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Estimating Specialist

Mid-Senior Level | Full-time
Business Operations | livermore, CA | 02/29/2024

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Company Description

Join us and make YOUR mark on the World!

Are you interested in joining some of the brightest talent in the world to strengthen the United States’ security? Come join Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) where our employees apply their expertise to create solutions for BIG ideas that make our world a better place.

We are committed to a diverse and equitable workforce with an inclusive culture that values and celebrates the diversity of our people, talents, ideas, experiences, and perspectives. This is important for continued success of the Laboratory’s mission.

Pay Range

  • $107,550 - $133,524 Annual (Q01.3)
  • $129,030 - $160,188 Annual (Q01.4)

Please note that the pay range information is a general guideline only. Many factors are taken into consideration when setting starting pay including education, experience, the external labor market, and internal equity.

Job Description

We have an opening for an Estimating Specialist who will provide support to Laboratory projects and programs in the form of planning, design, estimating, and specifying materials required for job order work by shop crafts or on-site contractors.  The selected candidate will be responsible for defining activities and associated scope, activity durations, logic and interfaces between activities, and resource loading activities. This position is in the Project Management Office (PMO).

The Project Management Office (PMO) provides LLNL with engineering, design, estimating, construction, and project management services. PMO provides infrastructure services to enable cutting-edge research and development in the areas of defense technologies, global security, laser science, bioscience, and more. PMO offers cradle to grave infrastructure services to achieve reliable delivery of completed projects with priority on safety, collaboration, and a workforce working toward our shared vision.

This position will be filled at either the Q01.3 or Q01.4 level depending on qualifications. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if you are selected at the higher level.

You will

  • Oversee the preparation of complex cost estimates; development and application of assembled unit rates to quantities, extensions for total cost estimates, and estimates created for staff resource hours using standard construction reference material, preferably based on Construction Specification Institute (CSI Masterformat).
  • Establish format and content of summaries and reconciliations, including segregation of cost per level of confidence and identification of areas of risk; identify improvements needed to the risk/contingency review process, and develop and implement solutions.
  • Prepare and develop contingency and escalation evaluation for estimates; assist in the development of value engineering suggestions, coherently explain the basis of estimate (BOE) to customers and management.
  • Serve as subject matter expert on cost estimating/reporting activities; mentor, review, and advise others on the production and status of schedule network data and participate in developing and presenting training classes and on-the-job training for cost estimating processes and practices.
  • Interface with designated management and client counterparts for specific planning and scheduling tasks and earned value presentations; interact with a diverse workforce, apply constructability concepts to develop detailed cost estimate take-offs, and provide constant feedback and recommendations to all project stakeholders.
  • Reconcile estimated costs versus bid costs to develop more accurate estimates by understanding and tracking current market influences; ensure current information on rates, prices, and trends are fed back into the estimating system.
  • Perform job site visits during preconstruction to evaluate existing conditions, and during construction to assure job is being performed as estimated, discuss problem areas as they develop, offer solutions, and support change order validation.
  • Ensure business sensitive information such as official government estimates are properly distributed and managed.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Additional job responsibilities at the Q01.4 level

  • Responsible for the effective architecture of an estimating system and the development of scoping requirements for the overall cost estimate by discipline or other specialty.
  • Assist with the management and oversight of planning and implementation of estimating efforts.
  • Regularly interface with senior management in the development of estimating initiatives and maintain liaison with functional management to coordinate workload and estimating staffing plans.
  • Experience mentoring others in cost estimating functions, including planning and scheduling, and supervising and training technical and non-technical personnel.
  • Expert knowledge of and understanding of technical processes, engineering standards, state and federal codes, engineering drawings (including reading prints and drawing sketches), analyzing data, generating records, and writing mathematical and financial reports.
  • Expert level knowledge of and experience using cost, estimating, and scheduling computer applications to estimate jobs related to conceptual designs, preliminary design, and for delivering final cost estimate in advance of contract bidding.

Qualifications

  • Ability to secure and maintain a U.S. DOE Q-level security clearance which requires U.S. Citizenship.
  • Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant functional discipline or equivalent combination of education and related experience.
  • Experience as a multi-discipline Construction Cost Estimator with either a general or specialty subcontractor in the San Francisco Bay Area or other high-cost area.
  • Knowledge of and experience developing cost estimates for man hours using standard construction reference material such as R.S. Means, Richardson, Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) and National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) guidelines.
  • Experience estimating jobs for conceptual designs, preliminary designs, and developing final costs estimates in advance of contract bidding, for both Design build and Design Bid Build project deliveries.
  • Experience using Microsoft Office and computer-based estimating, take off, scheduling, and spreadsheet programs such as Sage Estimating, On-Screen Takeoff, Bluebeam, Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, AutoCAD, Revit, and SharePoint.
  • Knowledge of and understanding of technical processes, engineering standards, state and federal codes, engineering drawings (including reading prints, drawing sketches, reading specifications), analyzing data, generating records, and writing mathematical and financial reports.
  • Excellent oral and written communication.

In Addition, at the Q01.4 Level

  • Expert knowledge and understanding of all the components in the project controls estimating system and current industry and technical developments.
  • Experience as a skilled specialist in establishing criteria for project controls estimating systems and activities.
  • Experience in direction, personnel administration, and training of technical and nontechnical personnel with experience presenting project controls information to clients and management.
  • Experience mentoring others in cost estimating functions, including planning and scheduling, and leading and training technical and non-technical personnel.

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Position Information

This is a Career Indefinite position, open to Lab employees and external candidates.

Why Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory?

Security Clearance

This position requires a Department of Energy (DOE) Q-level clearance.  If you are selected, we will initiate a Federal background investigation to determine if you meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information or matter. Also, all L or Q cleared employees are subject to random drug testing.  Q-level clearance requires U.S. citizenship. 

Pre-Employment Drug Test

External applicant(s) selected for this position must pass a post-offer, pre-employment drug test. This includes testing for use of marijuana as Federal Law applies to us as a Federal Contractor.

How to identify fake job advertisements

Please be aware of recruitment scams where people or entities are misusing the name of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to post fake job advertisements. LLNL never extends an offer without a personal interview and will never charge a fee for joining our company. All current job openings are displayed on the Career Page under “Find Your Job” of our website. If you have encountered a job posting or have been approached with a job offer that you suspect may be fraudulent, we strongly recommend you do not respond.

To learn more about recruitment scams: https://www.llnl.gov/sites/www/files/2023-05/LLNL-Job-Fraud-Statement-Updated-4.26.23.pdf

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer that is committed to providing all with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, protected veteran status, age, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

We invite you to review the Equal Employment Opportunity posters which include EEO is the Law and Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision.

Reasonable Accommodation

Our goal is to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates applying and interviewing at the Laboratory.  If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please use our online form to submit a request. 

California Privacy Notice

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants privacy rights to all California residents. The law also entitles job applicants, employees, and non-employee workers to be notified of what personal information LLNL collects and for what purpose. The Employee Privacy Notice can be accessed here.

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