Estimator – Boutique Shipyard/Boatyard
$80,000–$110,000 year
On-siteChula Vista, California, United States
Job Summary
Tour vessels in person to assess scope, condition, and repair needs alongside crews or owners, then build relationships with customers by translating their goals into clear statements of work. Prepare bid documents, schedules, and detailed cost estimates based on firsthand assessments, managing multiple proposals while ensuring accuracy and timely delivery. Estimate labor and material costs, monitor expenditures against estimates to manage risk, and qualify vendors by soliciting and evaluating subcontractor quotations. Identify long-lead-time materials and flag potential schedule impacts early. This hands-on role blends technical estimating with relationship-building for ship and boat repair contracts, requiring comfort both on the water and behind a desk.
Required Qualifications
- Comfortable both on the water and behind a desk
- Highly organized, with the ability to manage numerous projects and relationships at once
- Dependable, detail-oriented, and operates with a high level of integrity
- Naturally personable — able to build rapport with crews, owners, and subcontractors alike
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or related programs
- Excellent attention to detail
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate technical subjects for a range of audiences
- Bachelor's degree in a business-related field with 3+ years of experience, or a High School Diploma with 3+ years of related experience
- Solid knowledge of ship repair procedures, terminology, requirements, and government contracts
- Working understanding of U.S. Navy Standard Items, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) rules and how they differ
- Ability to estimate commercial vessels, and large yachts
- Ability to interpret drawings, technical data, and specifications to determine material and equipment needs
- Ability to maintain confidential and meticulous records
- Self-directed, with sound judgment and the ability to take initiative as well as direction
- Ability to perform work accurately and thoroughly under shifting daily priorities
- Strong team orientation and dependability
- Ability to communicate effectively in English
- Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule
- Physical ability to lift, push, pull and carry 30+ lbs
- Ability to stand, walk, sit, stoop, reach with hands and arms, and climb stairs
- Hand finger dexterity
- Clear speech
- Hearing/listening
- Reading and writing
- Close vision
- Distance vision
- Peripheral vision
- Depth perception
- Ability to adjust focus
- Ability to hear warning signals
- Ability to read and comprehend safety instructions
- Ability to maintain general safety awareness and avoid hazards commonly present in employee's work area
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