Nuclear Project Estimator

KBH | Birmingham, AL | Employment Type: Contract

About Us

KBH Industrial is a trusted resource for utilities and channel partners across the energy and industrial sectors, providing project management, project controls, senior consulting, and specialized technical support. Founded on the principle of people-first, honesty, collaboration and safety, KBH places skilled professionals in critical individual roles, working side by side with client teams to deliver deep expertise and dependable results.

Job Summary

We are seeking a Nuclear Project Estimator to join our team. In this role, you will be responsible for developing detailed cost estimates for capital and modification projects at operating nuclear facilities. Working from scope documents, drawings, and direct conversations with project managers and system engineers, you will determine how the work will be installed in the field, translate that into craft labor hours and quantities across mechanical, electrical, and civil disciplines, and build up the full project cost including procurement, equipment, design, staffing, and project management. Estimates are developed using the team's standardized software, historical project database, and current labor rates, then reviewed internally and with the customer before becoming the project's approved budget.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop cost estimates from scope of work, drawings, and discussions with project managers and system engineers
• Determine the work steps required for field implementation and translate them into craft labor requirements by discipline
• Estimate craft labor across pipefitting, electrical, rigging, and other trades using established labor rates and current cost data
• Build estimates within the team's standardized estimating software and historical project database
• Incorporate procurement, equipment, design, staffing, project management, and other indirect costs into the total project estimate
• Participate in internal estimate reviews and support formal customer reviews
• Update and refine estimates as project scope and engineering develop
• Perform field walk-downs to verify quantities, assess constructability, and identify work sequencing or access constraints
• Compare estimates against comparable historical projects and benchmark data

Qualifications & Skills

• Hands-on field implementation experience at an operating nuclear plant, including modification, outage, or maintenance project work
• Understanding of how work is executed in the field and the ability to work backward from implementation into labor, materials, engineering, and management costs
• Working knowledge of nuclear project management and project controls practices
• Ability to work within established templates, historical estimate databases, and regularly updated labor rates
• Comfort working in detail and collaborating across engineering, project management, and craft organizations
• Willingness to accept internal review and use comparable past projects as reference points

Required Education and Experience

Candidates must meet one of the following qualifications:

• Five or more years of estimating experience supporting capital or modification projects at an operating nuclear facility
• Ten or more years of combined field implementation and project controls experience at an operating nuclear plant, with demonstrated estimating or cost development responsibility
• A craft or field engineering background at an operating nuclear plant progressing into estimating, planning, or project controls, with multi-discipline exposure across mechanical, electrical, and civil scopes

Required Abilities and Skills

Candidates must demonstrate the following:

• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Word
• Proficiency with estimating software and the ability to learn client-specific platforms and databases
• Ability to read and interpret drawings, specifications, and scope documents
• Ability to develop quantity takeoffs and craft labor hour estimates across multiple disciplines
• Clear written and verbal communication, including presenting and defending estimates in review settings
• Ability to obtain and maintain unescorted access at a nuclear facility
• Commitment to a long-term assignment, ideally three to four years or more

Benefits

KBH offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid parental leave, a 401(k) program, and other employee perks to support your health, financial security, and work-life balance.