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Lead Project Cost Estimator

OWAIS CONSTRUCTION GROUP
Los Angeles, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 6/20/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 8/19/2026
Benefits:
  • 401(k) matching
  • Dental insurance
  • Employee discounts
  • Health insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Training & development
  • Vision insurance
Position Description:
  • Leads and supervises a team of Estimators, including designating daily assignments
  • Plans and participates in the preparation of construction cost estimates of buildings or other structures from drawings, outlines, and specifications
  • Prepares and reviews cost estimates and forms and other materials submitted to secure State and/or federal grants and loans from school aid programs and represents the district on matters pertinent to securing such funds
  • Checks construction cost estimates submitted by commissioned architects and engineers for accuracy and completeness and compares them with District estimates
  • Confers with commissioned architects and engineers to resolve differences in their cost estimates and District estimates for each project and negotiates agreements on preliminary estimates of construction costs
  • Conducts studies and prepare reports when contractors' bids vary widely from the agreed construction cost estimate
  • Checks segregations of contract costs as estimated by building contractors and recommends acceptance or rejection as a basis for progress payments
  • Analyzes change orders on construction work under contract and approves or rejects extras or credits submitted
  • Prepares or reviews cost estimates for projects
  • Establishes and maintains procedures for approval of plans and specifications for building projects and submission of approved projects to public bidding
  • Develop methods for maintaining data used in records, charts, and graphs reflecting estimated construction costs compared with actual costs
  • Conducts and participates in seminars and workshops with staff and minority contractors relative to school construction bidding procedures, contracts, and cost estimating
  • Estimates costs of damages to District property caused by fire, natural disaster, and major acts of vandalism
  • Establishes budgets for school building projects
  • Assists other branches with related functions
  • Prepares preliminary and final independent cost estimates of projects for comparison with designer or contractor for PM/CM to establish negotiating position
  • Prepares change order estimates for Owner Authorized Representatives to establish negotiating position
  • Provides support in price negotiations
  • Prepares claim analysis and estimates
  • Review of contractor’s claims and proposals for merit and accountability
  • Performs related duties as assigned 
Minimum Required Qualifications:
Required Experience:
  • Fourteen (14) years full-time paid professional experience in the preparation of complete cost estimates for major/complex type I, II, or III, and V building construction as defined by the State building codes.
  • Three (3) years of full-time paid experience in supervising estimators.
  • Must have worked for a construction cost consulting firm for at least five (5) years
  • Graduated from a recognized college or university with a bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering or construction management 
Alternative Required Experience:
  • Twenty (20) or more years solid full-time paid professional experience in the preparation of complete cost estimates for major/complex type I, II, or III, and V building construction as defined by the State building codes.
  • Five (5) years of full-time paid experience in supervising estimators.
  • Must have worked for a construction cost consulting firm for at least five (5) years
  • Degree not required.
Knowledge/Skills Required: 
  • Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
  • Extensive knowledge and experience in developing conceptual and pre-construction cost estimates for complex school building projects
  • Ability to prepare cost estimates quickly in a fast- paced working environment
  • Knowledge of current local construction labor and material costs
  • Extensive experience in developing and estimating the scope of work for change orders
  • Ability to compare the independent cost estimate with contractor proposal to quickly identify differences
  • Ability to develop scope of work based on RFI/RFC answers and estimates the detailed costs of those scopes of work independent of the contractor proposal
Required Education: 
  • Graduation from a recognized college or university with a bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering or Construction Management
  • Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis, provided that graduation from high school or evidence of equivalent educational proficiency is met.

Salary : $200,000 - $235,000

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