Commercial Development – Proposals and Estimating

About the role

The Director, Commercial Development – Proposals & Estimating leads United Utility Power Services’ Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) proposal, estimating, and pre-award commercial activities. This role is responsible for driving disciplined EPC bid strategy, producing accurate and competitive estimates, strengthening proposal quality, and partnering with key stakeholders (operations, engineering, finance, etc.) to manage the entire proposal life cycle.

The ideal candidate combines strong commercial judgment, leadership capability, and deep experience in EPC pricing, risk evaluation, and contract execution.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Direct supervision of Proposal Coordinators, Estimators, Proposal Technical Leadership, and related team members

• Ownership of entire EPC proposal lifecycle from a go/no go decision through contract execution

• Lead or support in prime contract terms and conditions negotiation

• Ensure proposal and estimating activities remain on schedule through effective coordination of internal and external teams

• Communicate, own and enforce standards, expectations, process flow, and best practices

• Support Procurement in developing and maintaining relationships with subcontractors and partners to support competitive bidding

• Prioritize proposals and estimates and allocate resources to meet company goals

• Review technical and commercial aspects of proposals, including:

  • Scope
  • Pricing and costs
  • Schedule
  • Designs
  • Clarifications and deviations

• Verify accuracy and completeness of proposal master pricing spreadsheets, including alternates and options

• Facilitate definition of proposal strategic messaging, scope, goals, and deliverables

• Lead and participate in proposal meetings, pre-bid meetings, and conference calls

• Regularly interface with strategy/business development, execution teams, customers, and internal departments

• Responsible for constantly meeting or exceeding established department win percentage goals

• Direct cross-functional proposal teams to gather technical, operational, financial, and contractual inputs required for compliant and compelling submissions

• Establish approval gates and conduct executive reviews for pricing, margin, contingencies, risks, qualifications, and key proposal commitments

• Monitor proposal hit rates, estimate accuracy, gross margin performance, and other performance indicators to drive continuous improvement

• Support contract transition from pre-award to execution by ensuring estimate assumptions, exclusions, risks, and commitments are clearly documented and handed over.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree in construction management, Engineering, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• 8+ years of proposal, project management, and/or estimating management experience.
• Strong knowledge of major projects, including: High-voltage substations, Switchyards, Transmission lines, Distribution lines, Engineering, procurement, and construction processes (individually or combined).
• Proficiency in formal Estimating Programs, Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, and Adobe Acrobat.
• Familiarity with scheduling tools such as Microsoft Project or Primavera P6 preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership capability and commitment to professional development.