Senior Cost Estimator (Design & Construction)

Location: Whitestone, Queens, NY (hybrid) with occasional site visits in NYC and NJ
Job type: Full-time (W-2)
Schedule: Monday–Friday, office/hybrid

Pay

• Senior Cost Estimator (7+ years): $115,000 – $150,000 per year

About Vertex Engineering

Vertex Engineering P.C. is a New York professional engineering firm headquartered in Whitestone, Queens. We provide engineering design support, construction management, resident engineering, construction inspection, quality management, program management, cost estimating and project controls to public agencies across New York and New Jersey, on transit, bridges and highways, public buildings, schools, parks, water and housing. Vertex is led by its founder, a licensed Professional Engineer (PE), PMP and Certified Construction Manager (CCM), and is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) with NYC SBS and the Port Authority of NY & NJ. We are a growing, founder-led firm: you work directly with leadership, your credentials are put to use on proposals and projects, and good work is noticed quickly.

Position Summary

Vertex Engineering is hiring Cost Estimators to support design teams and agency clients from early planning through construction: conceptual and design-phase estimates, value engineering, engineer’s estimates for bid, bid analysis, and change-order pricing.

Key Responsibilities

Design-Phase Estimating

• Prepare conceptual and design-milestone estimates (planning / AACE Class 5 through 100% construction documents) from drawings, specifications and BIM models.
• Work with architects and engineers during design to keep the project within budget: design-to-budget tracking, value engineering and alternative-systems pricing.
• Perform life-cycle cost analyses and constructability reviews; flag scope and cost risks early.
• Prepare the basis of estimate, assumptions and risk/contingency analysis for each milestone.

Bid & Procurement

• Prepare the engineer’s (independent) estimate for bid, priced to current NY/NJ prevailing-wage rates, crew productivity and market conditions.
• Review and compare bids; identify unbalanced bids and scope gaps; support bid-award recommendations.

Construction-Phase Estimating

• Price and analyze contractor change orders, extra-work requests and claims; prepare independent estimates and fair-and-reasonable analyses for negotiation.
• Develop cost-loaded schedules and cash-flow forecasts with the project scheduler; maintain cost databases and historical unit prices.
• Senior level: lead estimate reviews, mentor junior estimators and present estimates to agency clients and design teams.

Experience & Credentials

• 7+ years of estimating, including design-phase estimates for public-works design teams.
• Degree in engineering, architecture, construction management or a related field AND/OR an ASPE (CPE), AACE (CCE/CEP/CCP) or RICS certification.

Required Qualifications

• See Levels for experience and credentials.
• Experience estimating from design documents at multiple milestones (not only bid or change-order pricing).
• Strong quantity takeoff skills (Bluebeam, On-Screen Takeoff, or model-based takeoff in Revit/Navisworks).
• Working knowledge of CSI MasterFormat/UniFormat, AACE estimate classes, RSMeans and NY/NJ prevailing-wage schedules.
• Advanced Excel.

Preferred Qualifications

• ASPE Certified Professional Estimator (CPE) or AACE certification (Vertex reimburses exam fees)
• Estimating for MTA, NYCT, LIRR, PANYNJ, NYC SCA, DDC or NYCHA, including their estimate formats
• Value engineering (SAVE) or life-cycle costing experience
• Primavera P6 cost loading; Sage Estimating, HCSS HeavyBid, WinEst or similar

Why Vertex

• Founder-led firm: you report to and learn from a licensed PE / PMP / CCM, not layers of management.
• Work across the full project life cycle — design, procurement and construction — on public infrastructure that matters.
• Clear, published pay ranges.
• We invest in your credentials: Vertex reimburses exam, certification and professional licensing fees (PE, SE, RA, NJ comity, ASPE/AACE, PSP, LEED and more).
• An MBE-certified firm that is building its team. Early hires shape how we work and grow with us.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays
• Exam, certification and professional licensing fee reimbursement
• Commuter benefits (pre-tax transit)
• Paid sick a…