Estimating Manager

Growing, Waukesha local manufacturing company looking for a strong technical leader to join us in leading our Estimating team to help align quoting processes with critical sales strategies to ensure accurate, competitive, and timely preparation of quotations. Strong emphasis on building out a collaborative, high-impact estimating team focused on customer experience and partnership with internal manufacturing teams.

Great opportunity for someone looking to continue developing develop leadership skills in a better company culture while applying technical expertise to directly impact revenue generation and long-term company growth. This role will help bridge the gap between sales, engineering, and operations by integrating sales and quoting strategies with company capabilities, operational constraints. Role will be crucial in providing guidance and tactical support to prepare key quote packages and drive continuous improvement in quotation processes.

Ideal candidates will have strong work ethic, natural ability to build relationships cross-functionally, and a competitive mindset, along with Engineering and/or Estimating background in several of the company’s core manufacturing disciplines.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop the estimating team to deliver accurate, timely cost estimates for customers in all manufacturing divisions.
• Review customer RFQs, drawings, and specs to determine scope, risks, and requirements.
• Work closely with sales, engineering, and production teams to align estimates with customer needs, company capabilities, constraints.
• Prepare detailed quotes, costing models, as needed to support opportunity assessments.
• Ensure estimates incorporate competitive market pricing and profitability strategies.
• Assist sales in negotiations as needed providing insights into costing, manufacturability, and value-added engineering options.
• Standardize and improve estimating processes, tools, and databases to increase accuracy and efficiency.
• Develop, track, analyze quoting analytics, and key estimating KPI’s for reporting. 

Starting pay based on related manufacturing knowledge, estimating, leadership experience

Great benefits

Required:

• 8+ years progressive contract manufacturing experience in at least two of the company’s core manufacturing disciplines (machining, tooling, fabrication), must have a desire/willingness to learn other disciplines as needed to support estimating team
• Previous leadership experience of teams (performance management, training, coaching)
• Proficient with ERP systems, willingness to help tactically as needed to support estimating workload
• Strong technical knowledge of metals manufacturing processes including: Blueprint reading/GD&T interpretation, materials properties, tooling requirements & equipment constraints.
• A competitive mindset, high level of detail orientation, strong follow through.
• Ability to thrive in a fast paced, challenging environment with shifting priorities. 
• Strong problem solving/critical thinking skills.
• High EQ, adept in building relationships to influence results.
• Previous experience working with sales personnel to support operations/customers.
• Ability to work in a full-time, office setting. 

Preferred:

• 5+ or more years of engineering and/or estimating experience in a metals manufacturing environment with experience estimating for at least two of the company’s core manufacturing disciplines.
• Prior experience developing quoting/estimating processes, tools
• BS/BA Degree (Business or Engineering)
• Able to sit and stand for up to 8 hours/day.