Job Description

**Cost Estimating Manager

**

**Job Type:

** Full-Time, Direct Hire

**Pay:

** $95,000 - $125,000 annually (Based on Experience)

**Industry:

** Automotive / Aerospace / Defense Manufacturing

**Job Summary

**

• **The Role:

  **Centralizes and leads a cross-functional estimating team that is currently siloed by department. This role will have final pricing authority without needing GM or department manager approval.

• **Team Size: Leads

  **5 corporate-wide estimators (2 sheet metal, 1 additive, 1 plastics/assembly, and 1 CNC).

• **Candidate Profile:

  **Strong people leadership skills are preferred over a candidate who can estimate all 5 disciplines perfectly. Key areas of expertise should include injection molding/plastics, assembly, and CNC.

• **Requirements:

  **Must be fully fluent in OEM/Tier 1 cost breakdown formats (GM, Ford, Stellantis, Volvo). Will work closely with sales and directly with customers during RFQ stages.

• **Tools:

  **Uses Paperless Parts (cloud-based, collaborative, with 3 years of templates already built).

**Key Responsibilities

**

• Lead, oversee, and mentor a

  **team of cost estimators

  ** responsible for preparing quotes for new business opportunities. 

• Partner with the

  **Sales team

  ** to develop and align quote strategies with new business objectives. 

• Establish and standardize

  **quotation processes, frameworks, benchmarks, and tools

  ** to improve accuracy, consistency, and speed. 

• Review and approve final

  **cost models, risk assessments, pricing, and margins

  ** before quotes are submitted to management or customers. 

• Ensure estimates accurately reflect manufacturing requirements, material costs, labor, tooling, processing, overhead, and other applicable costs. 

• Provide guidance and support to estimators on complex quoting opportunities. 

• Analyze cost information and identify potential risks, cost drivers, and opportunities for improved margins. 

• Work closely with Sales, Engineering, Operations, and other departments to develop accurate and competitive quotations. 

• Present estimating information, recommendations, and pricing strategies to management, customers, and other stakeholders as needed. 

• Develop and maintain estimating standards, templates, and best practices. 

• Support continuous improvement initiatives related to

  **estimating accuracy, efficiency, and quotation turnaround time

  **. 

**Qualifications

**

• Minimum of

  **5 years of cost estimating experience

  ** within Automotive, Aerospace, Defense, or a related manufacturing environment. 

• Previous

  **management or team leadership experience

  **. 

• Extensive cost estimating experience within a manufacturing environment. 

• Experience with

  **OEM and Tier 1 automotive cost breakdown templates

  **. 

• Experience estimating

  **injection-molded parts and assemblies, injection mold tooling, CNC parts, sheet metal stampings, and welded assemblies

  **. 

• Understanding of manufacturing processes, materials, tooling, labor, overhead, and other cost drivers. 

• Ability to analyze complex manufacturing requirements and develop accurate cost estimates. 

• Excellent presentation skills. 

• Strong

  **written and verbal communication skills

  **. 

• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from

  **management, customers, clients, and cross-functional teams

  **. 

• Strong organizational and analytical skills with the ability to manage multiple quoting projects and deadlines. 

• Bachelor's degree in

  **Business Administration, Management, Engineering, or a related field

  ** preferred.