their development progress.
 • Recognizes and reinforces people’s developmental efforts and improvements.
 • Expresses confidence in others’ ability to be successful.

ATTENTION TO COMMUNICATION

The ability to ensure that information is passed on to others who should be kept informed.

• Ensures that others involved in a project or effort are kept informed about developments and plans.
 • Ensures that important information from his/her management is shared with his/her employees and others as appropriate.
 • Shares ideas and information with others who might find them useful.
 • Uses multiple channels or means to communicate important messages (e.g., memos, newsletters, meetings, electronic mail).
 • Keeps his/her manager informed about progress and problems; avoids surprises.
 • Ensures that regular, consistent communication takes place. 

ORAL COMMUNICATION

The ability to express oneself clearly in conversations and interactions with others.

• Speaks clearly and can be easily understood.
 • Tailors the content of speech to the level and experience of the audience.
 • Uses appropriate grammar and choice of words in oral communication.
 • Organizes ideas clearly in oral communication.
 • Expresses ideas concisely in oral communication.
 • Maintains eye contact when speaking with others.
 • Summarizes or paraphrases his/her understanding of what others have said to verify understanding and prevent miscommunication.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

The ability to express oneself clearly in business writing.

• Expresses ideas clearly and concisely in writing.
 • Tailors written communications to effectively reach an audience.
 • Uses graphics and other aids to clarify complex or technical information.
 • Spells correctly.
 • Writes using concrete, specific language.
 • Uses punctuation correctly.
 • Writes grammatically.
 • Uses an appropriate business writing style.

BUILDING COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS

The ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen partnerships with others inside or outside the organization who can provide information, assistance, and support.

• Asks questions to identify shared interest, experiences, or other common ground.
 • Shows an interest in what others have to say; acknowledges their perspectives and ideas.
 • Recognizes the business concerns and perspectives of others.
 • Expresses gratitude and appreciation to others who have provided information, assistance, or support.
 • Takes time to get to know coworkers, to build rapport and establish a common bond.
 • Tries to build relationships with people whose assistance, cooperation, and support may be needed.
 • Provides assistance, information, and support to others to build a basis for future reciprocity.

STRATEGIC THINKING

The ability to analyze the organization’s competitive position by considering market and industry trends, existing and potential customers (internal and external), and strengths and weaknesses as compared to competitors.

• Understands the organization’s strengths and weaknesses as compared to competitors.
 • Understands industry and market trends affecting the organization’s competitiveness.
 • Has an in-depth understanding of competitive products and services within the marketplace.
 • Develops and proposes a long-term (3-5 year) strategy for the organization based on an analysis of the industry and marketplace and the organization’s current and potential capabilities as compared to competitors.

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

The ability to demonstrate depth of knowledge and skill in a technical area.

• Effectively applies technical knowledge to solve a range of problems.
 • Possesses an in-depth knowledge and skill in a technical area.
 • Develops technical solutions to new or highly complex problems that cannot be solved using existing methods or approaches.
 • Is sought out as an expert to provide advice or solutions in his/her technical area.
 • Keeps informed about cutting-edge technology in his/her technical area.

INITIATIVE

Identifying what needs to be done and doing it before being asked or before the situation requires it.

• Identifying what needs to be done and takes action before being asked or the situation requires it.

• Does more than what is normally required in a situation.

• Seeks out others involved in a situation to learn their perspectives.

• Takes independent action to change the direction of events.

RESULTS ORIENTATION

The ability to focus on the desired result of one’s own or one’s unit’s work, setting 

challenging goals, focusing effort on the goals, and meeting or exceeding them.

• Develops challenging but achievable goals.

• Develops clear goals for meetings and projects.

• Maintains commitment to goals in the face of obstacles and frustrations.

• Finds or creates ways to measure performance against goals.

• Exerts unusual effort over time to achieve a goal.

• Has a strong sense of urgency about solving problems and getting work done.

THOROUGHNESS

Ensuring that one’s own and others’ work and information are complete and accurate; 

carefully preparing for meetings and presentations; following up with others to ensure that agreements and commitments 

have been fulfilled.

• Sets up procedures to ensure high quality of work (e.g., review meetings).

• Monitors the quality of work.

• Verifies information.

• Checks the accuracy of own and others’ work.

• Develops and uses systems to organize and keep track of information or work progress.

• Carefully prepares for meetings and presentations.

• Organizes information or materials for others.

• Carefully reviews and checks the accuracy of information in work reports (e.g., production, sales, financial performance) provided by management, management information systems, or other individuals and groups.

SELF-CONFIDENCE

Faith in one’s own ideas and capability to be successful; willingness to take an independent position in the face of opposition.

• Is confident of own ability to accomplish goals.
 • Presents self well polished and impressively.
 • Is willing to speak up to the right person or group at the right time, when he/she disagrees with a decision or strategy.
 • Approaches challenging tasks with a “can-do” attitude.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

The ability to keep functioning effectively when under pressure and maintain self-control in the face of hostility or provocation.

• Remains calm under stress.
 • Can effectively handle several problems or tasks at once.
 • Controls his/her response when criticized, attacked or provoked.
 • Maintains a sense of humor under difficult circumstances.
 • Manages own behavior to prevent or reduce feelings of stress.

PERSONAL CREDIBILITY

Demonstrated concern that one be perceived as responsible, reliable, and trustworthy.

• Does what he/she commits to doing.
 • Respects the confidentiality of information or concerns shared by others.
 • Is honest and forthright with people.
 • Carries his/her fair share of the workload.
 • Takes responsibility for own mistakes; does not blame others.
 • Conveys a command of the relevant facts and information.

COMPUTER SKILLS

Maintain competency in relevant software applications, while being able to perform ones job successfully and effectively utilizing packages and tools.

• Able to type and perform basic data entry skills with accuracy and at a reasonable pace. 
 • Knowledge and the ability to do basic computer operation with regards to MS Office, spreadsheets, email, Skype, and/or digital communication tools.                                                                                                                                                         • Effectively use specialize computer software and/or hardware programs required to complete his/her job.
 • Ability to troubleshoot basic computer problems. 

PROFESSIONAL IMAGE

Consistently project a professional image with respect to attire, grooming, workspace, speech, grammar, and written communication.

• Uses correct etiquette and manners, i.e., making eye contact when speaking and/or offering firm handshakes.
 • Carrying one's self with confidence.
 • Uses effective communication with customers, peers and managers.
 • Dresses and grooms to ensure that appearance is appropriate and professional.

DEVELOPMENT OF SKILLS

Maintain an eagerness to accept new tasks and stretch assignments outside your job description that will further your professional development

• Takes steps to Identify skill gaps and takes measures to develop and master those skills.
 • Takes initiative to learn new skills by job shadowing, attending workshops, or obtaining certifications.
 • Accepts or volunteers to participate in activities that will develop and improve personal/career development.

WORK ETHIC

Maintain a sense of responsibility to do one's best work. Accountable for one’s own actions. Focused, dedicated and committed to producing good results.

• Commitment and dedication to producing good work results
 • Consistently demonstrate integrity in every aspect of your job, doing what is right publicly and privately 
 • Exercise discipline, honesty, integrity, humility and accountability, within one's self and among others. 

TIME MANAGEMENT

Ability to maintain effective time management skills and workload by organizing priorities, and focusing on productive endeavors.

• Maintains consistent balance in quality of work performed. 
 • Able to set and meet goals /deadlines.
 • Able to maintain organized workspace.
 • Demonstrate ability to stay focus with minimum distraction and procrastination.

DECISION MAKING & JUDGMENT

Makes timely, informed decisions that take into account the facts, goals, constraints, and risks.  Exercises critical thinking, analysis and assessment of implications, identification of patterns, making connections of underlying issues, and the ownership of the outcome.

• Gathers data and others’ input when making decisions. Considers lessons learned from experience, differing needs, and the impact of the decision on others.
 • Displays balanced thinking, combining wisdom, analysis, experience, and perspective when making decisions or producing results.
 • Finds solutions that are acceptable to diverse groups with conflicting interests and needs.
 • Takes charge of a group when it is necessary to facilitate change, overcome an impasse, or face issues so that a decision can be made.
 • Weighs the pros and cons of each option before making a decision and moving forward.
 • Can explain the rationale for a decision.
 • Makes necessary decisions even when information is limited or unclear.
 • Learns from the consequences of decisions.