Job Description

Virta (a bulk material handling system design/supply OEM, subsidiary of Fluor) is seeking an Estimator II to develop accurate, traceable and competitive cost estimates for conveyor systems serving the mining and minerals industry. The role supports budgetary studies, feasibility work and firm proposals for equipment and systems such as overland and in-plant conveyors, rail-running and pipe conveyors, belt feeders, transfer stations, stationary stackers, and port or terminal interfaces. The estimator works across engineering, procurement, project execution, construction, commercial and sales functions to establish scope, quantities, pricing, schedule assumptions, risks and the Basis of Estimate.

Scope

This position independently develops estimates for defined equipment packages and smaller pursuits and supports the Sales Lead and Proposal Lead on larger or higher-risk opportunities. The role is expected to apply sound judgment, challenge incomplete inputs, identify cost and execution risks, and produce estimates that can be reconciled to drawings, material take-offs, vendor quotations, historical data and documented assumptions.

Principal Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Prepare estimate plans, proposal schedules and estimating deliverable lists aligned with pursuit milestones
• Review requests for proposal, specifications, drawings, data sheets, material characteristics, site conditions, battery limits and commercial requirements to define the estimating basis and identify gaps
• Develop conceptual, budgetary and definitive estimates for engineering, equipment supply, fabrication, logistics, construction support, commissioning and other applicable project costs
• Prepare and validate quantity take-offs, bills of quantities and equipment lists for conveyors, feeders, chutes, transfer towers, crushing and screening equipment, storage and reclaim systems, and associated structural, electrical, instrumentation and ancillary scope
• Build equipment and material pricing using current vendor quotations, internal cost data, benchmarks and escalation assumptions; clearly distinguish quoted, budgetary, factored and historical pricing
• Solicit, level and evaluate supplier and subcontractor quotations for technical and commercial completeness, exclusions, delivery, freight, taxes, duties and warranty requirements
• Coordinate estimating inputs from mechanical, structural, civil, electrical, controls, procurement, logistics, construction, project management, contracts and finance
• Prepare labor-hour estimates and staffing assumptions for engineering, project management, procurement, quality, document control and site services
• Utilize and maintain the Work Breakdown Structure, cost coding
• Prepare a clear Basis of Estimate documenting scope, assumptions, pricing sources, estimate maturity, risks, opportunities and items requiring client clarification
• Perform estimate reviews, benchmarking and reconciliation against comparable projects, market data and prior estimates; explain material variances
• Support commercial and risk reviews, bid/no-bid and strategy-to-win activities, proposal clarifications and management approval packages
• Participate in proposal kickoffs, estimate reviews, as-bid/as-sold reviews and formal handover to the project execution team
• Capture estimate outcomes, vendor pricing, lessons learned and actual-cost feedback to improve the estimating database and future estimate accuracy
• Maintain compliance with company estimating procedures, ethical standards, records requirements, health and safety expectations, and applicable policies
• Other related duties may be assigned

Basic Job Requirements

• Accredited four (4) year degree in engineering, construction management, quantity surveying, business or a related discipline, plus at least (6) years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and directly related experience equal to ten (10) years if non-degreed
• Direct practical experience pricing conveyor or bulk material handling equipment and systems is required
• Ability to communicate clearly with management, clients, engineers, suppliers, fabricators, contractors and project teams
• Ability to manage concurrent estimates, prioritize work, meet deadlines and maintain accuracy under changing proposal conditions

Other Job Requirements

• Hands-on estimating or cost-development experience for mining bulk material handling systems, not only general building or civil estimating
• Ability to travel to company offices, client sites, supplier facilities or project locations as required, approximately 10%
• Demonstrated knowledge of conveyor systems used in mining and minerals processing, including the interaction between process requirements, equipment selection, layouts, quantities and cost
• Working knowledge of belt conveyor systems and major components, including drives, pulleys, idlers, belting, take-ups, transfer points, chutes, feeders, structures, guarding, electrical power, controls and instrumentation
• Ability to interpret process flow diagrams, general arrangements, conveyor profiles, equipment lists, specifications, data sheets, material take-offs and vendor quotations
• Understanding of project delivery and pricing models, including engineering-only, design-and-supply, EP, EPC/EPCM support, lump sum, unit-rate and reimbursable work
• Working knowledge of direct and indirect costs, freight and logistics, taxes and duties, escalation, contingency, currency exposure, bonds, insurance and commercial risk allowances
• Advanced Microsoft Excel capability, including structured cost models, lookups, pivots, formulas, data validation and estimate reconciliation

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with overland, in-plant, underground, pipe conveyors; feeders; transfer stations; stackers; or port and terminal systems
• Experience with international estimates involving global sourcing, multi-office engineering, foreign currencies, logistics, import duties and regional labor or fabrication rates
• Experience with enterprise estimating, ERP, CRM or cost systems
• Familiarity with relevant material handling practices and standards such as CEMA, DIN, ISO or applicable project standards
• Field, fabrication, commissioning, procurement or project-execution experience that strengthens constructability and execution judgment
• Experience with conceptual estimating when quantities and design information are incomplete, including development of factored or parametric estimates and explicit uncertainty ranges
• Experience developing estimate databases, commodity unit rates, fabrication rates, vendor benchmarks and estimate-to-actual feedback loops
• AACE, CCP, CEP, PMP or similar professional credentials are beneficial but not required

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