PEM SENIOR ESTIMATOR

Airborne Maintenance & Engineering Services; Tampa (FL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO

Company holidays

401(k) with 5% match

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Company-paid life insurance

Short- and long-term disability

Ongoing training and development

Job summary

Airborne Maintenance & Engineering Services is seeking a Senior Estimator to develop labor-hour estimates for airframe maintenance, modifications, and repairs across multiple aircraft platforms. The role translates customer scopes into accurate forecasts to support bids, HMVs, and budgeting.

The Senior Estimator collaborates with Contracts, Planning, Operations, Engineering, and Finance to ensure compliant, competitive, and executable proposals, while mentoring junior estimators as needed.

Qualifications

• 5–10 years in aircraft maintenance, planning, estimating, or related aviation roles.
• At least 1 year as Estimator at Airborne Maintenance and Engineering Services.
• Experience leading complex estimates valued at $500K+ to multi-million dollars.
• Proven ability to mentor, train, and develop junior estimators.
• Strong understanding of task card structures, maintenance program logic, MRO processes, and heavy check operations.
• Read SBs, ADs, engineering drawings, AMMs, SRMs, IPCs, and customer program requirements.
• Evaluate estimate risk, contingency requirements, and schedule impacts.
• Strong manpower planning and critical path understanding.
• Advanced Excel skills with pivot tables, power query, and labor modeling.
• Collaborate with Contracts, Operations, Engineering, Finance.
• Excellent presentation and communication with customers and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead estimator for proposals, standards, and estimator development.
• Serve as primary technical resource for complex maintenance estimates.
• Establish and maintain estimating standards, labor factors, and best practices.
• Develop estimating databases, historical labor libraries, and benchmarking tools.
• Analyze multiple aircraft types to determine fleet labor variations and work package complexities.
• Mentor, train, and guide current estimators.
• Review estimates for accuracy before Contracts for approval.
• Identify process improvements to improve bid turnaround and forecast reliability.
• Prepare detailed labor-hour estimates for customer proposals and bid timelines.
• Collaborate with Contracts & Planning to align with terms and rates.
• Support pricing by ensuring accurate roll-ups of labor, materials, tooling, and third-party services.
• Provide technical justification during negotiations and approvals.

Skills

Aircraft maintenance

Estimating experience

Mentor junior estimators

Task cards & MRO

SBs & ADs comprehension

Excel advanced

Labor modeling

Cross-functional collaboration

Presentation skills

Education

FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) Certificate

Tools

Maintenance planning systems

Digital task card platforms

Job description

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF POSITION

The Aircraft Maintenance Senior Estimator is responsible for developing/Reviewing labor and cost estimates for airframe maintenance, modification, and repair services across multiple aircraft platforms. This role converts customer work scopes, task cards, and engineering documents into accurate labor-hour forecasts that support competitive bids, heavy check planning, and program-level budgeting.

The Senior Estimator leverages strong technical knowledge-often gained through prior mechanic experience-to determine realistic man-hour requirements and sequencing considerations for C-checks, heavy maintenance visits (HMVs/HMV-like events), cargo conversions, structural repairs, and special projects. The role serves as a key partner to Contracts, Planning, Operations, Engineering, and Finance to ensure proposals are consistent, compliant, competitive, and operationally executable.

The Senior Estimator would also be responsible to mentor and train Estimators as needed.

BENEFITS

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)

• Paid company holidays

• 401(k) retirement plan with 5% company match

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Company-paid life insurance

• Short- and long-term disability coverage

• Ongoing training and professional development opportunities

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

1. 5-10 years of experience in aircraft maintenance, planning, estimating, or related technical aviation roles with minimum of 1 year employment as Estimator at Airborne Maintenance and Engineering Services

2. Demonstrated experience leading complex aircraft maintenance estimates valued at $500K+ to several million dollars annually

3. Proven ability to mentor, train, and develop junior estimators and estimating process.

4. Strong understanding of task card structures, maintenance program logic, MRO processes, and heavy check operations.

5. Ability to read and interpret SBs, ADs, engineering drawings, AMMs, SRMs, IPCs, and customer program requirements.

6. Ability to evaluate estimate risk, contingency requirements, and schedule impacts

7. Strong understanding of aircraft maintenance, critical path analysis, and manpower planning

8. Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, power query and labor modeling tools.

9. Ability to work collaboratively with Contracts, Operations, Engineering, and Finance.

10. Excellent presentation and communication skills with customers and executive leadership.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

1. FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) Certificate.

2. Experience in a Part 145 MRO environment.

3. Experience estimating heavy maintenance programs for multiple Aircraft fleet types

4. Experience supporting customer proposals, pricing, or contract development.

5. Experience with maintenance planning systems and digital task card platforms.

6. Prior supervisory or lead estimator experience.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY AREAS AND DUTIES

1. Function as the lead estimator for the organization in matters related to proposal support, estimating standards and estimator development.

2. Serve as the primary technical resource for complex and non-standard maintenance estimates

3. Establish and maintain estimating standards, labor factors, and estimating best practices

4. Develop and maintain estimating databases, historical labor libraries, and benchmarking tools

5. Analyze multiple aircraft types (e.g., B737, B757, B767, A321, ATR, CRJ) to determine fleet-specific labor variations and work package complexities.

6. Mentor, train, and provide technical guidance to current Estimators

7. Review estimates prior to being sent to Contracts for accuracy, completeness, and technical validity.

8. Identify process improvements that improve bid turnaround time, estimate consistency, and forecast reliability.

Bid & Proposal Support

1. Prepare detailed labor-hour estimate summaries for incorporation into customer proposals, including support for TAT expectations and program scheduling.

2. Collaborate with Contracts & Planning to ensure that estimates align with commercial terms, rate structures, and customer-specific requirements.

3. Support pricing development by ensuring accurate roll-ups of direct labor, materials assumptions (as required), special tooling, and third-party services.

4. Provide technical justification for estimates during customer negotiations, internal reviews, and senior leadership bid approvals.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

1. Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

2. Ability to type and read multiple documents and computer screens for extended hours.

3. Work is primarily performed in a climate-controlled office environment.

4. Noise level is typically moderate and consistent with a standard office setting.

5. Ability to communicate professionally verbally and in writing.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Protected Veterans / Individuals with Disabilities

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