Senior Cost Estimator

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Support Capital Planning, funding approval, and investment decision-making processes with expert cost estimates, analysis and advice
• Function as the primary estimating subject-matter expert for the client account, providing oversight and guidance on all estimating deliverables including vendor proposal and bid evaluation
• Lead the estimating function by preparing estimates, managing team workload, delegating assignments, and ensuring all estimates are delivered within service level agreements
• Represent the estimating function and manage stakeholder expectations by interfacing directly with the Client, JLL teams, and external partners during development of ROM and detailed estimates and budgets
• Review, develop, track, and update detailed cost estimates and budgets during project development and design for inclusion in project funding packages
• Serve as the primary reviewer for all cost estimates, validating accuracy and challenging assumptions to ensure robust and defensible outputs
• Lead the development, implementation, and enforcement of program-wide estimating standards, methodologies, and quality control procedures
• Establish and maintain a suite of standardized estimation templates, tools, and best practices
• Research, develop, and manage strategic initiatives to refine the estimating function, including the creation of an estimate request tracker and estimate comparison tools, and developing and maintaining a historical unit cost database for various project types and scopes
• Prioritize requests to meet or exceed the Client’s expectations
• Provide superior client service through objective recommendations

Performance & Process

• Serve as the single point of contact for all estimate requests from the Client and internal JLL teams
• Coordinate the estimating team's daily workload, tracking assignments and progress through a standardized tool to ensure timely delivery
• Provide regular status reports on workload and pipeline to the Cost Estimating Team Lead
• Support the onboarding of new estimating resources by providing guidance on account-specific processes, standards, and tools
• Investigate and incorporate existing and emerging technologies, including JLL's internal AI tools, to automate workflows (e.g., email notifications, preliminary estimate generation) and conduct scope gap analysis
• Periodically compare and verify actual costs against approved budgets and detailed cost estimates then track and report any deviations, variances, or risks
• Leverage historical data to continuously improve program-level benchmarks and cost models
• Provide and maintain accurate and organized records of cost estimates including detailed breakdowns of costs, assumptions, and risk assessments
• Maintain understanding and impacts of market conditions in Client’s territories where projects are being executed and stay updated on industry best practices and market trends
• Build rapport with internal and external stakeholders including Client’s Real Estate team and internal service providers, project management team, design partners, and contractors
• Enhance overall cost controls service delivery by increasing efficiency and improving processes
• Comply with all JLL policies and procedures, including but not limited to ethics and business practice

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years as an Estimator, Cost Manager or similar role
• Ability to work and communicate effectively within cross-functional teams and interact with internal and external clients and stakeholders
• Strong understanding of real estate asset management or commercial construction
• Demonstrated ability to analyze construction documents and extract relevant cost information
• Highly organized with attention to detail and accuracy
• Strong analytical skills and mathematical abilities
• Ability to work collaboratively, independently and through ambiguity to create structure and consensus

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a preference toward Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management or Quantity Surveying
• Knowledge of industry standards and market conditions, costs, and cost databases
• Broad background of project management budgets and schedules
• Intermediate to Expert level in Excel, Project, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Smartsheet and estimating software