Senior Aircraft Maintenance Estimator - Heavy-Check Bids

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

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.