NORDEX
Excavation · Equipment Rentals · Site Works
Estimator / Project Coordinator – Civil & Excavation
Location: Dartmouth / Halifax, NS Type: Full-time, on-site Reports to: Operations / Ownership
About Nordex
Nordex is the excavation, equipment rental, and site work arm of a vertically integrated real estate and construction platform based on the Dartmouth waterfront. We self-perform earthworks across major developments using a modern heavy equipment fleet — Volvo, CAT, BOMAG, John Deere, Kubota, and Bobcat machines — and we run our work on Procore, with telematics and utilization data feeding how we price and manage jobs. We are scaling from hands-on operator mode into a disciplined, systems-driven platform, and this role is central to that shift.
The Role
This is a hybrid Estimator / Project Coordinator. You own the number from the first takeoff through to job close-out. You build the quotes and work contracts that win excavation and site work, then you stay close enough to the field to track equipment hours and production against your estimate — so every bid gets sharper than the last. If you like both the discipline of pricing and the satisfaction of seeing your estimate hold up on a live site, this role is built for you.
Key Responsibilities
Estimating & Quoting
- Perform quantity takeoffs from drawings and site plans — cut/fill, excavation volumes, granular, backfill, grading, and related civil scope.
- Build detailed, defensible quotes pricing labour, equipment hours, materials, subcontractors, and markup.
- Prepare and issue professional proposals with clear scope, exclusions, assumptions, and pricing.
- Maintain and refine unit costs and equipment hourly rates using real fleet and production data.
Contracts & Commercial
- Draft, administer, and negotiate work contracts and subcontracts — scope, price, schedule, exclusions, and change-order mechanics.
- Manage the change-order process end to end: identify extras, price them, document them, and get them approved before work proceeds.
- Coordinate with counsel on any terms carrying material legal exposure (indemnity, insurance, liquidated damages).
Project Coordination & Equipment Tracking
- Track machine hours and equipment utilization across the fleet, and reconcile actual production against the estimate.
- Own the estimate-to-actual feedback loop — turn job results into better unit costs and tighter future bids.
- Coordinate equipment scheduling, repairs, and preventive maintenance with operators, mechanics, and dealers to keep machines productive.
- Support intercompany equipment billing and rental allocation across divisions.
- Provide cost and progress reporting to operations and ownership.
What You Bring
Required
- Proven estimating experience in heavy civil, excavation, or site work — you can run a takeoff and stand behind your number.
- Solid grasp of equipment-intensive pricing: production rates, machine costs, and how fleet utilization drives margin.
- Experience drafting or administering work contracts, subcontracts, or supply-and-install agreements.
- Comfort working from drawings and specs, and with takeoff/estimating tools (e.g. Bluebeam, B2W Estimate, or structured Excel).
- Strong organization and the discipline to close the loop between what was bid and what was built.
Preferred
- Experience with B2W Estimate and Procore.
- Familiarity with equipment telematics and utilization reporting.
- Background with a heavy civil contractor, excavation firm, or equipment rental operation.
- Civil/construction technology diploma, engineering background, or equivalent field-earned experience.
Why Nordex
- A platform that is investing in systems, data, and discipline — not a contractor running off spreadsheets and memory.
- Real ownership of the estimating function with a direct line to leadership.
- A modern, well-maintained fleet and a steady pipeline of self-performed work across flagship developments.
- The chance to build and own a process, not just fill a seat.
To apply: Submit your resume and a brief note on a job you estimated and how the actual results compared to your bid.
Applications deadline is 6 July 2026
Pay: $55,000.00-$65,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
