Chief Estimator Civil & Structural

Position overview

Responsibilities

• Lead, allocate, and review civil and structural estimating work across concurrent tenders; set priorities and deadlines.
• Approve quantities, rates, productivity norms, subcontract prices, and bases of estimate before submission.
• Set tender estimating strategy with Construction and Planning, including self-perform versus subcontract, prefabrication, modularization, and construction methodology.
• Oversee estimating for site preparation, earthworks, grading, dewatering, soil improvement, piling, foundations, concrete, structural steel, and buildings.
• Oversee underground works, roads, paving, fencing, pipeline civil works, and marine or jetty structures where in scope.
• Own cost databases, productivity norms, benchmarks, standards, and templates; validate estimates and challenge assumptions.
• Lead risk and opportunity, contingency, escalation, and value-engineering input; present estimates at reviews and support negotiations and client clarifications.
• Develop subcontractor relationships, mentor and train estimators, assess performance, support recruitment, and capture lessons learned.

Criteria and knowledge

• Minimum 10 to 15 years of civil and structural estimating experience with EPC contractors in oil and gas, including at least five years in a lead or chief estimator role.
• Bachelor's degree in Civil or Structural Engineering is mandatory.
• Expert reading of civil, structural, and architectural drawings, specifications, and geotechnical reports at FEED and detailed-design stages.
• Expert knowledge of quantity take-off, BOQ preparation, POMI, CESMM, client-specific measurement methods, and first-principles rate build-up.
• Knowledge of estimate classification, contingency, escalation, and risk assessment; commercial understanding of lump-sum, unit-rate, reimbursable, and LTA or call-off contracts.
• In-depth knowledge of the Middle East construction market, material pricing, and subcontractors.
• Nice-to-have: quantity extraction from 3D models using Navisworks, Tekla, E3D, or S3D and quantitative risk tools such as @Risk.
• Awareness of mechanical, piping, and E&I interfaces with civil scope.