Estimator

Job Title: Estimator / Senior Quantity Surveyor / Senior Cost Manager Job Description
A leading project and cost management consultancy is seeking an experienced Cost Engineer, Quantity Surveyor, or Cost Manager to support large-scale capital projects for a major client in the life sciences sector. In this role, you lead end-to-end cost management activities across the project lifecycle, providing commercial and pricing expertise while partnering closely with clients, contractors, and project stakeholders. You play a key role in delivering accurate cost estimates, robust budgets, and clear financial reporting for complex construction projects in regulated and technical environments.
Responsibilities
- Review project documents, drawings, and specifications to develop detailed and accurate cost estimates.
- Lead cost management and commercial oversight for assigned projects throughout design and construction phases.
- Prepare and maintain project cost plans, budgets, and forecasts, ensuring alignment with project objectives and constraints.
- Evaluate change orders, assess cost impacts, and review subcontractor and vendor pricing for accuracy and competitiveness.
- Manage contract administration activities, including reviewing contract terms, tracking obligations, and supporting contract negotiations.
- Monitor and manage project financial performance, identifying variances and recommending corrective actions as needed.
- Provide commercial and pricing expertise to project teams, advising on cost control, risk management, and value optimization.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with clients, subcontractors, vendors, and project stakeholders.
- Support business development efforts by contributing to proposals, presentations, and maintaining existing client relationships.
- Mentor and guide junior cost management professionals, sharing best practices and supporting their professional development.
- Deliver regular project cost and commercial reports to leadership and stakeholders, clearly communicating status, risks, and opportunities.
- Collaborate with project teams to support construction delivery methods, procurement strategies, and commercial management processes.
- Contribute to continuous improvement of estimating, cost control, and reporting tools and methodologies within the consultancy.
Essential Skills
- Minimum of 5+ years of experience in estimating, quantity surveying, cost management, or construction cost consulting.
- Proven experience supporting complex construction projects within regulated or technical environments, such as life sciences, healthcare, or oil and gas.
- Strong understanding of cost estimating and forecasting, including the ability to develop detailed estimates and long-range cost projections.
- Solid knowledge of contract administration, including reviewing contracts and managing contractual obligations.
- Demonstrated experience in change management, including evaluating change orders and assessing cost impacts.
- Familiarity with construction delivery methods and how they affect cost, risk, and schedule.
- Strong commercial management skills, including cost control and budget management for large capital projects.
- Ability to communicate effectively with owners, contractors, and multidisciplinary project teams, both verbally and in writing.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data and provide clear, actionable insights.
- Excellent organizational and multitasking abilities, with a track record of managing multiple projects or workstreams simultaneously.
- Experience reviewing contracts and managing project financial performance, including tracking budgets, forecasts, and actuals.
- Proficiency in Excel with advanced skill level for cost modeling, data analysis, and reporting.
- Practical experience with estimation and construction-related cost control processes.
- Ability to work in a client-facing consulting or owner's representative environment and build long-term professional relationships.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Experience supporting mission-critical or data center construction projects.
- Professional certifications such as MRICS, AssocRICS, CCP, CEP, CPE, or similar are highly desirable.
- Knowledge of construction contracts, procurement processes, and various project delivery methods.
- Experience with value engineering, lifecycle costing, and project cost modeling.
- Background in healthcare construction or oil and gas construction projects.
- Experience in quantity surveying and cost control for large capital programs.
- Intermediate knowledge of Windows, Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Outlook.
- Knowledge of On Screen Takeoff or similar estimating software is a plus.
- Familiarity with owners representative consulting environments and client-facing project roles.
- Interest in ongoing professional development and continuing education opportunities.
Work Environment
This is a salaried, full-time position designed to promote work-life balance, typically based on a 40-hour workweek. You work on site at the end clients facilities, supporting large-scale capital projects in the life sciences sector and potentially other regulated environments such as healthcare or oil and gas. The role is embedded within an owners representative consulting firm culture, where collaboration, transparency, and client service are central. The organization offers a comprehensive benefits package that may include paid time off (such as approximately 80 hours of PTO and 8 holidays accrued over the contract duration), 401(k) retirement plan options, and access to medical, dental, and vision coverage. You also have access to ongoing education through platforms such as Udemy after a defined period of employment, as well as discount and recognition programs and a structured 360-degree review process to support your professional growth. Work is primarily office-based at the client site, using standard business software such as Windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Outlook, along with specialized estimating tools where applicable. The environment emphasizes professionalism, clear communication, and close collaboration with project teams, contractors, and stakeholders.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Hillsboro, OR.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $60.10 - $72.16/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job
classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be
subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits
available for this temporary role may include the following:

Medical, dental & vision
Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
Short and long-term disability
Health Spending Account (HSA)
Transportation benefits
Employee Assistance Program
Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Hillsboro,OR.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 15, 2026. About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without
regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,
sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected
by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or
adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,
please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the
city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants
with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a
condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law
shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,
including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications
and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you
acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.