Position: Estimator
Salary: Php 60,000 - 80,000 / month
Working Hours & Conditions: New Zealand Business Hours (starting from 10:00 AM NZST)
Holidays: New Zealand Public Holidays observed
About The Company
A growing New Zealand construction enterprise delivering high-quality residential builds, renovations, extensions, and general civil/landscaping work. The project portfolio spans everything from concrete pours and custom outdoor spaces to comprehensive home extensions and full ground-up residential builds. The firm takes pride in a practical approach, trade versatility, and clear commercial delivery. As the project pipeline expands, seeking an experienced Quantity Surveyor / Estimator to take full ownership of pricing, cost planning, and tendering operations.
Position Overview
As the Quantity Surveyor / Estimator, you will serve as the commercial engine of the company. You will independently manage end-to-end pricing across a diverse mix of residential and trade scopes, turning plans and specifications into competitive, accurate, and profitable estimates. This role is ideal for a self-starter who brings an established estimating methodology, sound market intuition, and strong familiarity with New Zealand building standards, material pricing, and subcontractor dynamics. You will manage approximately five tenders per week, ranging from minor trade works to major structural projects.
Key Responsibilities
Estimating & Tenders
- Lead the end-to-end tender process, preparing comprehensive cost estimates and proposals across residential, landscaping, concrete, and renovation projects.
- Perform detailed material, labor, plant, and subcontractor take-offs from architectural plans, engineering drawings, and scope documents.
- Identify project risks, scope gaps, exclusions, and potential value-engineering opportunities prior to submission.
- Build detailed budget breakdowns and margin evaluations for leadership review.
- Manage a steady workload of ~5 live estimating opportunities per week across varying project scales.
Quantity Surveying & Commercial Control
- Develop Bills of Quantities (BOQ) and scope breakdowns for sub-trades.
- Value scope variations and evaluate post-award design changes accurately.
- Build and refine historical pricing databases to benchmark subcontractor costs and labor outputs.
- Conduct post-project cost reviews against initial estimates to drive continuous margin improvement.
Process & Systems Optimization
- Maintain and enhance internal Excel estimating sheets and rate cards.
- Evaluate and recommend modern cloud estimating software to streamline workflow, speed up take-offs, and improve submission accuracy.
- Implement structured tender tracking systems to maintain visibility over live quotes, hit rates, and margins.
Requirements
Qualifications & Requirements
- Experience: Proven track record as an Estimator or Quantity Surveyor within the residential or general building sector.
- Technical Mastery: Deep knowledge of construction methodologies, trade sequencing, and New Zealand material and subcontractor pricing.
- Blueprints: Demonstrated ability to read, interpret, and take off complex architectural and structural drawings.
- Software: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel. Familiarity with standard estimating/take-off software is highly desirable.
- Autonomy: Highly organized and capable of managing multiple tenders simultaneously with minimal supervision.
- Communication: Excellent English communication skills for collaborating directly with leadership and sub-trades.