Find out the top 10 core skills you need to master as an estimator project manager and what hard skills you need to know to succeed in this job.

An estimator project manager is responsible for estimating all project costs to ensure that projects are done in line with the cost estimates. He or she will work closely with contractors and sub-contractors to ensure that the project deliverables are met within the stipulated timeframe. Furthermore, he or she will get to resolve and if need be, escalate all project estimation issues to the senior management.

Other duties that he or she can handle include; estimate all requirements that pertains to the projects, coordinate all project proposals, examine project work orders, maintain projects? high standards, attend meetings of the project and ensure that it abides by all the laid down procedures, coordinate all project activities and liaising with contractors and subcontractors.

Core Skills Required to be an Estimator Project Manager

Core skills describe a set of non-technical abilities, knowledge, and understanding that form the basis for successful participation in the workplace. Core skills enable employees to efficiently and professionally navigate the world of work and interact with others, as well as adapt and think critically to solve problems.

Core skills are often tagged onto job descriptions to find or attract employees with specific essential core values that enable the company to remain competitive, build relationships, and improve productivity.

An estimator project manager should master the following 10 core skills to fulfill her job properly.

Interviewing:

Interviewing is an essential skill in making a sound hiring decision that seeks to find out the candidate's background, work experience, skill level, general overall intelligence, enthusiasm, attitudes, etc.

An Estimator Project Manager ought to be equipped with the right techniques to handle interviews whether they are face to face or telephone as they can be grueling and intimidating to the candidate; clarity and calmness of tone and the atmosphere are ideal.

Critical Thinking:

Critical Thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally while understanding the logical connection between ideas in a reflective and independent thinking.

An Estimator Project Manager will always seek to determine whether the ideas, arguments and findings do represent the entire picture while identifying, analyzing and solving problems by deducing consequences from what he knows and making use of the information gathered.

Knowledge of Job:

Knowledge of Job is essential to every employee who needs to have a clear understanding of how their jobs fit into the overall organization to eliminate carelessness and laxity.

An Estimator Project Manager must be able to evaluate this criterion when selecting an employee and know the common descriptions of a person with either right or inadequate knowledge of the job early enough to either keep them or let them go.

Managing Remote Teams:

Managing Remote Teams is working under no physical supervision from your manager or supervisor while staying on task and communication to report on the daily progress.

An Estimator Project Manager ought to nurture, guide and support the employees to do their job right without compromising on the quality and wasting the allocated time to grow the team and the company as well.

Initiative:

An initiative is the ability to assess and initiate things independently often done without any managerial influence offered.

An Estimator Project Manager must train his workers to take up tasks without being asked to and work on them without being supervised to a quality that is accepted by the company, therefore nurturing a skill that grows the individual and the group as well.

Orientation to Work:

Orientation to Work is the introduction that is given to a new worker whereby he is introduced to coworkers and given relevant information like schedules, performance standards, benefits and facilities, names of the supervisors, etc.

An Estimator Project Manager must ensure that all new employees go through an orientation process to assimilate into the workplace and become familiar with what is expected of them.

Realistic Goal Setting:

Realistic Goal Setting is the skill to hone in the specific actions that we need to perform to accomplish everything we aspire to live.

An Estimator Project Manager should invest his time in planning and set both short and long-term goals that stretch and initiates the growth in every employee causing each to perform at his level best bringing in real benefit to their life and the business as well.

Cost Cutting:

Cost Cutting is the ability to reduce costs or workplace expenses that may be excess costs that can be limited.

An Estimator Project Manager should come up with cost-cutting tactics that will earn the company a better revenue even if they aren't massive; it will teach employees also to be reserved with every dollar that simply goes into the enterprise.

Project Management:

Project Management is structuring a to-do list for your project or company containing tasks and responsibilities as well as creating a roadmap for the execution of those duties promptly.

An Estimator Project Manager must place emphasis on the application of the project management methodologies and principles by the staff in the daily functions and responsibilities to foster efficiently as well as create a competitive advantage in the heavily competitive business space.

Diversity Awareness:

Diversity Awareness is the understanding that people are different and unique in their particular way and respecting their uniqueness.

An Estimator Project Manager ought to successfully identify the various types of diversity presented in his company to be able to benefit from these individual differences in the hope of improving the success of his team and encourage the team members to become aware of these qualities and use them appropriately.

Hard Skills Required to be an Estimator Project Manager

Hard skills are job-specific skill sets, or expertise, that are teachable and whose presence can be tested through exams. While core skills are more difficult to quantify and less tangible, hard skills are quantifiable and more defined.

Hard skills are usually listed on an applicant's resume to help recruiters know the applicant's qualifications for the applied position. A recruiter, therefore, needs to review the applicant's resume and education to find out if he/she has the knowledge necessary to get the job done.

An estimator project manager should have a good command of the following hard skills to succeed in her job.

Estimator Project Manager: Hard skills list

Accounting
Administration and Management
Algebra
Analyze and Interpret Data and Budgets
Apply statistical process control (spc)
Apply understanding of manufacturing concepts to cost estimation
Bid engineering, construction or extraction projects
Billing Statements (Prepare billing statements)
Blueprints and Technical Drawings
Bookkeeping
Budgeting
Building and Construction
Computers and Electronics (use computers to enter, access and retrieve data)
Customer Service
Cost Analysis Theory (Apply Cost Analysis Theory)
Cost control, Budgets and Forecasts
Cost Estimation Software
Data Analysis & Benchmarking
Defining of scope
Design
Determine production factors
Develop and maintain cost estimation data bases
Economics
Engineering
Equipment factored and capacity factored estimating
Estimating
Estimate cost, time, and materials needed for repairs
Estimate damage
Estimate time needed for project
General Factors and Ratios
Instructing
Labor Productivity Analysis
Normalization (inflation, metallurgy, location, etc.)
Mathematics Principles
Management of Financial Resources
Management of Material Resources
Obtain information from clients, customers, patients or others
Operations Analysis
Order parts
Planning / scheduling
Prepare cost estimates for construction related projects
Prepare cost estimates for management information
Process records and maintain forms and files
Reading of and quantification from engineering document
Reporting (Prepare reports in timely manner)
Schematics and Specifications
Statistical Data (Analyze statistical data)
Statistical cost estimation methods
Systems Analysis
Technical
Technology
Translate design specifications to cost estimates
Usage of breakdown structures
Writing
Write project or bid proposals
Write vehicle damage repair estimates

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