Lead the joinery estimation function and manage the preparation, review and submission of accurate, commercially competitive estimates for bespoke joinery, furniture and interior fit-out projects.
The role reviews tender documentation, develops detailed joinery cost estimates, manages estimator workload, obtains competitive supply-chain pricing, identifies commercial and technical risks, and supports the Estimating Manager through tender adjudication and final bid submission.
Key Roles & Responsibilities
Tender Review & Planning
- Review tender enquiries, drawings, specifications, bills of quantities (BOQs), schedules and client requirements.
- Assess the completeness of tender information and identify missing information, discrepancies and areas requiring clarification.
- Prepare tender briefs and establish the joinery estimating strategy.
- Coordinate workload and tender priorities among Joinery Estimators.
- Participate in pre-tender meetings, site visits and internal tender kick-off meetings.
- Review requests for information (RFIs) and technical or commercial clarifications before submission to the client or consultant.
Joinery Estimation
- Prepare and review detailed estimates for joinery items.
- Prepare detailed material, labor, machinery and subcontract cost build-ups.
- Establish appropriate production labor hours based on joinery complexity and manufacturing methodology.
- Evaluate wastage, yields, productivity, installation requirements, logistics and programme constraints.
- Benchmark pricing against historical project data and current market rates.
Supply Chain & Procurement Coordination
- Prepare subcontractor and supplier enquiry packages.
- Coordinate with the estimation administration team for RFQ issuance and quotation follow-up.
- Review supplier and subcontractor quotations for technical and commercial compliance.
- Prepare and review quotation comparison sheets.
- Identify alternative suppliers, subcontractors, materials and construction methods to improve competitiveness.
- Maintain awareness of current market pricing.
Tender Review & Commercial Control
- Review estimates prepared by Joinery Estimators before internal adjudication.
- Verify quantities, rates, productivity assumptions, supplier quotations and commercial risks.
- Identify exclusions, qualifications, provisional sums, assumptions and commercial risks.
- Prepare tender cost summaries and support the Estimating Manager during internal and senior-management adjudication.
- Recommend pricing adjustments based on project complexity, risk, programme and market conditions.
- Support value engineering and alternative proposals without compromising design intent or required quality.
Team Leadership
- Lead and mentor Joinery Estimators and support their technical development.
- Allocate joinery tenders and packages based on workload, complexity and estimator capability.
- Conduct peer reviews and ensure estimates meet departmental procedures before adjudication.
- Develop and maintain standard joinery rates, productivity norms and cost build-up templates.
- Share lessons learned and historical cost information across the Estimation Team.
- Support the training of junior estimators in drawing interpretation, quantity take-off, joinery construction and manufacturing techniques.
Coordination
- Coordinate closely with Fit-out Estimation, Commercial, Procurement, Design, Production and Project teams.
- Liaise with suppliers and subcontractors regarding technical and commercial requirements.
- Support post-tender clarification and negotiation meetings when required.
- Participate in successful tender handover to Operations, Commercial, Procurement and Joinery Production teams.
- At least 10 years of relevant experience in joinery estimation.
- Minimum 6–8 years of direct joinery estimation experience.
- Minimum 2–3 years in a senior or lead capacity.
- Strong UAE/GCC market experience.
- Bachelor’s degree or diploma in Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, Architecture, Interior Design, Joinery Technology or a related discipline.
- Proven experience estimating high-end hospitality, luxury retail, food and beverage (F&B), residential and commercial joinery packages.
- Experience with a joinery contractor operating an in-house manufacturing facility is highly desirable.
