Senior Cost Estimator

Lead the preparation of accurate, auditable and competitive cost estimates and tender pricing for company's Ghana projects, reporting to the Technical Office Manager. The role integrates scope, quantities, methods, program, resources, market rates, risk and commercial assumptions into decision- ready estimates. Final approval of bid strategy, tender price,

Job descriptions & requirements

Key Responsibilities:

Estimating Leadership and Governance

• Translates tender priorities and the Technical Office Manager's direction into clear estimating work plans responsibilities and review dates.
  
• Maintains estimating procedures, templates, coding structures, checklists and approval gates.
  
• Applies consistent basis-of-estimate, version-control, peer-review and confidentiality standards.
  
• Provides objective cost advice and escalates material gaps or pricing risks without delay.
  

Tender Review and Estimate Planning

• Reviews instructions to tender, drawings, specifications, bills, addenda, contract conditions and submission requirements.
  
• Prepares an estimate execution plan covering work packages, contributors, quotation needs, program interfaces, reviews and deadlines.
  
• Maintains tender queries, assumptions, deliverables and responsibility matrices.
  
• Identifies incomplete scope, long-lead inputs and resource constraints early for management action.
  

Scope Definition and Work Breakdown

• Translates tender documents into a complete work breakdown and cost-code structure.
  
• Maps scope between BOQ items, drawings, specifications, methods, temporary works, interfaces and contractual obligations.
  
• Identifies exclusions, provisional quantities, client-supplied items, nominated parties and gaps.
  
• Ensures the estimate includes enabling works, testing, handover, demobilization and close-out obligations.
  

Quantity Take-Off and BOQ Verification

• Directs and checks measurement from approved drawings, models, schedules and specifications.
  
• Verifies client BOQs, detects arithmetic, unit, duplication and omission risks and records adjustments.
  
• Uses clear measurement rules, references and audit trails that allow independent review.
  
• Performs reasonableness checks using geometry, production logic, benchmarks and comparable projects.
  

Construction Method and Programme Inputs

• Works with Operations, Design and Planning to define practical construction methods, sequencing, temporary works, access and production assumptions.
  
• Aligns labor, plant, material and subcontract resources with the tender program and constraints.
  
• Challenges unrealistic productivity, mobilization, weather, shift, curing, testing or approval assumptions.
  
• Quantifies time-related cost exposure and documents dependencies requiring management attention.
  

Direct Cost Build-Up

• Develops transparent unit-rate build-ups for labor, materials, plant, subcontractors, waste, transport and production output.
  
• Uses current approved wage, material, plant, fuel, productivity and market-rate information.
  
• Checks unit conversions, crew balances, yields, wastage, cycle times and resources utilization.
  
• Separates base cost, escalation, risk and commercial additions to preserve estimate transparency.
  

Preliminaries, Indirect and Site Establishment

• Estimates mobilization, site establishment, supervision, facilities, utilities, security, surveys, laboratory, quality, EHS, insurances and temporary services.
  
• Aligns time-related preliminaries with the tender program and staffing plan.
  
• Includes head-office support, permits, bonds, testing, maintenance, demobilization and close-out where applicable.
  
• Prevents duplication or omission between direct rates, preliminaries and corporate allowances.
  

Supplier and Subcontractor Quotations

• Defines complete quotation packages and required return schedules with Procurement and technical owners.
  
• Procurement controls market enquiries and commercial contact; Estimation evaluates coverage, comparability, exclusions, validity, delivery and pricing impact.
  
• Normalises quotations for freight, duties, tax, currency, payment, warranty and scope differences.
  
• Maintains quotation logs and selects estimate inputs using documented, reviewable judgment.
  

Plant, Equipment and Logistics Costing

• Coordinates with the Plant and Equipment Manager on availability, ownership cost, operating rates, fuel, maintenance, operators, mobilization and residual assumptions.
  
• Compares owned, hired, leased and subcontracted solutions on total cost and operational risk.
  
• Includes transport, permits, escorts, customs, assembly, commissioning, standby and demobilization.
  
• Ensures plant productivity and fleet quantities are consistent with program and site conditions.
  

Risk, Opportunity and Contingency

• Facilitates estimate-risk reviews covering quantities, design maturity, productivity, market, currency, inflation, access, weather, interfaces and contract conditions.
  
• Quantifies credible risk ranges and opportunities using approved methodology and evidence.
  
• Separates identified allowances from management contingency and avoids hidden or duplicated risk.
  
• Presents sensitivities and residual exposures for Technical Office and General Manager decisions.
  

Commercial Pricing and Cash-Flow Interface

• Works with the Contract Manager, Quantity Surveyor and Finance on payment terms, taxes, duties, retention, bonds, financing, escalation, currency and cash-flow implications.
  
• Prepares cost summaries and pricing options without obscuring base cost or risk.
  
• Tests the effect of schedule, productivity, exchange-rate and market scenarios on cost and cash.
  
• Recommends pricing considerations while leaving margin and final commercial decisions to the General Manager.
  

Estimate Review and Bid Approval Support

• Prepares clear review packs showing scope, basis, quantities, rates, quotations, indirect, risk, cash-flow, qualifications and outstanding decisions.
  
• Completes discipline checks, reconciliation and independent review before management gates.
  
• Records review comments, decisions and authorized changes and protects the approved estimate baseline.
  
• Supports the Technical Office Manager in presenting the recommended estimate to the General Manager.
  

Tender Submission and Post-Bid Clarifications

• Reconciles final pricing schedules to the approved estimate and confirms arithmetic, units and completeness.
  
• Provides controlled cost input to qualifications, alternatives, value-engineering proposals and forms.
  
• Supports authorized clarification and negotiation responses without changing price or risk outside approval.
  
• Maintains a final submission reconciliation and complete record of approved post-bid changes.
  

Handover, Benchmarking and Continuous Improvement

• Hands successful tenders to Operations, Contract, Quantity Surveying, Procurement and Finance with the approved basis, assumptions, risks, quotations and cost structure.
  
• Compares estimate assumptions with awarded budgets, procurement outcomes and actual production costs.
  
• Maintains current benchmark rates, productivity norms, historical costs and lessons learned.
  
• Improves estimating tools, data quality and staff capability and reports performance to the Technical Office Manager.
  

Qualification:

Formal Education

• Bachelor's degree or HND in Quantity Surveying, Civil Engineering, Construction Economics, Building Technology or a related discipline.
  
• A recognized professional qualification or progress toward GhIS, RICS or an equivalent estimating, quantity-surveying or engineering credential is advantageous.
  
• Training in estimating software, measurement, planning, risk or contract administration is desirable.
  

Requirements

Work Experience

• Minimum 8 to 12 years of progressive estimating or pre-contract cost experience, including at least three years in a senior estimating role.
  
• Demonstrated responsibility for quantity take-off, unit rates, tender cost plans, subcontract analysis, preliminaries, risk and management reviews.
  
• Strong experience in roads, infrastructure, buildings, earthworks, drainage, pavement, concrete, utilities or comparable construction disciplines is highly desirable.
  
• Experience in Ghana or comparable West African markets is advantageous.
  

Skills:

• Advanced quantity take-off, cost planning, unit-rate build-up and tender reconciliation.
  
• Strong analytical, numerical, commercial, risk and value-engineering capability.
  
• Ability to review drawings, specifications, BOQs, programs and contract conditions.
  
• Clear management reporting and ability to defend assumptions and sensitivities.
  
• Advanced Excel and proficiency in recognized estimating, take-off and planning tools.
  

Knowledge

• Strong knowledge of construction methods, productivity, materials, plant, labor, logistics, temporary works, preliminaries and subcontract pricing.
  
• Knowledge of measurement principles, BOQ structure, FIDIC or comparable contract forms, tendering, bonds, retention, tax, duties, currency and escalation.
  
• Understanding of Ghanaian construction markets, supplier conditions and project-delivery constraints.
  
• Knowledge of estimate risk, cash-flow, cost coding, benchmarking and post-tender handover.
  

Abilites:

• Ability to convert incomplete tender information into a structured estimate with transparent assumptions.
  
• Ability to detect quantity, scope, productivity, interface and commercial inconsistencies.
  
• Ability to manage concurrent deadlines and coordinate multidisciplinary inputs.
  
• Ability to challenge optimistic assumptions and resist pressure to hide cost or risk.
  
• Ability to explain complex cost drivers clearly to senior management.
  

Behavioral Competencies

• High integrity, confidentiality and personal accountability.
  
• Strong attention to detail combined with practical construction judgment.
  
• Calm, organized and decisive under tender deadlines.
  
• Constructive collaboration with Technical, Operations, Procurement, Plant, Finance and EHQS.
  
• Professional courage to identify omissions, unrealistic assumptions and unapproved risk.
  
• Commitment to developing people, reliable data and continuous improvement.
  

Key Performance Indicators

• Tender Delivery: Estimates completed on time against the approved tender schedule
  
• Estimate Completeness: Scope coverage, unpriced items, assumptions and review exceptions
  
• Quantity Accuracy: Take-off and BOQ variance identified during review or execution
  
• Rate Quality: Current resource rates, quotation coverage and benchmark validation
  
• Estimate Accuracy: Variance between approved estimate, awarded budget and validated outcomes
  
• Risk Visibility: Material risks quantified, sensitivities reported and decisions recorded
  
• Review Compliance: Estimate gates, independent checks and approved change traceability
  
• Pricing Reconciliation: Final tender schedules reconciled to the approved estimate
  
• Handover: Complete, timely handover of estimate basis, assumptions and risk
  
• Benchmarking: Post-tender feedback captured and cost database kept current
  
• Value Improvement: Accepted alternatives, value engineering and cost opportunities
  
• People and Service: Estimation Engineer capability and internal stakeholder satisfaction
  

Location: Accra (with visits to tender sites, active projects, plants, quarries, supplier premises and joint-venture or client offices as required)