Description:

Under general direction, the Manager of Cost Estimating & Value Engineering manages and coordinates the cost estimating and value engineering program and team on all types of projects including both vertical and horizontal projects from project concept through design and construction implementation for the Engineering, Construction, and Planning Division. They manage, coach, and develop a high performing estimating team made up of internal staff and supplemented by third party consultants as needed. 

The Manager leads, collaborates, and coordinates with Project Managers and other Divisions to support the development of estimates, negotiate contracts and complex change orders, and perform value engineering and/or risk assessments at various project phases to a fair and reasonable outcome. 

The manager is responsible for the continuous improvement, updating, and training of cost engineering techniques, processes, and compliance with internal best practices. They ensure that work is compliant with FTA and TriMet guidelines, policies, methodologies, standards, and requirements. The Manager tracks, incorporates, and trains to current industry, construction, and material trends to ensure reliable and consistent estimates.

Salary: $115,201.00- $172,803.00

Essential Functions:

E&C Division Cost Estimating Management:

Responsible for the overall cost estimate needs of the Division for various project scope and complexity from concept/project development through design and construction implementation including horizontal and vertical projects. Responsible for federal grant funded, state of good repair, and special project estimates, analyses, value engineering, and risk exercises.  Utilize best estimating methodologies and resources to provide technical expertise and manage conceptual/philosophical estimates, full build-ups and hard bids, value engineering, constructability reviews, risk assessment analysis, and change order and/or construction claim analysis and reviews. Support committees in change and configuration management 

Cost Estimating Department Staff Management & Supervision:

Manage, support, coach, and develop cost estimating staff, including recommending hiring, training, coaching, setting objectives, performance evaluations, and disciplinary action. Provide functional and technical oversight and supervision over estimating staff and their work. Manage time effectively; assess, organize and prioritize workload demands and delegate work to staff and external third parties to meet the needs of the Division; assess when outside resources are necessary and how to best hire and manage personnel and issue task orders to support the needs of the Division. Organize the estimating department for continual improvement. 

Developing Project and Individual Estimates:

Collaborate and coordinate with Project Managers and support staff to develop complete and accurate overall project and individual independent fair cost estimates; understand project scope, schedule, and budget; apply appropriate risks and contingencies to project estimates. Review, evaluate and reconcile with contractor project estimates and hard bids during design and construction, assist with contract and change order negotiations; conduct in-depth reviews of engineer's estimates; verify the validity and accuracy of contractor change orders by providing independent cost estimates; assist in the investigation and negotiation of construction claims; monitor and review progress reports and schedules from consultant/contractor staff to ensure scope, schedule, and estimate alignment. Review outside consultant estimates for compliance, accuracy, and completeness. Perform bid reviews and recommendations; Ensure compliance with internal controls federal grant regulations and consistency with standard cost categories. Ensure complete feedback loops between estimating staff, Project Managers, and contractor estimates. 

Collaboration with Other Divisions:

Works with Finance Department in the development of reliable cost escalation indices and ensure they are appropriately applied to cost estimates, reviews and analyses economic and local market trends and assesses risks and cost implications to the capital program. Works with the Safety and Risk Management teams to develop project risk assessment, conducts construction risk analysis, risk mitigation, and cost contingencies analysis using risk analysis and simulation tools. Assist other Divisions to support Agency wide goals.

Manage External Resources:

Evaluate divisional needs and anticipated capital program to ensure staffing meets anticipated needs both through internal and external third party resources utilizing a pool of cost estimating, risk, and value engineering consultant contracts. Modify existing and solicit new contracts as needed to meet anticipated capital program needs and ensure adequate support; draft, negotiate, authorize, and manage task orders. Assess and solicit additional support services to supplement staff during high demand and skill sets as needed. Review and approve estimating consultant support services payment requests. 

Cost Estimating Standards and Trends:

Stay current on estimating methodology and construction industry cost trends; track and follow state/national/world events and trends to understand and influence project cost impacts and validate contractor estimates; develop, standardize, and maintain cost estimating format and process t; maintain, track, update, and develop standards for unit rate prices for use in project estimating and ensuring consistency between projects and the Division on costs including labor, equipment, and materials and estimating processes. Recommend, utilize, and manage appropriate tools and software needs to support estimating efforts and stay current. Introduce appropriate technological innovation and training to the Division. Update the Division's program, design & construction manuals with current best practices and provide training opportunities. 

Culture:

Build and maintain relationships with internal TriMet staff and outside contractor and consultant resources/vendors to maintain TriMet culture.

Position Requirements:

A minimum of a Bachelor's Degree is required.

A Bachelor's Degree in Engineering and/or Construction Management or closely a related field is preferred.

A minimum of ten (10) years total credited experience.* 

Five (5) years of experience being responsible for cost estimating efforts and processes for transit or highway federally funded projects, including associated cost categorizing, value engineering, and risk assessments to establish grant application budget requests up to or exceeding $1B are required.

Four (4) years of experience being responsible charge for heavy civil/horizontal and/or major building/vertical construction multi-disciplinary cost estimates for multi-million dollar projects are required.

Tow (2) years of experience of providing detailed quantity take-offs from plans and drawings and associated unit cost estimates utilizing cost estimating software such as Heavy Bid or Bluebeam are required.

Two (2) years lead or project management or staff management, with experience supervising and/or managing, reviewing, disciplining, training and mentoring direct reports are required.

Three (3) years of experience developing complete built-up and/or conceptual project cost estimates as part of a larger cost estimating effort/team are preferred.

Four (4) years of experience working with contract management and authorizing task orders and payment requests are preferred. 

The following licenses and certifications are preferred upon hire:

CEP (Certified Estimating Professional), CCP (Certified Cost Professional), CPE (Certified Professional Estimator) certification is strongly preferred. 

CCM (Certified Construction Manager) certification is preferred. 

Professional Engineer License is preferred. 

Or any equivalent combination of experience and training.

*The amount of credit a candidate receives for prior years of experience is based on the relevancy of that experience to the required or preferred prerequisites of the job description. Experience is prorated based on hours worked. LRHR assigns and validates the "credited experience".

Selection Criteria:

Type of Position / Grade / FLSA
Grade 19, Exempt, Non-Union, Full-Time


Salary Range
Minimum: $115,201.00
Maximum $172,803.00
 

Selection Process 
Candidates will be selected based at a minimum on the result of:
1. Application Review (please include: Cover Letter and Resume)
2. Panel Interview
3. Reference Check

Supplemental Information
Make sure you describe in detail how your education, training and work experience fit with this role. You are encouraged to attach a resume, cover letter, training certificates and/or letters of recommendation with your application. You are permitted five attachments of less than 5MB each.
 
Internal applicants: Information in your personnel file will not be used in lieu of information requested on your application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

If you are a qualified veteran and would like to apply for veterans' preference points, you will need to reflect your status on the application and attach supporting documentation at the time of application submission.

If you need accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act for any part of the application process, contact our Human Resources staff at 503-962-7505, or the TTY line at 7-1-1. Note that we require a minimum of two workdays' notice prior to the need for accommodation.
 
TriMet is an equal opportunity employer, committed to developing an organization that is reflective of and sensitive to the needs of the diverse community we serve, including veterans, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities.        
         
ADA Statement
As applied to the workplace, applicants and employees must be qualified to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. Essential functions may include required job functions performed infrequently as well as production standards related to the quality and quantity of work.

If a person with a disability could meet job qualifications with a reasonable accommodation, TriMet will work with the employee to accommodate the need. If TriMet's accommodation is effective in allowing the employee to perform the essential functions of the job, it need not be the employee's preferred accommodation.