Chief Estimator

About Us

Forbes Bros. Group of Companies is a leading utility infrastructure contractor helping power communities across Canada and the United States. Built on family roots, we value safety, hard work, and getting the job done right for our clients. We offer competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities to build your skills and grow your career.

Role Details

• Location: Edmonton, Alberta
• Work arrangement: Hybrid, office-based, with collaboration across project sites and regional operations as required.
• Employment type: Full-time, permanent
• Schedule: Monday to Friday, standard business hours, with flexibility required to support project pursuits and bid deadlines.
• Travel: Occasional travel may be required to support project pursuits, site reviews, and collaboration with operational teams.

The Opportunity

The Chief Estimator provides strategic leadership and oversight of the estimating function for utility construction projects across the organization, with a primary focus on transmission infrastructure. This senior-level role is responsible for overseeing complex estimates, establishing estimating standards and governance, evaluating project risks, and developing competitive pricing strategies that support profitable project execution and sustainable business growth.

Working closely with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Business Development, and Executive Leadership, the Chief Estimator ensures estimates reflect construction methodologies, market conditions, project requirements, execution realities, and the organization's commercial objectives and risk tolerance.

This is an opportunity for an experienced utility construction estimating professional with direct transmission estimating experience to provide technical leadership, strengthen estimating practices, influence pursuit decisions, and support the continued growth of the organization's utility construction portfolio.

Key Elements of the Role

• Lead the estimating function for utility construction pursuits, with primary responsibility for transmission projects, while providing oversight across distribution, substations, and related infrastructure.
• Provide strategic oversight and final review of complex estimates, pricing strategies, cost models, execution assumptions, and commercial positioning.
• Lead and support estimate development for various project delivery models, including bid-build, EPC, ECI/progressive design-build, and negotiated pursuits.
• Establish and maintain consistent estimating methodologies, standards, governance processes, templates, and best practices across the organization.
• Ensure estimates accurately reflect transmission construction methods, linear construction challenges, productivity assumptions, site conditions, resource requirements, and execution risks.
• Collaborate with Operations and project leadership to validate constructability, construction means and methods, production rates, labour requirements, equipment needs, and project execution strategies.
• Lead the identification, assessment, quantification, and documentation of project risks and opportunities, including productivity, access, logistics, materials, subcontractors, scheduling, and environmental considerations.
• Provide input into contingency allowances, risk adjustments, and pricing strategies that align with project-specific risks and delivery models.
• Participate in executive bid reviews, pricing validations, and approval processes, providing recommendations on pursuit strategy, competitiveness, commercial positioning, and risk exposure.
• Support Business Development and preconstruction activities by assessing opportunities, client requirements, competitive positioning, and market conditions.
• Support post-bid clarifications and negotiations related to scope, pricing, assumptions, exclusions, and execution strategies.
• Provide technical guidance, mentorship, and development support to Intermediate and Junior Estimators.
• Maintain and improve historical cost data, productivity benchmarks, estimating tools, and lessons learned to strengthen estimating accuracy and efficiency.
• Promote collaboration and knowledge sharing between Estimating, Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and project teams.

What You’ll Bring

• Diploma or degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 8 years of construction estimating experience, with significant experience in utility construction and a strong preference for direct transmission estimating experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of transmission infrastructure, linear construction methods, construction sequencing, productivity considerations, and associated execution risks.
• Experience estimating transmission, distribution, substations, or other utility infrastructure projects.
• Strong understanding of construction methods, unit-based estimating, cost modelling, productivity assumptions, pricing strategies, and risk integration.
• Proven ability to develop, lead, and critically review complex estimates, clearly communicating assumptions, pricing rationale, risks, and execution strategies.
• Experience with estimating software such as HeavyBid, InEight, or similar platforms, along with proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Strong analytical, mathematical, problem-solving, and commercial judgment skills, with the ability to balance competitive pricing against project execution risks.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and support the development of estimating professionals.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and collaboration skills, with the ability to engage effectively with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Business Development, and Executive Leadership.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver accurate, high-quality work in fast-paced, deadline-driven pursuit environments.

Equal Opportunity & Recruitment

Forbes Bros. Group of Companies and its affiliated entities are equal opportunity employers committed to a respectful and accessible recruitment process. We make employment decisions based on job-related qualifications and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, ancestry, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital or family status, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Applicants must currently be legally authorized to work in the country where the position is located and must maintain valid work authorization throughout their employment.

Employment is subject to the requirements of the applicable role, location, project, and employing entity. Depending on the position, this may include verification of work authorization, background screening, review of driving records or driver’s abstracts, drug and alcohol screening, credential verification, client or site-access requirements, and other pre-employment conditions permitted by applicable law.

Accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process in accordance with applicable law. Applicants who require accommodation are encouraged to contact the recruitment team so we can discuss their needs and arrange appropriate support.