What are the responsibilities and job description for the Civil Estimator position at Human Capital Solutions, Inc.?
Work Locations acceptable: Wilmington, NC (100% onsite role)
Position Summary:
Our client, a growing heavy civil construction contractor, is seeking a Civil Estimator to lead and execute estimating efforts across complex heavy civil infrastructure projects throughout the Southeast.
This individual will serve as both a hands-on estimator and functional leader, responsible for developing accurate, competitive bids while guiding a small, high-impact estimating team. The role is critical to project success, requiring ownership of estimates from initial review through final submission and alignment with field execution.
The Civil Estimator will partner closely with Preconstruction, Operations, and Executive Leadership to ensure cost accuracy, strategic bid positioning, and consistency across all pursuits.
This role reports into the VP of Preconstruction and will lead a team of 3 (lead estimator, support estimator, and a scheduler).
Absolute Minimum Must-Have’s / Experience / Requirements:
- 7 years of estimating experience within heavy civil construction
- Proven experience estimating large-scale projects ($50M–$100M range)
- Strong experience in: DOT / heavy highway projects AND Mass grading, utilities, roadway, and sitework
- Hands-on proficiency with HeavyBid (HCSS)
- Demonstrated experience in heavy civil scopes (roadway, sitework, utilities, grading, etc.)
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in mid-market or growth-oriented contractors
- Exposure to multi-state or regional project work
- Prior experience leading or mentoring estimating teams
- Familiarity with:
- HeavyJob
- Excel-based estimating workflows
- Proposal development for negotiated work
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead and execute full-cycle estimating for heavy civil projects
- Develop and own accurate, competitive cost estimates
- Analyze plans, specs, and bid documents to determine scope and risk
- Utilize HeavyBid for estimate development and submission
- Partner with operations to ensure alignment between estimate and execution
- Manage and evaluate subcontractor and vendor pricing
- Strengthen and expand subcontractor database and coverage
- Support both: Hard bid work (majority) AND Negotiated / proposal work (~15%)
- Participate in pre-bid meetings and site visits as needed
- Drive consistency, process improvement, and estimating standards
What Success Looks Like
- “Knows the cost” with confidence and consistency
- Produces calm, steady, reliable estimates under pressure
- Maintains ownership of estimates from start → finish → field execution
- Builds trust with operations by delivering realistic, executable numbers