Data Center Construction Electrical Estimator

Market Research & Analysis

• Conduct regionally-specific market research on electrical systems, including labor availability for electrical trades, commodity trends for copper, aluminum, conduit, and switchgear, equipment lead times for long-lead items (generators, switchgear, transformers, UPS, medium-voltage gear, busway), and other factors affecting costs.

• Maintain detailed records of historical project costs, including labor, materials, and equipment.

• Analyze historical data to identify trends, patterns, and opportunities for cost optimization.

Conceptual Budgeting & Cost Estimation

• Develop conceptual budgets for electrical scope elements based on market analysis and project scope.

• Prepare detailed estimates for labor, materials, and equipment, factoring in project complexity and location.

• Generate cost variance reports at major design milestones to track trends, inform stakeholder decisions, and identify value-engineering opportunities.

• Lead and support takeoffs using Bluebeam, On-Screen Takeoff, LiveCount or similar tools.

• Lead in the analysis of subcontractor, vendor, and OEM pricing for electrical distribution, generators, switchgear, UPS, medium-voltage distribution, site dry utilities, low-voltage/security, communications, and fire alarm scopes of work.

Cost Reconciliation and Change Order Support

• Collaborate with general contractors and trade-partners to reconcile project costs and ensure scope alignment.

• Provide support for change order forensics and perform cost reconciliation with trade-partners as needed to verify pricing accuracy.

Constructability Reviews and Value Engineering

• Conduct thorough constructability reviews focused on electrical, medium-voltage, low-voltage, communications, and fire alarm scopes to identify potential challenges and improvements in design, including coordination of electrical systems with the building structure, mechanical systems, and architecture.

• Work with project stakeholders to implement value-engineering solutions that optimize efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

• Evaluate alternative materials, methods, and technologies to enhance constructability and reduce long-term maintenance expenses.

Trade Procurement & Buyout Oversight

• Contribute electrical scope requirements and specifications to WWMC-prepared RFP documentation for general contractor (GC) procurement, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and complete scope coverage.

• Provide review-and-assist oversight of the GC-led buyout of electrical trade partners, reviewing bid packages across electrical distribution, medium-voltage, site dry utilities, low-voltage/security, communications, and fire alarm for completeness and alignment with the project scope.

• Review and assist with bid-leveling, analyzing trade-partner proposals to normalize pricing and identify scope gaps, exclusions, and pricing anomalies.

• Participate in GC and trade-partner selection meetings, offering independent input on firm suitability, qualifications, and cost competitiveness.

• Assist with pre-bid RFIs and site walks by reviewing responses and flagging issues relevant to electrical scopes.

• Provide oversight of the GC-led post-bid interview and negotiation process, validating assumptions and confirming pricing accuracy on the owner's behalf.

• Occasional travel to project sites for kick-offs, pre-bid walks, and constructability reviews.

• 5+ years of estimating experience with a strong emphasis on electrical, medium-voltage, low-voltage, communications, and fire alarm scopes in mission-critical, data center, or other heavy industrial projects.

• Proven ability to estimate projects $50M+ in total electrical contract value.

• Ability to perform quantity takeoffs for electrical distribution and conduit/feeders, equipment (generators and switchgear, UPS, etc), medium-voltage distribution, site dry utilities, structured cabling/low-voltage, communications, and fire alarm systems.

• Proficiency with estimating software (Accubid, or similar) and Microsoft Excel.

• Solid understanding of data center-specific electrical challenges, including critical power topologies, redundancy concepts, and the ability to read and interpret electrical drawings, single-line diagrams, and specifications.

• Familiarity with electrical equipment lead times and procurement strategy for long-lead items such as generators, switchgear, transformers, UPS systems, and medium-voltage gear.

• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment while collaborating with the estimating team.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, or a related field, or equivalent estimating experience in lieu of a degree.