Estimator

Estimator
Job Description
Position Overview

• Location: Greater Toronto Area (Halton Region), Ontario
• Company: Confidential – Advanced Precision Manufacturer
• Primary Focus: Manufacturing cost estimating and quotation preparation

About the Company
We are an established Canadian manufacturer specializing in built-to-print precision components and complex assemblies for high-reliability sectors, including the aerospace and defence industries. The facility's integrated capabilities include multi-axis CNC turning and milling, precision sheet metal fabrication, certified welding, specialized metal finishing, deburring, and mechanical assembly.
The organization supports demanding tier-one clients that require accurate pricing, reliable delivery commitments, and strict compliance with stringent technical and quality specifications.

The Opportunity
We are seeking an experienced Estimator to prepare accurate and competitive quotations for custom precision-manufactured components and assemblies.
The Estimator will evaluate customer requests for quotation (RFQs), engineering models/drawings, specifications, and bills of material to establish the true total cost of manufacturing. This encompasses raw material, direct labor, machine utilization, non-recurring engineering (NRE), custom tooling, CNC programming, subcontracted special processing, quality assurance requirements, and operational risk.
The successful candidate will possess a clear understanding of shop-floor material flow and turn complex technical requirements into practical manufacturing plans, realistic lead times, and commercially sound quotations.

Key Responsibilities
Estimating and Quotation Preparation

• Review client RFQs, CAD models, 2D drawings, engineering specifications, bills of material, and supplementary technical standards.
• Ensure intake quotation packages contain all necessary information before initiating the cost model.
• Formulate manufacturing concepts, operation process sequences, and preliminary shop routings for new and repeat parts.
• Calculate precise labor hours and machine cycle times across CNC machining, sheet metal forming/cutting, welding, deburring, metal finishing, mechanical assembly, and quality inspection.
• Estimate material requirements, yields, scrap rates, and raw stock procurement costs.
• Account for setup times, CNC programming hours, special tooling, custom fixtures, initial inspection, and non-recurring costs.
• Solicit and evaluate vendor quotations for raw stock, hardware, outside special processes (e.g., anodizing, heat treat, plating), and subcontracted operations.
• Build pricing structures for prototypes, low-volume initial runs, repeat orders, and multi-year production programs.
• Project realistic manufacturing lead times based on process step sequences, internal work-center capacity, and supply-chain timelines.
• Assemble comprehensive proposal packages for management approval and customer submission.
• Maintain structured records of all estimating assumptions, raw calculations, vendor quotes, and internal approvals.

Technical and Manufacturing Review

• Determine the most efficient and cost-effective manufacturing methods for complex parts.
• Highlight tight drawing tolerances, hard-to-source materials, or complex specifications that drive up manufacturing costs or lead times.
• Identify needs for dedicated tooling, custom workholding, CMM programming, specialized testing, and outside processing.
• Partner with Engineering and Operations teams to validate proposed cycle times, equipment selection, and facility capacity.
• Collaborate with Quality Assurance regarding inspection protocols, material certifications, testing documentation, and customer quality provisions.
• Flag technical and commercial risks prior to quote sign-off.
• Draft Requests for Information (RFIs) when customer documentation is ambiguous, incomplete, or conflicting.
• Assist in make-or-buy assessments by analyzing internal capabilities, current plant utilization, vendor costs, and schedule exposure.

Cost Analysis and Commercial Support

• Leverage ERP historical shop run data, actual cycle times, and past project variance to continuously refine estimate precision.
• Perform post-production audits comparing estimated targets to actual manufacturing costs to investigate variances.
• Update machine hourly rates, direct labor standards, and estimating models to reflect evolving operating conditions.
• Support margin analysis to verify that quotes capture the complete operational risk and cost structure.
• Recalculate estimates due to engineering change orders (ECOs), raw material market shifts, volume adjustments, or revised client schedules.
• Participate in formal proposal reviews alongside Operations, Engineering, Quality, Purchasing, and Executive Management.
• Provide clear technical explanations of cost drivers, lead-time assumptions, and manufacturing risks during customer review meetings.
• Monitor quote conversion rates and participate in win/loss post-mortems to continuously improve the estimating process.

Production Handoff

• Facilitate a seamless transition of awarded contracts into active production with complete costing data and assumptions.
• Communicate approved manufacturing concepts, custom tooling plans, vendor inputs, and risk logs to secondary operational departments.
• Assist Manufacturing Engineering in building production routings, bill of materials (BOMs), and detailed shop floor travelers/work instructions.
• Re-evaluate cost and schedule impact when customer engineering revisions occur post-award.
• Troubleshoot discrepancies between estimated metrics and real-time production outcomes.

Qualifications and Experience

• Experience: Practical experience in manufacturing cost estimating, process planning, manufacturing engineering, or a closely related technical role.
• Industry Background: Previous experience in aerospace, defence, precision industrial, or another tightly controlled manufacturing sector.
• Process Knowledge: Practical exposure to multi-axis CNC turning and milling, precision sheet metal fabrication, welding, deburring, surface treatment/finishing, and mechanical assembly.
• Blueprint Reading: Advanced proficiency reading and interpreting complex engineering drawings, material specifications, parts lists, and client standards.
• Manufacturing Logic: Solid grasp of machining/fabrication speeds, feeds, tooling selections, setup times, cycle times, and raw material utilization.
• GD&T: Working knowledge of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) principles.
• Supply Chain: Experience requesting, evaluating, and integrating vendor quotes for raw stock, hardware, and specialized outside processing.
• Analytical Skills: Strong numerical aptitude, analytical reasoning, and risk identification capabilities.
• Software: Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel; direct experience with manufacturing ERP/MRP platforms or dedicated cost-estimating systems.
• Communication & Organization: Excellent organizational skills to balance concurrent RFQs under tight customer deadlines, accompanied by concise verbal and written communication skills.

Education

• Technical college diploma or university degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Technology, Tool and Die, or a related discipline preferred; extensive practical manufacturing estimating experience will be fully considered in lieu of formal credentials.

Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate unites strong floor-level technical expertise with sharp commercial judgment. They can analyze a technical drawing, outline the optimal manufacturing sequence, and formulate a competitive estimate capturing the complete scope of work.
Methodical and responsive, they work seamlessly across Engineering, Operations, Quality, Purchasing, and Senior Leadership to produce accurate, fully documented, and realistic cost estimates.

Employment Equity
Our organization is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive team and supports equal opportunity recruitment practices.