BuiltStrong Recruitment Pty Ltd – Richmond VIC

Lead Estimator | Commercial Construction

Eastern Suburbs, Melbourne

Lead tender strategy, build subcontractor relationships and influence early-stage project planning with an established Victorian builder.

BuiltSTRONG Recruitment is partnering with an award-winning commercial construction business to recruit an experienced Lead Estimator.

About my client

My client is a family-owned Victorian builder with more than 20 years of experience across education, health, community infrastructure, aged care, corrections and general commercial construction.

Delivering projects ranging from specialist works through to developments exceeding $60 million, they combine the capability of an established commercial builder with an accessible management team and a close-knit culture.

The business has a stable workforce, including employees who have been with them for 10-15 years. They value teamwork, practical problem-solving and people who contribute without bringing an ego.

The opportunity

This is a senior, hands-on role managing two or three tenders concurrently, working closely with the Estimating & Preconstruction Director and the wider design and delivery teams.

With dedicated quantity-surveying support for measurement, take-offs and BOQ preparation, your focus will be on subcontractor engagement, scope analysis, rate checking and shaping the final commercial submission.

You will also contribute to Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) and cost planning, providing advice while designs are developing.

Key responsibilities

- Lead tender planning,



pricing strategy and submission deadlines.
- Engage subcontractors and suppliers, issue trade packages and secure competitive pricing.
- Assess quotations, exclusions and qualifications, identifying scope gaps and coverage risks.
- Review rates, preliminaries, allowances and project-specific commercial risks.
- Coordinate and review measurement and BOQ work prepared by the supporting QS.
- Provide cost-planning advice, buildability input and value management options on ECI projects.
- Prepare complete tender submissions and support handover to the delivery team.

About you

You will be an experienced commercial construction Estimator with strong technical knowledge, sound commercial judgement and the confidence to lead multiple tenders.

We are looking for:

- Estimating experience with a commercial head contractor.
- Strong subcontractor relationships and confidence engaging the market.
- A thorough understanding of trade scopes, construction methodology and sequencing.
- The ability to challenge pricing, identify risk and make balanced commercial decisions.
- Experience contributing to ECI and cost planning.
- Transparent communication skills and a grounded, collaborative approach.

Why join?

- Take ownership of tenders with direct access to senior leadership.
- Focus on the commercial and strategic aspects of estimating, supported by dedicated QS resources.
- Work across a diverse commercial project portfolio.
- Join a family-owned business with long-serving employees, team social events and community involvement.

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📌 Lead Estimator (Melbourne)
🏢 BuiltStrong Recruitment
📍 Melbourne