About Northwest Playground Equipment, Inc. Northwest Playground Equipment (NPE) is a family-owned company with a 30-year history of providing turnkey playground and park solutions for public spaces across the Pacific Northwest. We partner with high-quality manufacturers to provide playground equipment, safety surfacing, site furnishings, interactive play, and more, and we see projects through from design to installation, helping our customers build community through play! About the Role The Estimator / Scheduler is a new position on NPE’s construction team, based in our Issaquah office. Using the project scope NPE defines, this role builds the install estimates NPE uses to price installation in its quotes and bids. Once projects are sold, the Estimator / Scheduler schedules installation crews to deliver the work, coordinating closely with NPE’s Construction Coordinators on deliveries, site readiness, and project timelines. The role reports to NPE’s Construction Manager. Because the Construction Manager is the client’s point of contact, this role works behind the scenes with NPE’s team rather than directly with clients.
Responsibilities
The position includes, but may not be limited to, the following responsibilities and activities: Install Estimating
- Review NPE project scope, including equipment lists, site plans, specifications, and manufacturer installation guides, to build install estimates.
- Develop labor, equipment, material, and travel costs for installation work based on the quantities and equipment lists in NPE’s scope, including site work where included in scope.
- Apply labor production rates using manufacturer installation hours and historical project data.
- Account for prevailing wage rates and requirements on public projects.
- Identify scope gaps, site conditions, and assumptions that affect pricing, and clarify them with NPE before submitting estimates.
- Document clear inclusions, exclusions, and assumptions in every estimate.
- Deliver estimates within the turnaround times needed to meet NPE’s quoting and bid deadlines.
- Price changes to install scope for NPE change orders.
Coordination & Communication
- Serve as the point of contact for install pricing and crew scheduling across NPE’s sales and construction teams.
- Support NPE’s sales assistants and Parks Consultants with accurate, timely install pricing for quotes and bids.
- Participate in project handoffs at contract execution to confirm install scope and requirements.
- Partner with NPE’s Construction Coordinators and Construction Manager to align crew schedules with material deliveries, site readiness, and project timelines.
- Communicate crew capacity, lead times, and schedule constraints to NPE’s sales and construction teams early.
- Route client-related questions and issues through the Construction Manager, who is the client’s point of contact.
Crew Scheduling
- Build and maintain the installation crew schedule across concurrent projects.
- Assign crews based on project requirements, crew skill sets, location, and capacity.
- Adjust schedules for weather, delivery delays, site readiness, and changing project priorities.
- Coordinate equipment rentals and crew travel needs for scheduled work.
- Track installation progress against the schedule and flag risks to the Construction Manager.
Cost Tracking & Continuous Improvement
- Compare estimated and actual install hours and costs at project completion.
- Maintain production rates, labor costs, and historical project data to improve estimate accuracy.
- Develop standard estimating templates, checklists, and processes for installation work.
- Help reduce no-charge change orders by catching install scope gaps before projects are sold.
Documentation & Compliance
- Maintain estimate records, schedules, and revision history for each project.
- Provide crew and hours information needed for prevailing wage filings and certified payroll.
- Keep estimating and scheduling information current in company systems.
Requirements
- 5+ years of experience in construction estimating, scheduling, or project coordination.
- Experience estimating installation labor for specialty construction, site amenities, or similar work; commercial playground experience preferred.
- Ability to read and interpret site plans, drawings, specifications, and manufacturer installation instructions.
- Experience scheduling crews or field resources across multiple projects.
- Strong math skills and advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
- Familiarity with Washington L&I prevailing wage requirements is preferred.
- Experience with estimating or scheduling software; experience with Acumatica is a plus.
- Field installation experience is a plus.
- Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to meet tight deadlines while managing multiple priorities.
- Clear, professional communication and the ability to work effectively across sales, construction, and field teams.
- Valid driver’s license and ability to make occasional site visits.
Working Hours
- Between 7:00a-5:00p, Monday - Friday
- This position works onsite out of the Issaquah office, out of a home office, and in the field.
Salary
Benefits
- Hybrid schedule after 90-day Introductory Period
- Professional growth opportunities
- On-the-job training
- 10 paid Holidays
- Paid holiday shut down between Christmas and New Year's Day
- Health benefits (medical, dental, vision)
- 401k with 4% employer matching
- Lifestyle Spending Account
- Tuition reimbursement
- Business casual work attire
- Office snacks
Equal Opportunity Employer Northwest Playground Equipment is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.