Chief Estimator, AMER Estimating and Cost Control

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the worlds most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. Our Data Center Planning and Delivery (DCPD) organization builds and scales the infrastructure that powers AWS. We are seeking an experienced Manager Construction Estimating (Chief Estimator equivalent) to lead the estimating function within the AMER Estimating and Cost Control (ECC) organization.

This is a high-impact people management role. You will build and lead a team of Regional Estimating Managers aligned to AMER construction regions and Discipline Specific Technical Estimators (Electrical Mechanical and Civil/Structural/Architectural) providing end-to-end construction estimating capability for a portfolio primarily focused on North and South America deliverables but with significant Global cross functional work and opportunity. Your team will produce estimates that inform capital authorization operating plans and award decisions for billions of dollars in annual data center construction.

This role is foundational to ECCs mission: Managing the end to end cost lifecycle from initial estimate through final account. Estimates improve every cycle because the team that produced them sees what actually happened.

Key job responsibilities
- Build lead and develop a team of estimating professionals and vendors across regional product and discipline lines including hiring performance management and career development

- Own delivery and performance of the key ECC estimating scope areas: Basis of Design (BOD) Estimating Design Intercept and Innovation Estimating New Regions Planning Project-Level Estimating (AMER) Operational Plan (OP) Support Capital Appropriations Requests Assembly Initial Budget Creation Support and End-to-End Cost Planning

- Manage third-party estimating vendor contracts and deliverables ensuring quality timeliness and cost-effectiveness at scale supply capacity and performance will never be the bottleneck

- Drive the estimate-to-actual feedback loop with Cost Control systematically benchmarking estimates against portfolio actuals to improve accuracy every cycle

- Lead estimating team inputs into the annual Operating Plan (OP) capital planning cycle alongside Preconstruction Finance and Cost Control delivering estimate-anchored market-relevant forecasting

- Own the Estimating Team inputs into pre-award budget packages: CAR assembly estimate-to-CAR handoff with Preconstruction and Techincal infrastructure Project Manager (TIPM) and initial budget creation inputs for new projects based on AMER and Global benchmarks

- Collaborate globally on Basis of Design estimates PDCM/First of Kind/Intercept/Innovation costing and new regions planning with Design Engineering and global estimating teams

- Develop and maintain cost databases estimating tools templates and methodologies that reflect current market conditions across multiple AMER geographic markets

- Produce conceptual and detailed cost estimates for data center construction from schematic design through construction documents

- Communicate cost insights risks and opportunities to senior leadership translating complex estimating data into actionable capital governance decisions

- Partner with Construction Management Design Engineering Finance DCSP and Preconstruction as the subject matter expert for all estimating matters customer obsessed partner first

A day in the life
You start the day reviewing estimate deliverables from your regional managers and third-party vendors a West Coast campus civil estimate is due for review prior to being used in a CAR request and a Central/SE region estimate needs reconciliation against recent GC RFP Round pricing. Your discipline estimators flag a PDCM intercept from Design Engineering that requires a rapid cost impact assessment for a mechanical innovation. You coach your team through prioritization unblock vendor issues and ensure the estimate quality meets ECC standards.

By midday youre in a cross-functional sync with Preconstruction and Finance discussing OP planning assumptions your teams estimate-anchored forecasts are the starting point for capital planning across the AMER portfolio. After lunch you review benchmarking data from the ECC Analytics team using actual project costs to calibrate your teams next round of estimates. You close the day aligning with your Cost Control peers on a feedback loop for recently completed projects the data that makes next quarters estimates better.

This role operates in a hyper-growth environment where data center demand is accelerating construction markets are dynamic and the ability to produce accurate timely estimates directly impacts AWSs capacity delivery and capital efficiency. You will travel periodically to construction sites and regional offices across AMER.

About the team
AMER Estimating and Cost Control (ECC) is a newly formed organization within Data Center Planning and Delivery (DCPD) that unifies Estimating and Cost Control under a single leader. ECC provides end-to-end cost lifecycle ownership from initial estimate through final account. The team that produces the estimate and the team that proves it right or wrong report to the same leader.

ECC serves as the subject matter expert for estimating cost and commercial management data analytics benchmarking change management risk analysis and controllership. The organization creates a structured feedback loop between estimate and actual costs.

The Estimating pillar you will lead sits alongside Cost Control (regional managers delivering commercial management change management progress payments and final accounts) and Portfolio and Analytics expertise (portfolio cost governance benchmarking AI/analytics and startup support). Together the team delivers cost optimization and governance through volume expertise and innovation across the AMER data center portfolio.

- Bachelors degree in Construction Management Electrical Mechanical Civil Engineering or a similar technical discipline
- Experience in construction of data center delivery (design commissioning and construction) mission critical facilities or equivalent industrial/manufacturing facility builds
- 3 years of people management experience
- Experience working with and managing third party vendors
- 8 years of progressive experience in construction cost estimating cost management or quantity surveying in commercial industrial or infrastructure construction
- Demonstrated experience producing conceptual through detailed construction cost estimates for large-scale complex projects ($500M)
- Proficiency with cost estimating tools and databases (e.g. RSMeans CostX Sage/Timberline proprietary cost databases Bluebeam On-Screen Takeoff or equivalent)
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret construction drawings specifications and contract documents across multiple disciplines (MEP civil structural architectural)
- Experience with multi-geography pricing understanding regional labor markets material escalation and supply chain dynamics across the U.S.
- Exceptional communication skills with the ability to present cost insights to senior leadership (L8) and translate estimating data into capital governance recommendations

- Masters degree in construction management Engineering or MBA
- Experience with Basis of Design estimating design-phase cost input and value engineering
- Track record of building estimating programs from the ground up establishing tools templates processes and cost databases
- Experience with capital planning cycles Budget assembly or capital governance processes
- Experience with reverse engineering awarded contracts to validate subcontractor pricing and identify cost optimization opportunities
- Familiarity with hard bid negotiated and design-build delivery methods

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status disability or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process including support for the interview or onboarding process please visit for more information. If the country/region youre applying in isnt listed please contact your Recruiting Partner.

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience qualifications and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical dental vision prescription Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans EAP Mental Health Support Medical Advice Line Flexible Spending Accounts Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage) 401(k) matching paid time off and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at VA Herndon - 153200.00 - 254500.00 USD annually
USA WA Seattle - 153200.00 - 254500.00 USD annually