Junior Estimator / Preconstruction Coordinator

About the job

Kelso Building Services is looking for a Junior Estimator / Preconstruction Coordinator to support the Allied Mechanical department and its estimating, sales, and operations teams.

This position will help manage the flow of opportunities from the time a potential project is identified through bid submission, follow-up, and award. The primary focus will be keeping the estimating pipeline organized, tracking upcoming projects, collecting vendor and customer pricing, and maintaining accurate opportunity information in Salesforce.

This is intended to be a developing estimator position. The individual will initially focus heavily on coordination and pipeline management while learning Kelso/Allied's HVAC, plumbing, and electrical estimating processes. Over time, the goal is for this person to independently estimate smaller projects.

Core Responsibilities

Bid & Opportunity Pipeline

• Own and maintain the Allied department's estimating pipeline

• Track new bid invitations and upcoming project opportunities

• Maintain bid dates, site walks, RFIs, addenda, customer deadlines, and proposal due dates

• Coordinate with the estimating and operations teams to determine which opportunities Allied will pursue

• Make sure each active opportunity has an assigned estimator, due date, current status, and next action

• Track opportunities from initial lead through bid, follow-up, award, or loss

• Follow up internally on outstanding bids and aging opportunities

Quote & Pricing Coordination

• Request equipment, material, and subcontractor pricing

• Collect and organize vendor and supplier quotes

• Follow up with vendors to make sure pricing is received before estimating deadlines

• Assist with collecting customer information needed to complete estimates

• Review incoming quotes for obvious scope gaps, exclusions, lead times, freight, and alternates

• Maintain organized project and quote folders

• Help obtain budgetary pricing for upcoming customer projects

Salesforce Management

• Enter new Allied opportunities into Salesforce

• Maintain accurate project names, customers, contacts, estimated values, bid dates, stages, and probabilities

• Update opportunities as they move through the estimating pipeline

• Record proposal submissions and follow-up activity

• Maintain accurate won, lost, pending, and rebid statuses

• Identify stale opportunities requiring follow-up or closure

• Help provide management with an accurate forecast of potential upcoming work

Estimating Support

• Download and organize drawings, specifications, addenda, and bid documents

• Assist estimators with quantity takeoffs and material lists

• Help assemble equipment schedules and scopes of work

• Assist with vendor quote comparisons and bid leveling

• Help prepare proposals and supporting bid documentation

• Learn Kelso/Allied estimating standards, labor assumptions, markups, and historical pricing

• Develop an understanding of commercial HVAC, plumbing, electrical, controls, and related mechanical scopes

• Progress toward independently estimating smaller projects

What Success Looks Like

The primary expectation of this position is that nothing in the estimating pipeline falls through the cracks.

Every legitimate opportunity should have:

• An owner
• A bid or follow-up date
• A current stage
• An estimated value
• A clearly defined next action
• Current information in Salesforce

Estimators should not have to spend significant amounts of time chasing routine vendor quotes, organizing bid invitations, updating CRM information, or figuring out which opportunities require follow-up.

Management should be able to look at Salesforce and quickly understand what the Allied department is bidding, what has already been submitted, what is likely to close, and what work is coming down the pipeline.

Key Performance Indicators

• Active opportunities accurately maintained in Salesforce

• Percentage of opportunities with a current next action

• Percentage of bids submitted on time

• Vendor quotes received before bid deadlines

• Total number and value of bids submitted

• Bid hit rate and awarded revenue

• Outstanding bids followed up consistently

• Accuracy of upcoming-work forecasts

• Number and value of projects independently estimated

Ideal Candidate

• Highly organized and detail oriented

• Strong follow-through and personal accountability

• Comfortable managing multiple deadlines

• Good written and verbal communication

• Comfortable communicating with customers, vendors, and suppliers

• Working knowledge of Excel, Outlook, and Microsoft Office

• Ability to learn Salesforce and estimating software

• Construction, HVAC, plumbing, or electrical experience preferred

• Construction management, engineering, estimating, or trade experience is a plus

Career Path

1. Junior Estimator / Preconstruction Coordinator

Own pipeline management, Salesforce, quote requests, bid documents, deadlines, and estimating support.

2. Estimator

Begin independently estimating smaller HVAC, plumbing, and electrical projects while continuing to support larger opportunities.

3. Estimator / Project Development

Own projects from opportunity through proposal, including takeoffs, scopes, pricing, vendor coordination, customer communication, and follow-up.

4. Senior Estimator / Preconstruction

Manage larger opportunities, key customer relationships, estimating strategy, forecasting, and major project pursuits.