Technical Estimator

OLIVER VALVES LIMITED; Knutsford; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

31 days annual leave

Pension with company contribution

Medical cash plan

Discretionary bonus after 1 year

Employee assistance programme

Job summary

Oliver Valves Limited in Knutsford seeks a Technical Estimator to bridge engineering and purchasing on multi-million-pound projects. You will translate complex drawings into accurate costs and manage a high-value spend, reporting to the Head of Purchasing.

The role focuses on quoting for bar, forgings, fasteners, optimizing total cost of acquisition while ensuring strict quality standards and on-time delivery.

Qualifications

• Engineering or machine shop background with ability to interpret drawings for pricing.
• Experience translating engineering specs into accurate costs.
• Understanding of metals commodity markets and standards.
• Ability to influence vendors and stakeholders to reduce costs and lead times.

Responsibilities

• Translate engineering requirements into competitive cost quotes.
• Lead on commodity pricing and drive total cost of acquisition.
• Monitor supplier capacity to keep production agile.
• Collaborate between supply chain and operations for seamless flow.
• Ensure quoted components meet technical specifications.

Skills

Machining know-how

Commodity markets

Negotiation

Syteline ERP

MS Office

Analytical mindset

Costing techniques

High-value spend management

Tools

Syteline ERP

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Role: Technical Estimator

Location: Knutsford, Parkgate Industrial Estate (office based)

Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 08:30 - 17:00

Can you look at a valve drawing and see the exact machining hours and material costs behind it? Were looking for a Technical Estimator to bridge the gap between engineering and purchasing for our multi-million-pound projects.

Reporting to the Head of Purchasing, youll take the lead on commodity pricing (forgings, fasteners, bar) and drive down the total cost of acquisition.

About Us

With over 45 years of valve technology innovations, Oliver Valves is a global leader in the design, manufacture, and supply of high-quality valves and valve systems, serving industries such as oil and gas, petrochemical, and other critical sectors. We have won recognised awards for Export, Manufacturing and Growth as well as the coveted Queens Award and more recently Kings Award for Industry. Were a profitable, privately owned, and fast-moving company looking for talented individuals to join our team and deliver our strategic objectives.

What Youll Be Doing

Unlike a standard procurement role, this position sits at the heart of our operations. You will be responsible for translating complex engineering requirements into competitive, accurate costs. Reporting directly to the Head of Purchasing, you will manage a multi-million pound spend, ensuring we secure the best total cost of acquisition without ever compromising on the stringent quality standards our industry demands.

• Precision Quoting: Generate competitive costs against client enquiries, specifically pricing key commodities including bar, forgings, and fasteners.

• Cost Optimization: Drive the reduction of total acquisition costs across raw materials, labour, machining, and finished components.

• Supply Chain Intelligence: Monitor supplier capacity to optimize lead times and ensure our production schedule remains agile.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Act as the bridge between the supply chain and internal operational departments to ensure seamless production flow.

• Quality Assurance: Ensure all quoted components strictly adhere to defined technical specifications and quality standards.

What Youll Bring

The ideal candidate doesn't just look at a drawing; they see the machining process behind it. To succeed, you will need:

• The Technical "Know-How": A solid engineering or machine shop background is essential. You must be able to interpret machine drawings to determine accurate pricing.

• Market Acumen: An excellent understanding of commodity markets and the technical standards of metals.

• Negotiation Power: Proven ability to influence vendors and stakeholders to achieve better costs and reduced lead times.

• Systems Fluency: Experience working within an integrated ERP system (Syteline would be advantageous) and proficiency in Microsoft Office.

• Analytical Mindset: Strong organizational skills with a track record of implementing successful costing techniques.

• Demonstrable experience in commodity management and reducing overall acquisition costs.

• Direct experience working with or within machine shops.

• Proven ability to manage high-value spend in a fast-paced engineering environment.

Whats On Offer?

We offer a collaborative environment where your technical expertise directly impacts the companys bottom line.

• A competitive salary that is negotiable based on skill and experience level.

• Discretionary bonus after 1 years service

• 31 days annual leave (inclusive of bank holidays) which increases with tenure.

• Pension with 5% employee contribution and 4% employer contribution.

• Medical cash plan benefits, covering essential healthcare costs such as dental treatment, check-ups, optical care, physiotherapy, and more.

• Long service awards, recognising your continued commitment.

• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme, offering free and confidential support.