Job Overview

Our client is seeking an autonomous Estimator to serve as the critical first line of attack on incoming tender packages. In this high-ownership role, you will dismantle massive, multi-discipline architectural and engineering drawing sets, extracting and quantifying only the relevant trade scopes while filtering out project noise. Rather than running blind document searches, you will read plans with a builder’s eye—spotting untagged items, cut-and-paste details, and subtle drafting lines that signify specialist products. You will turn raw drawings into clean, color-coded markups and precise Excel Bills of Quantities (BOQ), handing over pre-vetted, cross-check-ready packages so onshore leadership can focus on strategic pricing.

Client Overview

Our client is an established, tier-one specialist subcontractor in the commercial construction and fit-out space, with a prominent reputation across major hospital, healthcare, and institutional developments. Managing a steady influx of 15 to 20 tender invitations every week, the business prioritizes live projects, high-value contracts, and long-standing client relationships. Guided by an industry veteran with four decades of commercial trade mastery, they are onboarding a dedicated remote Estimator to establish an offshore pre-tender takeoff desk, expand estimating bandwidth, and ensure high-margin tenders are priced quickly and competitively.

Schedule:

• Monday - Friday, Flexible during Business Hours (Melbourne Time / AEST/AEDT, aligned with Airport West, VIC) (20 work hours per week)

Responsibilities:

• Screen 15 to 20 incoming commercial tender invitations weekly, vetting drawing packs, addenda, and specifications to isolate trade-specific scopes.
• Define and document the precise scope of works covered for each submission, ensuring boundary lines between adjacent trades are clearly defined.
• Identify discrepancies, uncoordinated details, or missing information within the tender documentation early to raise pre-tender RFIs.
• Perform accurate, comprehensive material and component takeoffs, capturing product types, quantities, linear runs, dimensions, proportions, and custom profiles.
• Scrutinize architectural details to detect untagged products, schematic line work, and cut-and-paste section details where items are drawn but unreferenced in schedules.
• Produce color-coded, labeled PDF drawing markups showing exactly where every measured item is located to allow seamless cross-checking by the pricing team.
• Generate structured, standardized Bills of Quantities (BOQ) and scope summary workbooks in Microsoft Excel.
• Build and maintain a centralized tender pipeline tracking database in Excel to track submission dates, client follow-ups, and win/loss statuses.
• Gradually assimilate the company’s preferred product systems, typical allowances, and fabrication nuances to minimize onboarding iterations over time.

Requirements:

• Minimum 2+ years of hands-on experience as a construction estimator or quantity takeoff specialist in commercial building or specialist interior/exterior fit-outs.
• Proven ability to navigate complex architectural, structural, and services drawings, with the technical discipline to catch untagged items, linework indications, and detail section callouts.
• Demonstrated experience producing structured, error-free Bills of Quantities and scope schedules from scratch using Microsoft Excel.
• Exceptional attention to detail, ensuring zero double-counts and zero missed components across heavy multi-sheet revisions.
• Excellent written English communication to document assumptions, scope inclusions/exclusions, and markup legends with total clarity.

Independent Contractor Perks

• Permanent work from home
• Immediate hiring

Note

Please click the "Apply" button to complete your application, including the assessment questions, technical check, and voice recording. Your hourly pay rate will be established based on your performance in the application process; submissions with all requirements fulfilled will receive priority review.

One application, multiple possibilities: When you apply, our team reviews your background against all current openings, not just this one! If a different role fits your skills, we'll get in touch! We also encourage you to keep exploring our job board and apply directly to any position that excites you.