Planning Cost Esitmator (Remote + Travel)

Overview / Summary:

We are seeking an experienced Planning Cost Estimator to serve as a technical subject matter expert supporting facility planning, programming, and capital investment projects throughout the United States. This role will work alongside facility planners, architects, engineers, economists, military planners, and client stakeholders to develop reliable and defensible planning-level cost estimates. The ideal candidate will have experience developing estimates throughout the project lifecycle, from early conceptual planning and programming studies through progressively defined project scopes. This position requires the ability to develop estimates with limited information using benchmarking, parametric tools, professional judgment, and stakeholder input. The role is expected to require approximately 20–40 hours per week, depending on project demands, with 10–40% travel. Candidates may be located anywhere within the continental United States and will work remotely when not traveling.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and document AACE Class 4 and Class 5 cost estimates, as well as other order-of-magnitude estimates based on conceptual scopes and limited project information.
• Develop cost estimates for new construction, modernization, renovation, adaptive reuse, and alternative delivery approaches, including modular, tensile, and pre-engineered structures.
• Prepare comparative estimates for multiple development scenarios and project alternatives.
• Evaluate renovation versus replacement, recapitalization, modernization, and new construction alternatives using planning-level cost methodologies.
• Support mission beddown and mission relocation studies.
• Support planning and programming deliverables, including DD Form 1391 documentation, Planning Charrette Reports (PCRs), economic analyses, MILCON estimates, and other federal project documentation.
• Conduct benchmarking and parametric cost analyses to support facility planning and capital investment recommendations.
• Develop estimates using MII and PACES methodologies and databases consistent with Department of Defense and federal planning/programming requirements.
• Develop planning-level quantities, unit costs, allowances, contingencies, and escalation assumptions when project scope is limited or evolving.
• Document estimating assumptions, methodologies, risks, exclusions, escalation considerations, and confidence levels.
• Participate in client workshops, planning charrettes, stakeholder meetings, facility assessments, and project work sessions as the cost estimating subject matter expert.
• Communicate cost information, assumptions, risks, and estimating methodologies effectively to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Review, revise, and refine estimates as additional project information becomes available.
• Travel to military installations, federal facilities, and client locations nationwide in support of planning workshops, assessments, charrettes, and stakeholder meetings.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, Quantity Surveying, Facilities Planning, Economics, Business, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 8 years of professional experience in cost estimating, facility planning, architecture, engineering, construction management, capital planning, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing conceptual and planning-level facility and infrastructure cost estimates.
• Proven experience preparing AACE Class 4 and Class 5 estimates.
• Demonstrated proficiency with MII (Micro-Computer Aided Cost Estimating System) and PACES (Parametric Cost Engineering System).
• Experience developing planning, programming, DD Form 1391, MILCON, and conceptual capital investment estimates.
• Experience supporting federal, defense, institutional, or large public-sector capital projects.
• Experience supporting renovation, replacement, recapitalization, modernization, and new construction projects and analyses.
• Ability to independently develop defensible conceptual estimates with limited project information.
• Ability to transition between highly conceptual estimates and estimates based on increasingly refined project information.
• Strong analytical, written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to travel approximately 10–40%, including nationwide travel on relatively short notice. Trips will typically range from 2–5 days, with occasional assignments lasting one to two consecutive weeks.
• United States Citizenship required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience supporting Department of Defense (DoD), military installation, or other federal facility planning and programming projects.
• Experience participating in planning charrettes, client workshops, facility assessments, and stakeholder engagement sessions.
• Strong knowledge of federal planning and programming processes and documentation requirements.
• Experience performing benchmarking, parametric estimating, economic analyses, and comparative cost analyses.
• Experience serving as the cost estimating subject matter expert within multidisciplinary planning or engineering teams.
• Experience developing estimates for alternative construction approaches, including modular, tensile, and pre-engineered structures.
• Familiarity with mission beddown, mission relocation, and military facility planning studies.
• Ability to effectively communicate estimating assumptions, risks, methodologies, and recommendations in collaborative client-facing environments.
• Candidates located near Atlanta, GA, Arlington, TX, or St. Louis, MO, are preferred; however, relocation is not required.