Project Estimator | Land Production

About the role

The Project Estimator is responsible for developing accurate and comprehensive pricing and scopes of work for live entertainment and Destination Design proposals across the Land Production portfolio. This includes reviewing incoming client briefs, translating preliminary concepts into clear scopes of work, and building detailed budget estimates that reflect operational, technical, design and creative requirements.

Responsibilities

• Relationship Management: Provides world-class customer service, prioritizing client satisfaction at all times.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Provides responsive internal and external support, ensuring business development teams, producers, and clients receive clear, accurate, and timely pricing information.
• Scope Development: Review preliminary briefs and translate concepts into structured scopes of work, defining deliverables, assumptions, exclusions, and operational requirements necessary for pricing.
• Proposal Planning & Alignment: Establish pricing frameworks, timelines, and estimating workflows to support proposal deadlines and submission schedules.
• Cost Modeling & Resource Analysis: Determine required labor (designers, talent, production management etc.), equipment, materials, vendor services, and logistics inputs to build complete and realistic cost structures for each proposal.
• Budget Development: Build and maintain detailed project estimates, tracking cost drivers, applying rate standards, contingencies, escalation factors, and ensuring financial accuracy.
• Vendor & Market Pricing Coordination: Gather and validate vendor, contractor, and supplier pricing, supporting bid comparisons and ensuring estimates reflect current market conditions.
• Labor & Staffing Forecasting: Develop staffing assumptions and labor models aligned with operational, creative and technical requirements, and scheduling parameters.
• Technical Input Integration: Collaborate with production and creative teams to quantify system needs including staging, scenic, lighting, audio, video, SFX, and specialty installations.
• Quality Assurance: Review estimates for completeness and consistency, validating calculations and ensuring proposals align with RWS Global standards and client expectations.
• Risk & Contingency Evaluation: Identify scope gaps, cost uncertainties, and operational risks, applying appropriate contingencies and communicating assumptions.
• Documentation & Version Control: Maintain organized estimating records, proposal revisions, rate cards, and supporting backup documentation for transparency and future reference.
• Schedule Flexibility: Supports proposal cycles across global time zones, including extended hours during active bid periods and coordination with international project teams as needed.

Qualifications & Skills

• Degree in Business, Finance, Production, Technical Theatre, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field; equivalent professional experience considered.
• 4+ years of experience in estimating, budgeting, or financial planning within live entertainment, themed experiences, construction, or event production industries.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain scope assumptions and cost drivers to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of live entertainment and destination experience production processes, design/build methodologies, labor/talent structures, technical systems, logistics, and vendor workflows.
• Proficiency in spreadsheet modeling and budgeting tools, including advanced Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets platforms; familiarity with project management platforms such as Wrike, Asana, Smartsheet, or equivalent preferred.
• Demonstrated analytical skills with attention to detail and the ability to interpret creative and business briefs into quantifiable scopes and cost models.
• Familiarity with contractual structures, bid comparisons, and pricing methodologies including contingencies, escalation, and margin application.
• Ability to manage multiple proposals simultaneously under tight deadlines while maintaining accuracy and organization.
• Flexibility to support proposal cycles across varying time zones, including occasional extended hours during critical bid periods.

Character Attributes

• Leadership: Enables project team members to achieve collective results through planning, collaboration, and confident decision making.
• Strong Communicator: Able to provide clear direction to team members, crew, talent, vendors, and stakeholders, ensuring clear understanding and alignment across all project activities.
• Highly Organized: Exceptional at planning and managing complex schedules and resources.
• Detail-Oriented: Attentive to all parts of the project process.
• Team-Oriented: Works collaboratively with diverse teams, fostering a positive working environment that encourages cooperation and communication.
• Proactive Problem Solver: Anticipate potential challenges and develop thoughtful contingency plans to quickly address project challenges to client satisfaction.
• Decisive: Confident in making quick, informed decisions.
• Adaptable: Flexible to last-minute changes, unforeseen challenges, or evolving project needs.
• Professional Attitude: Effectively navigate high-stress situations. Representing yourself, the project and RWS Global in the most positive way.
• Responsible: Takes ownership of tasks and ensures timely completion.