Cost Estimator – Modular R&D (Data Center / Prefabricated Infrastructure)

Location: Austin, TX (100% On-Site)
Employment Type: Full-Time
Compensation: $155,000 – $200,000 / year + Equity

About the Opportunity

We are seeking a fast-paced, analytical Cost Estimator to join a Modular R&D team building prefabricated data center units for gigawatt-scale AI compute infrastructure.

In this role, you will build and own the cost models for modular products across structural, mechanical, electrical, and controls scopes. You will work directly alongside design engineers during early product development, turning incomplete CAD concepts into fast, accurate "should-cost" estimates so the team can evaluate design trade-offs in hours rather than weeks. If you excel at standardized product costing and data-driven estimate-versus-actual reconciliation, this seat offers immediate hardware and financial impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Cost Model Ownership: Build and own comprehensive cost models covering every assembly across structural framing, mechanical cooling, electrical distribution, and controls.
• Rapid Design Pricing: Price design alternatives in hours, providing engineers with hard cost facts on trade-offs such as liquid cooling configurations, electrical distribution setups, and skid versus site-built scopes.
• Should-Cost Modeling: Interrogate vendor quotes line-by-line alongside supply chain teams and develop should-cost models for high-value equipment categories.
• Estimate Reconciliation: Reconcile estimates against actual build costs after each prototype run, folding variances back into the cost engine so every subsequent estimate is tighter.
• Risk & Scope Gap Mitigation: Identify and account for traditional estimation failure points—such as scope gaps, labor productivity factors, material escalation, and freight costs—before bids are committed.

What We Are Looking For

• Experience: 3 to 7 years of hands-on cost estimating experience within modular/prefabricated construction, data center EPCs/GCs, MEP contractors, or industrial equipment manufacturing.
• Multidisciplinary Scope: Proven track record performing detailed quantity takeoffs, unit pricing, and vendor evaluations across mechanical, electrical, or structural scopes.
• Early-Stage Estimation: Ability to work comfortably with design engineers during early R&D phases where drawings are incomplete, yet the directional cost guidance must remain accurate.
• Model Building: Experience building flexible cost models that can be run reliably without manual grinding for every iteration.

Preferred Qualifications & Keywords

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Finance, or equivalent practical field experience.
• Software Tools: Proficiency in Bluebeam Revu, On-Screen Takeoff (OST), advanced Excel modeling, or specialized estimating platforms.
• Domain Expertise: Exposure to modular/offsite manufacturing, mission-critical data center builds, NECA/MCAA labor units, or product cost engineering.

About The Talent Mine

This search is being conducted by The Talent Mine on behalf of our client, a rapidly growing pioneer building next-generation infrastructure for high-density compute and AI. The Talent Mine is a specialized talent acquisition firm connecting elite engineering, preconstruction, and technical professionals with category-defining companies. All applications, inquiries, and candidate profiles are handled with strict confidentiality by our recruiting team.