Senior Estimator

Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets.

We are more than 34,000 people, in over 30 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can solve the world’s most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.

Role Overview

We’re looking for a seasoned construction cost professional who can do more than build estimates. As a Senior Estimator, you’ll play a key role in helping clients make informed decisions and effectively manage construction costs throughout the project lifecycle, from design and estimating through procurement, change management, and project closeout.

You’ll lead cost discussions, develop and reconcile estimates, evaluate contractor pricing and change orders, identify cost and constructability risks, and provide clear reporting and forecasting. This is a highly collaborative, client-facing role where you’ll work closely with clients, contractors, designers, and project management teams to deliver successful project outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Cost Management

• Lead recurring cost review meetings, establishing clear objectives and supporting informed decision-making.
• Facilitate value engineering, risk and contingency, and cost reconciliation discussions with clients, contractors, and design teams.
• Develop and present estimating methodologies and assumptions, using data to evaluate scope, quantities, and pricing.
• Reconcile internal and contractor estimates, identifying and resolving variances.

Commercial & Procurement Support

• Evaluate change orders, monitor cost trends, and support negotiations.
• Prepare cost reports, variance analyses, dashboards, forecasts, and recommendations for project stakeholders.
• Support contractor account closeout upon project completion.

Collaboration & Client Support

• Obtain and review detailed contractor and subcontractor pricing to validate costs and promote transparency.
• Review drawings, specifications, and technical documentation to confirm project scope.
• Conduct site visits to support project meetings and field verification.
• Partner with project management, design, contractor, and client teams on budgeting, value engineering, and change management.
• Identify and help mitigate cost and constructability risks throughout the project lifecycle.

Qualifications & Experience

• 8+ years of construction cost management and/or estimating experience, ideally within commercial real estate.
• Bachelor's degree in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Strong experience with quantity takeoffs, cost estimating, cost reconciliation, and pricing validation.
• Experience obtaining, reviewing, and challenging detailed contractor and subcontractor cost breakdowns.
• Strong knowledge of construction methods, materials, equipment, and market pricing.
• Experience with value engineering, change orders, risk and contingency management, and cost forecasting.
• Ability to interpret drawings, specifications, and other technical documentation.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent negotiation, stakeholder management, conflict-resolution, and communication skills.
• Ability to confidently present cost information and recommendations to clients and executive stakeholders.
• Proficiency with industry-standard cost estimating and project management tools.
• Ability to travel as needed.
• Ability to work from our Chicago office 3–4 days per week.

What Will Help You Succeed

You’ll thrive in this role if you’re proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented, and comfortable challenging assumptions. You should be equally confident digging into the details of an estimate and leading a client conversation about costs, risks, and options.

We’re looking for someone who builds strong relationships, promotes transparency, collaborates effectively across teams, and brings the commercial awareness needed to turn strong client relationships into future business opportunities.

Why Arcadis?

We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It’s why we are pioneering a skills-based approach, where you can harness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximize the impact we can make together.

You’ll do meaningful work, and no matter what role, you’ll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark, on your career, your colleagues, your clients, your life and the world around you.

Together, we can create a lasting legacy.

Join Arcadis. Create a Legacy.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We are an equal opportunity employer. We are dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, disability, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Arcadis offers benefits for full time and part time positions. These benefits include medical, dental, and vision, EAP, 401K, STD, LTD, AD&D, life insurance, paid parental leave, reward & recognition program and optional benefits including wellbeing benefits, adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement.  We offer nine paid holidays and 15 days PTO that accrue per year. The salary range for this position is $120,000 - $140,000. Actual salaries will vary and are based on several factors, such as experience, education, budget, internal equity, project and location.

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