Estimating Manager

STS Aviation Group; Milwaukee (WI); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

STS Technical Services in Milwaukee, WI, seeks an Estimating Manager to lead a team of Sales Estimators and manage the quoting process from RFQ review to final pricing. You will collaborate with Sales, Engineering, Purchasing and Operations to improve accuracy, lead times, and pricing strategies.

The role emphasizes mentoring, establishing priorities, and developing performance metrics to support growth in a fast-paced engineer-to-order environment.

Qualifications

• Five+ years in estimating, quoting, project management, program management, engineering, manufacturing, fabrication, construction or related technical environment.
• Two+ years of leadership, supervisory or team lead experience.
• Experience reviewing engineering drawings and blueprints
• Experience working with bills of materials
• Experience reviewing technical product specifications
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, fabrication, industrial equipment or engineer-to-order project environments
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong problem-solving abilities
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Strong analytical skills
• Experience developing and tracking performance metrics
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel
• Proficiency with standard business software

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and develop a team of three or more Sales Estimators
• Establish departmental priorities based on business needs
• Review and approve complex quotations
• Review costing assumptions and high-value project opportunities
• Establish standard work procedures to improve consistency and effectiveness
• Assign quotes and monitor completion timelines
• Serve as the primary liaison between the Sales and Estimating teams
• Review incoming RFQs and customer requests
• Determine project scope, priority, completeness and resource requirements
• Distribute quoting opportunities across the estimating team and supporting functions
• Work with Sales leadership to align customer expectations with manufacturing capabilities and lead times
• Support Sales personnel with technical questions
• Provide guidance on quote strategy and pricing
• Ensure estimates accurately account for labor costs
• Validate material pricing assumptions
• Account for freight and subcontractor costs
• Collaborate with Engineering, Purchasing, Operations, Manufacturing and Project Management to validate pricing and production assumptions
• Review engineering drawings and blueprints
• Review bills of material
• Review specifications and project documentation
• Evaluate manufacturing complexity
• Assess resource requirements and project risks during the estimating process
• Support continuous improvement of estimating tools
• Improve pricing models and quote templates
• Partner with Program Managers and Project Managers regarding project budgets
• Evaluate schedule impacts during quoting and project changes
• Support change requests and customer revisions
• Assist with transitioning awarded projects from quotation into execution
• Coordinate across Sales, Engineering, Operations, Purchasing and Project Management
• Identify quote-to-order process bottlenecks
• Support improvements throughout the quote-to-order lifecycle
• Develop and track estimating performance metrics
• Track quote turnaround time
• Monitor win rates
• Track booked revenue
• Improve quote quality and responsiveness
• Drive operational efficiency within the estimating function
• Analyze historical estimating data and project outcomes
• Use past performance to improve future estimating accuracy
• Support forecasting and capacity planning
• Contribute to strategic growth initiatives

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Project management

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering / Construction Management / Manufacturing Technology / Business

Tools

Microsoft Excel

ERP systems

Smartsheet

Estimating platforms

Project tracking software

Job description

STS Technical Services is hiring an Estimating Manager in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to lead the estimating and quoting function for a growing manufacturing organization operating in a fast-paced engineer-to-order environment.

This role is responsible for managing estimating priorities, developing a team of Sales Estimators, improving quote accuracy and turnaround times, and serving as the primary connection between Sales and the estimating function.

The ideal candidate brings experience in technical estimating, manufacturing, fabrication, construction or engineer-to-order project environments and is comfortable balancing leadership, cost analysis, technical documentation and cross-functional coordination.

Position Overview

The Estimating Manager will lead and develop a team of three or more Sales Estimators while working closely with Sales, Engineering, Purchasing, Operations, Manufacturing, Program Management and Project Management.

This position oversees the quotation process from initial RFQ review through final pricing and project handoff. Responsibilities include validating costing assumptions, reviewing complex quotations, prioritizing departmental workload, improving estimating processes and developing performance metrics that support accuracy, responsiveness and business growth.

• Lead, mentor and develop a team of three or more Sales Estimators
• Establish departmental priorities based on business needs
• Review and approve complex quotations
• Review costing assumptions and high-value project opportunities
• Establish standard work procedures to improve consistency and effectiveness
• Assign quotes and monitor completion timelines

Sales and Customer Request Management

• Serve as the primary liaison between the Sales and Estimating teams
• Review incoming RFQs and customer requests
• Determine project scope, priority, completeness and resource requirements
• Distribute quoting opportunities across the estimating team and supporting functions
• Work with Sales leadership to align customer expectations with manufacturing capabilities and lead times
• Support Sales personnel with technical questions
• Provide guidance on quote strategy and pricing

Quoting and Cost Management

• Ensure estimates accurately account for labor costs
• Validate material pricing assumptions
• Account for freight and subcontractor costs
• Collaborate with Engineering, Purchasing, Operations, Manufacturing and Project Management to validate pricing and production assumptions
• Review engineering drawings and blueprints
• Review bills of material
• Review specifications and project documentation
• Evaluate manufacturing complexity
• Assess resource requirements and project risks during the estimating process
• Support continuous improvement of estimating tools
• Improve pricing models and quote templates

Project and Operations Coordination

• Partner with Program Managers and Project Managers regarding project budgets
• Evaluate schedule impacts during quoting and project changes
• Support change requests and customer revisions
• Assist with transitioning awarded projects from quotation into execution
• Coordinate across Sales, Engineering, Operations, Purchasing and Project Management
• Identify quote-to-order process bottlenecks
• Support improvements throughout the quote-to-order lifecycle

Metrics and Continuous Improvement

• Develop and track estimating performance metrics
• Track quote turnaround time
• Monitor win rates
• Track booked revenue
• Improve quote quality and responsiveness
• Drive operational efficiency within the estimating function
• Analyze historical estimating data and project outcomes
• Use past performance to improve future estimating accuracy
• Support forecasting and capacity planning
• Contribute to strategic growth initiatives

Required Qualifications

• At least five years of experience in estimating, quoting, project management, program management, engineering, manufacturing, fabrication, construction or a related technical environment
• At least two years of leadership, supervisory or team lead experience
• Experience reviewing engineering drawings and blueprints
• Experience working with bills of material
• Experience reviewing technical product specifications
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, fabrication, industrial equipment or engineer-to-order project environments
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong problem-solving abilities
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Strong analytical skills
• Experience developing and tracking performance metrics
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel
• Proficiency with standard business software

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing estimating, inside sales, project management or engineering support teams
• Background in heavy manufacturing
• Experience with large custom assemblies
• Familiarity with ERP systems
• Familiarity with Smartsheet
• Experience with project tracking software
• Experience with estimating platforms
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Manufacturing Technology, Business or a related field
• Experience supporting engineer-to-order manufacturing environments

About STS Technical Services

STS Technical Services is a Top 100 Staffing Firm that partners with leading aerospace, manufacturing, defense and industrial organizations across the United States. We connect skilled professionals with career opportunities where their experience can make an immediate impact.

Equal Opportunity Employer

STS Technical Services is an equal opportunity employer.