Sr. Estimator

Sr. Estimator | CB&I | Plainfield, Illinois

A project gets won or lost in the estimate, long before the first weld. This role hands a senior estimator the keys and trusts them to build the number that decides the bid.

Minimal supervision. Direct line to the Estimating Manager. If you've been doing the work while someone else owned the call, this is the seat where you own it.

The role at a glance

Full-time, permanent, based in CB&I's regional office in Plainfield, with occasional temporary assignment to project sites. Organizational level N4+. You'd develop fully priced commercial estimates from the ground up, pulling engineering, production, procurement, subcontracts, and operations into one defensible number.

What you'd own

• Fully priced estimates for commercial proposals, built shoulder to shoulder with engineering, procurement, subcontracts, and operations
• Selected access to historical project and financial data, current pricing, and rates to anchor your numbers
• Work measured through existing Gate Reviews and annual performance, so the estimating is visible and accountable
• Training and developing direct reports, with a maintained succession plan for the role

Read that last bullet twice. This isn't a heads-down number-cruncher seat. They want someone who builds the next estimator while building the estimate, and they've named succession planning as part of the job.

What it takes

A BS in Industrial or Mechanical Engineering, listed as required. Roughly 15 years of relevant experience, with 5 to 10 or more years in an estimating role specifically. Add proven negotiating skill, strong analytics, and the credibility to influence the business up to senior management.

The real buy here? Judgment under complexity. The posting says the problems are difficult and sometimes complex and you'll work independently. They're paying for an estimator who doesn't need hand-holding on a hard number.

Straight talk before you apply

• No salary range in the posting, and that one's worth a flag. Illinois law, in effect since January 2025, requires employers with 15 or more staff to list a pay range and benefits on covered postings, and a Plainfield-based role at a company this size is covered. If the live listing doesn't show a range, you're entitled to it. Ask early, and ask for the benefits description too.
• The degree is a hard gate. BS in IE or ME shows up as required, not preferred. Plenty of first-rate estimators came up through the field without that exact degree. If that's you, know the wall is there before you sink an hour into the application, and weigh whether a direct conversation with the hiring manager is the better play.
• The experience requirements read layered and a little jumbled, the usual HR stacking. Cut through it. The real signal is a seasoned estimator with deep relevant background and meaningful time in an estimating seat.
• Good news on access. This one you can apply to direct on CB&I's careers site. Link below, requisition 3626.

Why we flagged it

Cost estimating talent is some of the most sought-after in heavy industry right now, and capital project work is driving the demand. A senior seat with real autonomy, access to historical cost data, and a succession path attached is a genuine step up, not a lateral. We read the posting, confirmed it's live and current, and it cleared the bar.

Apply direct: https://careers.cbi.com/careers-about/jobs/3626?lang=en-us

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