Estimator

Job DescriptionJob Description

Annual salary range noted above based on experience and qualifications. Employees in this role are also eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, up to 8% of their base salary, dependent on both individual performance and company financial results.

Hey! We’re Skender, nice to meet you.

At our core, we are builders — of communities, relationships, dreams, and careers. If you asked us to describe Skender, we’d say we’re ambitious, humble, and compassionate. We’re focused on building lasting partnerships with the right people. Our success starts and ends with our people. That’s why we seek out dynamic, high-energy teammates who are eager to learn, ready to take ownership of their careers, and excited to have fun along the way.

Who is Skender?

About 70 years ago, Skender got its start in the basement of our founder’s family home. Now, Skender has two locations, our Chicago headquarters and our Indianapolis office, with nearly 400 employees helping us raise the bar year after year.

From humble beginnings to now, Skender has become one of the nation’s top 100 construction firms building dream spaces for many of the world’s leading brands. In more recent history, we’ve won 30 best-place-to-work awards from three different organizations, each based on comprehensive workplace evaluations and employee input.

Our team is driven by three core values:

• Proactive: You take initiative, stay curious, and aren’t afraid to roll up your sleeves to get the job done.
• Refreshing: You celebrate team wins, show appreciation freely, and always give credit where it's earned.
• True Partner: You thrive on collaboration, ask thoughtful questions, and are fully present and engaged with your team.

If our values align with yours, this could be a great match. We love meeting new people, so we can’t wait to hear about you!

Who are you?

We’re looking for an experienced Project Estimator who is ready to take their career to the next level. Do you know about preparing project estimates and bids, establishing pricing sources, and innovating through project estimating tools & technology? Great. Are you someone with a go-getter attitude who can assume responsibility and communicate effectively with your team, partners, and clients? Even better.

What will you do as a Project Estimator?

• Stay current on construction costs, labor productivity, and market conditions through vendor relationships, trade publications, and other resources.
• Build and maintain reliable vendor and subcontractor partnerships, ensuring accurate and timely pricing for equipment, materials, and services.
• Develop and refine cost assemblies and estimates for common project components and self-performed work.
• Maintain the accuracy and integrity of estimating data through consistent updates, safeguards, and use of historical cost information.
• Support the Preconstruction Executive with bid preparation, vendor selection, proposal analysis, and quantity takeoffs.
• Track and evaluate the time and effort required to produce detailed bids, helping improve efficiency in estimating processes.
• Review owner requirements, specifications, and potential liabilities, and flag any items that may impact cost or risk.
• Participate in job startup meetings and ensure approved vendors and subcontractors are properly solicited.
• Continuously look for ways to enhance the effectiveness and accuracy of the estimating function.

What education and experience are required?

• 4 year degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a similar construction-related field.
• Minimum of 6 years’ experience with estimating, cost control, and/or engineering experience in commercial construction markets.

What skills do we look for?

• Analytical Thinking - Uses logic and critical thinking to interpret documents, assess scopes, and evaluate proposals.
• Attention to Detail - Carefully reviews drawings, specs, and estimates to ensure accuracy and completeness.
• Cost Awareness - Stays current on material pricing, labor costs, and market trends to support reliable estimates.
• Technical Proficiency - Skilled with estimating software and tools; experienced in takeoffs, cost assemblies, and bid packages.
• Communication - Clearly communicates with vendors, subcontractors, and internal teams to confirm details and resolve issues.
• Collaboration - Works closely with the Preconstruction Executive and project teams to align on goals and deliverables.
• Problem Solving - Identifies potential risks or challenges and recommends practical solutions.
• Time Management - Balances multiple estimates and deadlines while maintaining quality.
• Continuous Improvement - Seeks ways to enhance tools, processes, and accuracy through feedback and insights.
• Professional Integrity - Maintains fairness, transparency, and ethical standards in all estimating practices.

What's included in our Employee-First Benefits package?

• Skender pays 100% of the premium for health insurance (medical, dental, & vision)
• Annual deposit into health savings account
• Retirement plan with 100% match up to 5% of gross earnings
• Tuition reimbursement for continued learning opportunities
• Employee referral program
• Wellness incentives
• Paid time off
• Parental leave for mothers and fathers
• Free employee assistance program services
• Free short- & long-term insurance
• Community involvement

EEO

At Skender, our values guide our behavior and shape our actions. Our promise is an authentic commitment to equality, opportunity, and a respectful work environment for all. We embrace individuality and listen to diverse voices. We believe that hiring those with different experiences and backgrounds, ultimately enhances our expertise as an organization. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to , , , , , , status, genetics, protected veteran status, , or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This statement applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.