Chief Estimator

Chief Estimator

Salary: $170,000 - $235,000, based on experience

We are working with a well established commercial general contractor in the Northeast to find a Chief Estimator to lead estimating and preconstruction. The firm combines the personal touch of a family run business with the capabilities of a larger organization, and their portfolio spans corporate, hospitality, retail, multifamily, and civic work. They have built a strong reputation on client satisfaction and long-term relationships, and their culture blends serious craftsmanship with a team-first environment that values people who take pride in their work.

This is a senior leadership seat. You will run the estimating department, set the strategy on the company's biggest pursuits, and act as a trusted advisor to project teams and executive leadership on where the risk and the opportunity sit in every job. The estimates you sign off on shape how the company grows, so the role calls for someone who can balance accuracy, competitiveness, and market reality while building a team that does the same.

What You'll Do

• Own estimating and preconstruction for the company, from early conceptual budgets through final pricing.
• Set the pursuit strategy on major and complex projects and personally lead the ones that matter most.
• Sign off on conceptual budgets, GMPs, negotiated proposals, and hard bid numbers before they go out the door.
• Run the department: workload, staffing, resource allocation, and recruiting as the team grows.
• Coach and develop Estimators and Senior Estimators, and build a bench the company can promote from.
• Define the standards, procedures, and tools the department works from, and keep improving them.
• Work alongside Operations leadership on execution strategy, constructability, value engineering, logistics, and risk.
• Back up Business Development in client presentations, interviews, and proposals.
• Keep strong working relationships with owners, architects, engineers, subcontractors, and suppliers.
• Track labor conditions, material pricing, subcontractor capacity, and market trends so pricing reflects what is actually happening out there.
• Make sure every awarded project hands over cleanly from preconstruction to Operations.
• Sit at the table for strategic planning and contribute to the company's growth targets.

What You'll Bring

• 10+ years of commercial construction estimating experience.
• 5+ years leading or managing an estimating group, with a track record of developing talent.
• Deep experience with negotiated work, conceptual estimating, budgeting, and full preconstruction services.
• Experience across delivery methods, including stipulated sum, GMP, and cost plus.
• A history of leading large, complex commercial pursuits and winning them.
• A strong working knowledge of means and methods, scheduling, procurement, and project delivery.
• Sharp communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, and the ability to build relationships that last.
• Comfort with estimating software, project management platforms, and current construction technology.
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field preferred.

What You'll Gain

Salary: $170,000 - $235,000, based on experience

• A leadership role with real influence over how the company pursues, prices, and wins work.
• Direct collaboration with Operations, Business Development, and executive leadership on every major pursuit.
• The chance to shape an established estimating department through hiring, mentoring, and process improvement.
• Unlimited PTO.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• A well established, growing firm with steady project flow and a strong reputation in the region.

At Framework, we keep it simple: we connect great people with great builders. We're not just filling seats - we're helping construction professionals find real opportunities with companies that value what they bring to the table. Our candidates trust us because we're honest, we follow through, and we never push roles that aren't the right fit. We take the time to understand where you're coming from and where you want to go.

The builders we represent are more than just clients to us. Many of them are friends and longtime partners. If we wouldn't feel confident working for them ourselves, we wouldn't introduce them to the people who trust us with their careers.

On the flip side, our clients count on us to bring high-quality people who are the real deal - both in skill and character. They'll tell you we just get it. We're proud to be the kind of recruiters who do what's right, not what's easy, and we make sure it's a win for everyone involved.