Estimating Manager

Company Overview

Our client is Australia's largest and most established modular building company — a nationally recognised business with genuine scale, a broad multi-sector portfolio, and a reputation built over decades of consistent, high-quality delivery. Operating across both sale (permanent modular builds) and hire (relocatable buildings) divisions, the business serves clients across education, healthcare, defence, resources, government, commercial and industrial sectors from multiple manufacturing and operational hubs along the East Coast.

This is not a boutique or a startup. It is a business with the resources, footprint and market presence of a major national contractor — combined with the focus and agility that comes from deep sector specialisation. Their manufacturing and installation model requires a level of coordination, technical precision and cost discipline that sets modular construction apart from traditional delivery, and their estimating function sits at the heart of that capability.

The business is currently at a strategic inflection point, investing in the transformation of its estimating function from a traditional quoting model into a fully integrated, turnkey capability. This appointment has been created to lead that evolution — and to build the processes, governance and team culture that will define how the business prices and wins work for years to come. It is a genuinely significant hire, backed by senior leadership commitment and real resource.

Working Environment & Projects

As Estimating Manager, you will take on national leadership of a team of up to 10 estimators spread across the East Coast. This is a leadership and governance role as much as a technical one — you will be responsible for resource allocation, team performance, quality of output and delivery timelines across a concurrent pipeline of tenders spanning multiple sectors and project types.

The project environment is broad and technically varied. Modular construction is distinctive in that every estimate must encompass both the factory (manufacturing) component and the site (installation and civil) component of each build. Project values range from sub-million-dollar schemes through to large, multi-million-dollar programmes, and contract types span competitive tender, design and construct, ECI, negotiated and government framework arrangements. The variety of work across education, healthcare, defence, resources and commercial sectors ensures that no two tenders are alike.

The estimating function operates using CostX as its primary platform, and the incoming Estimating Manager will take ownership of the template framework, scope documents, and system architecture that underpin the team's outputs. There is a genuine opportunity to shape how the platform is used across the business — building the kind of estimating infrastructure that improves accuracy, consistency and competitiveness at scale.

The working model is structured to support work-life balance at a senior level. The Adelaide office operates a 9-day fortnight, with every second Friday off — a significant lifestyle benefit that is built into the role from day one. The Brisbane office offers a hybrid model of 3 days in office and 2 days working from home after an initial settling-in period. Candidates open to relocation from Sydney or Melbourne are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a national team of up to 10 estimators — overseeing resource allocation, performance, quality of output and professional development across a geographically dispersed team
• Personally lead complex, high-value tenders at the upper end of the project pipeline, maintaining direct technical involvement alongside team management responsibilities
• Oversee the accuracy and quality of all Bills of Quantities, scopes of works, and cost plan releases across both the Sale and Hire divisions
• Develop, maintain and continuously improve CostX templates, scope documents and estimating system frameworks — building a best-practice infrastructure that raises the standard of the team's outputs
• Drive estimating process improvement across the function, implementing governance frameworks that improve consistency, speed and accuracy on all tender types
• Interpret technical specifications, tender documents and building drawings, translating them into accurate, competitive estimates aligned to the company's agreed format and standards
• Manage stakeholder engagement across the estimating process — working with consulting engineers, building certifiers, suppliers, subcontractors and clients throughout the tender lifecycle
• Ensure full compliance with the National Construction Code, company standards, and relevant architectural and design requirements on all estimates
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the estimating function, working closely with senior technical leadership to align capability with business growth objectives

What You Need

• 10+ years of experience creating and editing Bills of Quantities and cost plans within the building construction industry — contractor or consultancy background considered
• Minimum 5 years of team management experience, with a proven track record leading and developing estimating or pre-construction teams
• Advanced CostX proficiency — 5+ years of hands-on experience in the latest version is essential; candidates without this will not be considered
• Civil and site experience is essential — you must be able to delineate and price both the factory/manufacturing and the site/installation components of modular builds
• Demonstrated ability to manage a concurrent pipeline of complex tenders across multiple sectors simultaneously, maintaining quality and rigour under pressure
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills — confident engaging at senior level with clients, consultants, subcontractors and internal leadership
• Tertiary qualification in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Civil Engineering or a related discipline; professional membership is advantageous