Why this role exists
This role exists to bring accuracy, predictability, and strategic insight to MEP cost management. It ensures that mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems are quantified, estimated, and coordinated to support confident decision-making. By bridging design intent with project budgets and schedules, this role helps clients, teams, and stakeholders make faster, smarter, and well-informed decisions throughout the project lifecycle.
What will you own
Project Delivery & Estimating
- Lead MEP estimating efforts from conceptual design through subcontracting, ensuring alignment with project goals and client expectations.
- Prepare detailed estimates, variance summaries, and value engineering studies to support informed decision-making.
- Review MEP design documents to produce reliable quantity takeoffs and enable effective post-contract cost management.
- Perform comprehensive cost evaluations and provide innovative solutions to challenges related to cost, lead times, and material specifications.
- Build and optimize financial management processes; develop cost management plans, including control estimates and cash flow projections.
- Manage the bidding process, including solicitation, communication, evaluation, and support bid management and change/variance analysis.
- Integrate schedules, models, and other data sources into the cost management process to enhance accuracy and forecasting.
- Create cost models and benchmarks for new pursuits using historical data or curated datasets.
Client Engagement
- Serve as the primary point of contact for clients on MEP estimating matters.
- Build integration with new and existing clients through proactive engagement.
- Understand client requirements, clarify expectations, and ensure alignment on deliverables.
- Foster long-term client relationships through technical excellence and reliability.
People Leadership
- Lead, manage, and mentor a team of estimators and engineers.
- Conduct performance reviews, support career development, and promote a culture of accountability and collaboration.
- Provide technical coaching on estimating standards, tools, and methodologies.
Internal Collaboration & Innovation
- Collaborate with Team Leads, Cluster Leads, and cross-functional teams (CSA, Operations, Systems, Planning) to deliver integrated estimating solutions.
- Contribute to the development and standardization of MEP workflows, templates, and best practices.
- Partner with automation and innovation teams to build reusable content, libraries, and tools.
- Pilot and implement innovative workflows and digital tools to improve estimating outcomes.
- Support talent acquisition by interviewing and onboarding new MEP estimating professionals.
A day in this role
A typical day involves reviewing MEP design documents, preparing quantity takeoffs, and validating estimates for accuracy and completeness. You collaborate with project teams and clients to resolve design, scope, or cost issues. You mentor and guide estimators, provide feedback on workflow improvements, and integrate schedules and models into cost management processes. Continuous learning, piloting automation tools, and documenting best practices ensure your team delivers high-quality, predictable results.
What you should bring
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering (specialization in Quantity Surveying preferred).
- 5–10 years of experience in MEP estimating with exposure to commercial, healthcare, data center, or life sciences projects.
- Strong proficiency in estimating/quantification tools such as Revit, CostX, OST, Planswift, Assemble, or equivalent.
- Proven ability to design and improve processes in estimating workflows.
- Strong leadership, communication, and client engagement skills.
- Ability to balance technical depth with people leadership and customer relationship management.
What will make your application stand out
- Experience leading MEP estimating teams on complex, multi-discipline projects.
- Demonstrated expertise in value engineering, cost optimization, and constructible estimating.
- Ability to integrate schedules, BIM models, and other project data into estimating processes.
- Track record of process improvement, automation adoption, and implementation of digital tools.
- Strong client relationship management, with the ability to clarify scope, influence decisions, and deliver actionable insights.
- Passion for innovation and building a high-performing team culture.
About Virtual Builder Group
The Virtual Builder Group works as an integrated partner with general contractors and subcontractors across the full construction lifecycle. The team supports bidding, preconstruction, execution, and closeout using well-defined technology workflows.
The group aims to make construction processes more efficient and predictable by consistently using data and digital tools. The focus is on improving coordination, reducing rework, and strengthening decision-making at every stage. Looking ahead, the team is committed to advancing automation and predictive analysis by using historical data. This mindset helps project teams shift from reactive problem-solving to proactive planning, leading to better project outcomes.
About vConstruct
We are a team of enthusiastic construction engineering and technology experts who are passionate about increasing the predictability of building better products by applying smarter processes while striving for faster delivery. We provide services and solutions to the Construction Industry in the area of Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), Project Controls Management, Accounting and Software Development. On any given day, we make an impact on several large-scale construction projects across the globe through our services and solutions.
Since we started in 2013, we are at a continuous lookout for talent driven by the vision to transform the construction industry by the use of technology.
We are a subsidiary of DPR Construction, a USA based technical builder that specializes in highly complex projects in Healthcare, Life Sciences, Advance Technology, Higher Education and Commercial buildings.
