Senior Cost Estimator (Transportation)

Overview

Cordoba Corporation is seeking an experienced Senior Cost Estimator to support major transportation and transit programs throughout the Pacific Northwest. Based in Seattle, this position will provide advanced construction cost estimating expertise for complex capital programs involving light rail, rail systems, State of Good Repair, transit facilities, and other major transportation infrastructure.

The Senior Cost Estimator will be responsible for developing, reviewing, validating, and reconciling conceptual, parametric, and detailed construction cost estimates from early planning and preliminary engineering through final design, procurement, construction, and project closeout. This position will develop engineer's estimates and independent cost estimates; establish estimate assumptions and basis; evaluate quantities, labor, equipment, productivity, market conditions, escalation, risk, and contingency; and assess the cost impacts of design development, construction changes, and alternative delivery strategies.

The Senior Cost Estimator will work closely with project managers, designers, engineers, schedulers, construction managers, contractors, consultants, commercial teams, and client stakeholders to provide independent, defensible cost information that supports project budgeting, procurement, change negotiations, risk management, and executive decision-making.

Responsibilities

Construction Cost Estimating

Develop
conceptual, parametric, preliminary, detailed, and engineer's estimates
for major transportation and transit capital projects.

Prepare construction cost estimates throughout design development, including
conceptual, 30%, 60%, 90%, 100%, bid, and construction-phase estimates
.

Develop detailed estimates from design criteria, drawings, specifications, quantity takeoffs, technical reports, site conditions, construction phasing, and other project information.

Prepare estimates across multiple transportation disciplines, including
civil/site work, structures, stations and facilities, track, utilities, traction power, train control/signals, communications, and MEP systems
.

Perform detailed quantity takeoffs and develop unit-price analyses incorporating
labor, equipment, materials, productivity, subcontractor pricing, indirect costs, and applicable markups
.

Develop comprehensive Basis of Estimate (BOE) documentation clearly identifying estimate methodology, scope, assumptions, exclusions, qualifications, pricing sources, escalation, contingency, and risk provisions.

Develop total construction cost estimates incorporating direct and indirect construction costs, allowances, escalation, contingency, provisional sums, risk provisions, and other applicable project costs.

Establish and maintain estimating structures aligned with the project's
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), cost breakdown structure, bid packages, and contract strategy
.

Engineer's Estimates & Independent Cost Estimates

• Prepare and validate engineer's estimates to support construction procurement and bid evaluation.
• Prepare detailed Independent Cost Estimates (ICEs) for construction changes, change orders, contract modifications, amendments, and other commercial actions.
• Evaluate contractor and consultant estimates for completeness, reasonableness, quantities, labor productivity, equipment, materials, subcontractor pricing, overhead, markups, and alignment with project scope.
• Develop independent pricing positions and recommendations to support project management and senior leadership.
• Establish appropriate pricing thresholds and identify significant deviations from anticipated market pricing.

Estimate Review, Validation & Reconciliation

Independently review estimates prepared by designers, consultants, contractors, and third-party estimators.

Evaluate estimates for
scope completeness, quantities, unit rates, constructability assumptions, escalation, contingency, risk, market conditions, and consistency with design maturity
.

Lead and participate in
estimate validation and reconciliation workshops
with project teams, designers, construction managers, consultants, and other stakeholders.

Reconcile differences between independent estimates, consultant estimates, contractor pricing, and project budgets and document the basis for agreed adjustments.

Identify cost gaps, scope omissions, inconsistencies, duplicate costs, unrealistic assumptions, and emerging cost trends.

Develop clear recommendations regarding estimate reliability, cost exposure, and areas requiring further evaluation.

Construction Change & Commercial Estimating

Prepare cost-impact analyses for
potential changes, directed changes, design revisions, field conditions, and contract modifications
.

Evaluate contractor change proposals and independently assess labor, equipment, material, subcontractor, overhead, markup, schedule-related, and other proposed costs.

Support project teams during
change-order and contract-amendment negotiations
through development of independent cost positions and supporting documentation.

Coordinate with design and construction teams and conduct site visits when required to validate actual field conditions, quantities, access constraints, construction methods, and change scope.

Support evaluation of claims and commercial impacts by providing independent cost analysis and documentation.

Construction Market Intelligence & Cost Benchmarking

Research and monitor
Seattle and Pacific Northwest construction market conditions
, including labor availability, prevailing wage rates, material pricing, equipment costs, subcontractor capacity, escalation, supply-chain conditions, and contractor market activity.

Develop and maintain historical and current
construction cost databases
using bid results, completed projects, current market pricing, industry-standard databases, and other reliable sources.

Benchmark project costs against comparable transportation and transit projects.

Develop and maintain unit-cost information for major civil, structural, rail, systems, utilities, facilities, and other transportation work.

Analyze bid results and market trends to continually improve estimating accuracy.

Advise project leadership regarding potential impacts of market conditions, escalation, procurement timing, and construction packaging on project cost.

Risk, Contingency & Escalation

Participate in project risk assessments and identify cost risks and opportunities associated with design development, construction, procurement, market conditions, interfaces, and project delivery.

Develop and support
cost contingency and escalation analyses
appropriate to project maturity and risk.

Perform or support Quantitative Cost Risk Analysis (QCRA) and probabilistic cost modeling using Monte Carlo simulation.

Use
@RISK, Crystal Ball, or comparable risk-analysis tools
where appropriate.

Support development of project contingency recommendations and confidence-level cost forecasts.

Evaluate the potential cost consequences of identified project and program risks.

Coordinate closely with risk managers, schedulers, project managers, and project controls staff to align cost risk with schedule risk and overall program forecasts.

Cost & Schedule Integration

Work closely with project schedulers to align estimates with
construction sequencing, durations, phasing, access requirements, procurement strategies, testing requirements, and project milestones
.

Develop time-phased cost forecasts and cash-flow projections based on project schedules.

Evaluate the cost implications of alternative construction sequencing, phasing, packaging, and delivery strategies.

Integrate estimating information with
scope, schedule, risk, change, and project controls data
to support comprehensive project forecasting.

Support cost and schedule scenario analyses for potential design, construction, procurement, and delivery alternatives.

State of Good Repair & Operating Transit