HNTB
Consulting & Professional ServicesDirect Workday career site

Senior Estimator

Pay
$139,646 – $218,421 per year
Location
Downers Grove, IL
Job type
Full-time
Level
Director
Experience
9+ years
Education
Bachelor's degree
Listed
21 days ago

Skills & highlights for this role

  • cost estimating
  • construction means and methods
  • bottom-up estimating
  • risk registers

Also useful

  • AACE CEP
  • ASPE CPE

What We're Looking For

  • At HNTB, you can create a career that is meaningful to you while building communities that matter to all of us.
  • For more than a century, we have been delivering solutions for some of the largest, most complex infrastructure projects across the country.
  • With our historic growth, it is an exciting time to join our team of employee-owners.
  • This opportunity entails providing technical leadership in researching and implementing estimating tools and best practices.
  • Understanding complex projects requiring additional specialized technical knowledge.
  • Demonstrating expert skills in all areas of cost estimating.

Accurately projecting the cost of upcoming projects and providing information by developing the cost estimate that builds up the estimated cost of a defined scope of work at any stage of project definition. Responsible for conceptual, definitive, man-hour, and equipment factored total installed cost estimates. Duties may also include preparing economic cost studies, cash flows, and contingency analyses.

May mentor, direct, and oversee the work of earlier career staff.

Pay and benefits

Oversees preparation of independent cost estimates for submitted change order proposals. Provides cost support during Value Engineering Studies and design charettes. Creates complex cost models for cost estimating elements. Prepares claims analysis and estimates. Performs parametric order-of-magnitude estimating by establishing a project's probable cost before any graphical representation of a facility has been developed.

Analyzes specifications, sketches, drawings, bills of material or sample layouts and estimates costs for labor, material and equipment using pricing schedules and historical data. Develops duration estimates of specific construction activities based on assumed construction approach and appropriate production rates.

Oversees and provides quality control/assurance for quantity takeoffs and cost estimates on complex projects and checks for mathematical and technical accuracy. Consults with clients, vendors, and other departments to discuss and formulate quantity take-offs and cost estimates and resolve issues. Works closely with the project supervisor to ensure the project estimate meets all financial and regulatory guidelines.

Prepares bid estimates for use in reviewing construction contractor bids. Provides support and may lead price negotiations. Performs related cost estimating and budgeting functions. Sets up cost monitoring and reporting systems and procedures. Creates cost models for cost estimating elements. Prepares cost reports and presents findings to design and client teams. Participates in client presentations as required.

Collaborates with scheduling team to develop production-based bottom-up cost estimates and to ensure alignment of estimates to construction schedules. Develops and maintains Enterprise level estimating policy, processes, procedures, guidelines, and desk manuals for use from project to project. Ensures consistency of estimating methods and data use on programs across all projects.

Provides guidance and oversight of the use of estimating software, including related protocols and standards. Accumulates, evaluates, and documents historical cost data and construction means and methods in order to maintain current estimating standards and databases. Oversees a database or "warehouse" of estimation data recorded and tracked from each job.

Supports the preparation of procurement documents related to estimating specifications. Supports costing of Risk Registers and collaborates with Risk team to ensure all risk register items are aligned to projects' risk profile. Works on multiple estimating projects in a project leader capacity as needed or project advisor within functional teams. Quality controls all estimating deliverables prepared by support staff if required.

Mentors Estimators I, II and III if applicable and may serve as technical lead. Performs other duties as assigned. Locations: Downers Grove, IL............ The approximate pay range for Illinois is $139,645.93 - $218,420.56. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position based on all selected locations within the state at the time of posting.

Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual's qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state........... NOTICE TO THIRD-PARTY AGENCIES: HNTB does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or agencies.

Any staffing/employment agency, person or entity that submits an unsolicited resume to this site does so with the understanding that the applicant's resume will become the property of HNTB. HNTB will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion and without any fee owed to the submitting staffing/employment agency, person or entity.

Staffing/employment agencies who have fee agreements with HNTB must submit applicants to the designated HNTB recruiter to be eligible for placement fees.

Read the original posting

From HNTB's careers page, first listed on Rolev.ai on October 20, 2026. Rolev.ai is not the employer.

How Rolev.ai helps with this application

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Common questions

What is the salary for the Senior Estimator role at HNTB?

The Senior Estimator posting at HNTB states compensation of $139,646 – $218,421 per year. It is listed as a full-time position. Final pay may depend on location, experience, and interview evaluation on HNTB's official career site.

Where is the Senior Estimator job at HNTB located?

This Senior Estimator position at HNTB is located in Downers Grove, IL. Always check HNTB's application page for specific state eligibility or relocation policies.

What qualifications are required for Senior Estimator at HNTB?

For the Senior Estimator role, HNTB highlights 9+ years of relevant experience; a bachelor's degree; experience with cost estimating, construction means and methods, bottom-up estimating, risk registers. Rolev.ai can score your existing resume against these requirements and show any skill gaps before you apply.

How do I apply for the Senior Estimator position at HNTB?

This listing links directly to HNTB's Workday application page. You can apply directly on HNTB's site, or use Rolev.ai to check your resume fit, generate a zero-hallucination tailored resume and cover letter for this posting, and autofill the Workday application form in 1 click with the Rolev.ai Chrome extension. You always review the form and press Submit yourself.