Estimating Manager (6344)

SUMMARY

The Estimating Manager leads the estimating function and oversees accurate, competitive, and profitable cost estimates and quotations for manufactured, fabricated, machined, formed, finished, and assembled aircraft components and related products. Serving as a key link between Sales, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, and Operations, this role translates customer requirements into commercially sound proposals. The position requires strong knowledge of aerospace manufacturing processes, material and labor costing, overhead, tooling, outside processing, subcontracting, production capacity, lead times, and commercial pricing strategies. Directly supervises up to five employees.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Lead the estimating and quotation process from initial RFQ through final proposal submission; review drawings, specifications, statements of work, bills of material, quality requirements, and contractual requirements.
• Develop detailed estimates for machined, sheet metal, formed, fabricated, welded, assembled, mechanical, and aircraft structural components; finish and treatment operations; special processes; tooling and fixtures; prototypes and development work; production programs; and repair or rework activities, as applicable.
• Determine manufacturing processes, routings, direct labor hours, materials, tooling, equipment, outside processing, subcontracting, inspection, testing, packaging, freight, burden, overhead, and other applicable cost elements.
• Recommend pricing based on costs, customer requirements, market conditions, competition, capacity, strategic importance, and desired profitability; analyze gross and contribution margins and support contract and pricing negotiations as requested.
• Compare estimated costs with actual production results, identify recurring variances, and recommend adjustments to estimating methods, labor standards, burden rates, cost models, and pricing assumptions.
• Coordinate practical, efficient manufacturing approaches with Engineering and Manufacturing; identify cost-reduction opportunities through process improvements, sourcing, lot sizes, tooling strategies, and make-versus-buy analysis.
• Obtain and evaluate supplier and subcontractor quotations; identify technical cost drivers, manufacturing challenges, assumptions, and risks, and develop contingencies for incomplete information, material volatility, or unusual requirements.
• Lead, coach, and develop estimating personnel; assign workload based on customer needs, deadlines, complexity, and business priorities; review staff estimates for accuracy, completeness, and appropriate pricing.
• Develop strategies for long-cycle aerospace opportunities, extended development periods, and multi-year production programs. Maintain open estimates, assess future labor and material rates, inflation, supplier pricing, capacity, lead times, and process changes, and coordinate escalation assumptions with Sales and Finance. Support recurring price reviews and established-program negotiations.
• Maintain estimating databases, historical pricing, cost models, and standard assumptions; establish consistent methodologies and documentation practices, improve or automate estimating systems, and participate in lean manufacturing, value engineering, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Establish pricing for new customers and products, existing-product changes, long-term production, prototypes, development work, make-versus-buy decisions, engineering changes, expedites, and non-recurring engineering or tooling. Prepare formal quotations under company policies and approval requirements, ensuring complete, consistent, traceable, and adequately documented estimates.
• Track quote turnaround time, win rate, estimated versus actual labor hours, material and outside-processing costs, gross margin by program/customer, quote value, average quote size, cost variance, and pricing accuracy.
• Develop estimating procedures, work instructions, templates, and approval processes. Partner with Sales, Business Development, Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Production, Supply Chain/Purchasing, Quality, Finance/Accounting, Program Management, and Senior Leadership; support new-product introductions and program launches, and communicate significant risks and assumptions to senior management.

QUALITY AND REGULATORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the aerospace quality management system and applicable customer requirements; include required inspection, testing, documentation, traceability, certifications, and quality activities in estimates.
• Review specifications for special quality or compliance requirements that affect cost, including applicable aerospace standards, customer-specific requirements, and regulatory obligations.
• Support corrective action and continuous improvement when estimating errors contribute to cost or production issues, and maintain accurate, auditable estimating records.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conduct timely, constructive performance evaluations and administer disciplinary actions and employee terminations in accordance with company policy.
• Travel as needed by train, airplane, subway, automobile, or other public or private transportation.
• Conduct toolbox talks and other training, communicate effectively with all contacts, adapt to change, and ensure activities align with the Company Mission Statement.

Qualifications

KNOWLEDGE 

• Strong understanding of aerospace and related manufacturing processes, associated cost drivers, and direct and indirect manufacturing costs.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret engineering specifications, 2-D drawings, 3-D models, bills of material, and manufacturing requirements.
• Strong knowledge of labor standards, machine rates, overhead, burden, material costs, subcontracting, and outside processing.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel or equivalent spreadsheet and data-analysis tools; working knowledge of ITAR and export-control requirements, or demonstrated ability to quickly obtain the required knowledge and training.

 

COMPETENCIES

• Strong analytical and mathematical skills to evaluate costs, pricing options, and program risks.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple RFQs and competing deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex cost and pricing information to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Sound business judgment when working with incomplete or changing information and balancing customer requirements, competitiveness, and profitability.
• Ability to maintain confidential and proprietary information, collaborate across functions, mentor team members, and support continuous improvement.

Employees must satisfactorily perform essential functions and assigned tasks while supporting safety, quality, compliance, continuous improvement, and organizational objectives. Employees must follow company policies, AS9100 requirements, customer requirements, applicable regulatory standards, export-control regulations, and ethical business practices; maintain a safe workplace; and protect company and customer information. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

• Required
• Significant estimating, costing, quoting, or pricing experience in aerospace, defense, precision manufacturing, machining, fabrication, or a related industrial environment. Typically 7–10+ years of progressively responsible estimating, costing, pricing, manufacturing engineering, or related experience in aerospace, defense, precision manufacturing, or a comparable technical manufacturing environment.
• Preferred
• Experience estimating aerospace structural or aircraft components.
• Experience with CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, forming, welding, assembly, or aircraft component manufacturing.
• Experience in AS9100-certified aerospace manufacturing environments.
• Experience with estimating software, ERP/MRP estimating systems, standard cost models, and estimating databases.
• Prior supervisory or management experience strongly preferred.
• Experience quoting defense contracts or government-related aerospace programs; familiarity with FAR/DFARS, CMMC-related requirements applicable to military contracts and information systems, cost accounting, or government contract pricing.
• Formal training in cost estimating, manufacturing engineering, supply chain, finance, or a related discipline.
• Education
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Business, Finance, Accounting, Supply Chain, Operations, or a related field preferred. Equivalent combinations of education, technical training, and substantial relevant aerospace manufacturing experience may be considered.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Primarily office-based, with regular interaction with manufacturing operations and periodic visits to machine shops, fabrication, assembly, inspection, warehouses, shipping and receiving, supplier facilities, and customer facilities.
• Work for extended periods at a computer workstation; communicate in person, by telephone, and electronically; and review technical drawings, documents, computer screens, and other detailed information.
• Occasionally walk through manufacturing, warehouse, inspection, and other operational areas, and occasionally lift or carry materials, documents, samples, or equipment weighing up to [XX] pounds, as applicable. Follow applicable safety rules, security requirements, and ITAR/export-control restrictions. Required PPE may include safety glasses, safety footwear, and hearing protection, depending on the work environment.

 

WORK AUTHORIZATION/SECURITY CLEARANCE

• This position may require access to EAR- or ITAR-controlled technologies, documents, drawings, specifications, models, customer information, or other technical data. The supplied position requirement states that applicants must be eligible for employment under U.S. export-control laws and be a U.S. Citizen.
• Comply with company export-control procedures and applicable ITAR requirements under 22 CFR Parts 120–130 when estimating defense articles or technical data. Recognize controlled versus non-controlled information, follow access and authorization restrictions, and use approved systems to store, transmit, access, and distribute controlled drawings, specifications, models, quotations, and related information.
• Do not disclose, transmit, upload, email, download, or otherwise provide controlled information to unauthorized individuals, including foreign persons, without appropriate authorization. Follow identification and marking procedures and immediately report suspected unauthorized access, disclosure, transmission, or handling to the Export Compliance Officer, management, or designated representative.
• Complete required ITAR/export-control training, protect customer technical data and proprietary information, and follow applicable procedures for export licenses, exemptions, authorizations, technology-control plans, and restricted-party screening. ITAR compliance is an individual responsibility; violations may result in disciplinary action and/or legal or regulatory consequences.