The Opportunity
Pinnacle Recruitment Services is partnering with an established, employee-owned construction firm in Bakersfield to identify an experienced Sales/Lead Estimator to lead estimating efforts, develop new business opportunities, and strengthen the company's project backlog.
This is a key leadership role combining estimating, business development, client relationships, and team management. The Sales/Lead Estimator will work closely with executive leadership to identify opportunities, develop competitive bid strategies, lead complex estimates, and help secure profitable work.
The company serves multi-family, institutional, commercial, and industrial markets, including multi-family developments of 60–700 units and commercial and institutional projects up to $50M.
Key Responsibilities
- Proactively identify and pursue new project opportunities to grow and maintain a strong backlog.
- Build relationships with clients, developers, architects, engineers, subcontractors, and industry partners.
- Lead client meetings, negotiations, bid strategy, and bid/no-bid decisions.
- Manage and mentor a small estimating team, assigning workloads and ensuring timely, accurate estimates.
- Lead conceptual, design-build, design-development, and hard-bid estimates.
- Oversee takeoffs, subcontractor solicitation, material pricing, scope review, and final bid preparation.
- Develop value-engineering, constructability, and cost-saving strategies.
- Evaluate project risk, profitability, schedules, contract requirements, and pricing strategy.
- Coordinate with project management, field operations, safety, finance, scheduling, and risk management.
- Maintain estimating databases, historical costs, unit rates, and industry benchmarks.
- Manage subcontractor and vendor relationships, including prequalification and proposal evaluation.
- Ensure complete turnover of awarded projects from estimating to project management.
- Track bid activity, win rates, estimating accuracy, profitability, and backlog contribution.
- Participate in industry events and networking activities to develop relationships and generate opportunities.
What We're Looking For
- 10+ years of construction estimating experience with significant multi-family, institutional, commercial, or comparable projects.
- Experience with multi-family projects of 60–700 units and/or commercial and institutional projects up to $50M.
- Proven experience leading or mentoring an estimating team.
- Strong understanding of construction costs, subcontractor procurement, value engineering, and project risk.
- Experience with conceptual estimating, design-build proposals, and hard bids.
- Strong client-facing, business development, presentation, and negotiation skills.
- Ability to read and interpret plans, specifications, schedules, and contract documents.
- Proficiency with estimating/takeoff software such as Bluebeam, Sage Estimating, PlanSwift, Autodesk Takeoff, ProEst, RSMeans, or similar.
- Strong Microsoft Office skills and willingness to embrace AI-assisted estimating and takeoff tools.
- Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or a related field preferred.
- Strong analytical, financial, organizational, and leadership skills.
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive base compensation, based on experience
- Employee ownership opportunity
- Health, dental, and vision benefits
- 401(k) with company match
- Professional development and advancement opportunities
- Stable, collaborative work environment with a diversified project portfolio
If you're an experienced construction estimator who enjoys winning work, developing client relationships, and leading a high-performing estimating team, we'd like to hear from you.
Apply today for confidential consideration.