Estimation Manager - Dewatering & Specialist Pumping
Role Overview
Lead estimation and tendering for dewatering, groundwater control, overpumping, and specialist pumping projects.
Manage the estimation team, prepare competitive tenders, assess technical and commercial risks, and ensure pricing reflects market costs, resources, and sustainable profitability.
The posting lists the role location as UAE.
Key Skills for This Role
Full Job Posting
Position overview
Lead estimation and tendering for dewatering, groundwater control, overpumping, and specialist pumping projects.
Manage the estimation team, prepare competitive tenders, assess technical and commercial risks, and ensure pricing reflects market costs, resources, and sustainable profitability.
The posting lists the role location as UAE.
Estimation and tender management
- Lead the estimation team, prioritize enquiries, and ensure accurate, timely submissions.
- Review opportunities for technical suitability, commercial viability, resource availability, and profitability.
- Maintain standardized estimation procedures, pricing templates, and tender records.
- Coordinate with sales, engineering, operations, and management throughout tendering.
Technical review and project costing
- Review drawings, specifications, BOQs, geotechnical reports, and project programmes.
- Assess groundwater conditions, site constraints, discharge requirements, and project risks.
- Develop and cost wellpoint and deep-well dewatering, overpumping, bypass pumping, high-pressure pumping, and flushing solutions.
- Estimate equipment, installation, manpower, materials, fuel, power, operation, maintenance, and demobilisation costs.
- Account for operating assumptions, project durations, contingencies, and target margins.
Procurement and commercial risk
- Evaluate supplier and subcontractor quotations against current market rates.
- Coordinate equipment needs, fleet availability, mobilisation schedules, cross-hire, shortfalls, and capital needs with operations and procurement.
- Maintain cost databases, supplier rates, and productivity benchmarks.
- Review contractual terms, payment conditions, liabilities, and commercial risks; document assumptions, exclusions, client responsibilities, and cost exposures.
- Ensure major tenders receive technical and commercial review and management approval before submission.
Negotiation, handover, and performance
- Prepare technical and commercial proposals and participate in client clarifications and negotiations.
- Support value engineering and competitive pricing while protecting profitability.
- Hand over awarded projects with approved budgets, scope, equipment allowances, and identified risks.
- Compare estimated and actual costs and margins to improve future estimates.
- Monitor tender submissions, award rates, estimated margins, and tender performance.
- Develop the estimation team and improve processes and turnaround times; support ERP implementation for estimating, tender tracking, and project budgeting.
- Ensure tenders meet applicable client, authority, environmental, quality, and HSE requirements.
Qualifications and experience
- Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or a related engineering discipline.
- Minimum 10 years of relevant experience, including estimation team management.
- Strong experience in dewatering, groundwater control, or temporary pumping tenders; UAE/GCC experience is preferred.
- Knowledge of pumping systems, installation methodologies, equipment costing, and construction contracts.
- Commercial awareness, negotiation skills, and ability to assess project risks.
- Proficiency in Excel, estimation software, and ERP systems; working knowledge of AutoCAD.
- Leadership, organisational, and communication skills.
Key performance indicators
Timely submission of accurate and compliant tenders.
Achievement of approved project margin targets and accuracy of estimated versus actual costs.
Tender conversion rates and profitable contract awards.
Effective identification and management of commercial risks.
Quality of project handovers and maintenance of current cost databases.
Estimation team performance and continuous process improvement.
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