Senior Cost Estimator

Job Title: Lead Senior Capital Cost Estimator

Job Location: On-Site | Pittsburgh, PA

Job Type: Contract-to-Permanent -or- Direct Placement

Our client company is currently seeking a Lead Senior Capital Cost Estimator in the Pittsburgh, PA office.

Position Overview:

We are seeking a highly experienced Lead Senior Capital Cost Estimator to oversee and consolidate multi-discipline estimates for large-scale capital projects across the Food & Beverage (F&B), advanced manufacturing, and heavy industrial sectors.

Drawing heavily on your previous background working directly for a construction contractor, you will ensure our estimates reflect real-world execution strategies for both massive greenfield facilities and complex brownfield expansions.

This Lead Senior Capital Cost Estimator will also ensure that the overarching cost impacts of safety protocols (like HACCP) are accurately captured in the project baseline. The ideal candidate will have expert-level proficiency in Aspen Capital Cost Estimator (ACCE) and a deep understanding of AACE International Recommended Practices.

Key Responsibilities:

• Estimate Leadership: Lead the development of AACE Class 5 through Class 1 capital cost estimates, tailoring methodologies for cleanroom environments, automated manufacturing plants, and heavy industrial process facilities.
• HACCP & Regulatory Compliance: Ensure estimates account for the rigorous QA/QC, specialized sub-contractors, validation, and commissioning required to achieve HACCP, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), and CFIA/FDA compliance in F&B environments.
• Greenfield & Brownfield Strategy: Differentiate estimating strategies between new greenfield builds and brownfield revamps, factoring in the costs of maintaining food-safe barriers and active production hygiene during live-plant tie-ins.
• Software Utilization: Act as the subject matter expert for Aspen Capital Cost Estimator (ACCE), developing conceptual estimates and customizing equipment-factored models to suit specialized F&B and manufacturing processes.
• Multi-Trade Integration: Synthesize civil, structural, mechanical, piping, and E&I estimates into a cohesive master project estimate.
• Contractor Perspective: Apply your construction contractor experience to validate labor productivity, indirect costs, clean-build protocols, scaffolding, and construction sequencing.
• Risk & Contingency: Lead cost risk analysis workshops and develop contingency recommendations using quantitative risk analysis (QRA) methods in accordance with AACE standards.

Qualifications:

• 10 years of progressive estimating experience, with a mandatory background working for a construction contractor.
• Extensive portfolio covering greenfield builds and brownfield retrofits in Food & Beverage or similar process industries.
• Deep understanding of how food safety standards (HACCP, GMP) influence construction methodologies, material selection, and overall project costs.
• Expert proficiency in Aspen Capital Cost Estimator (ACCE).
• Active AACE International certification (Certified Estimating Professional - CEP, or Certified Cost Professional - CCP) is highly preferred.
• Experience with consulting cost and schedule risk assessments a plus

EOE