Strategic Sourcing Cost Estimator

Ontic; Creedmoor (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical insurance

Competitive PTO, holiday pay, and sick

Company 401K plan with up to 4% match

Annual bonus program

Flexible working arrangements

Paid volunteering opportunities

Access to mental health champions

Commitment to development

Employee referral program

Job summary

Ontic in Creedmoor, NC, seeks a Strategic Sourcing Cost Estimator to join the Revenue Management team onsite. You will develop cost estimates, evaluate suppliers, and drive cost reduction opportunities across supply chain, engineering, and finance.

You will partner with Global Sourcing and leadership to shape supplier strategies, manage RFQs, and support pricing decisions, while leveraging BOMs and engineering data to validate assumptions.

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, Operations, or related field.
• 2-3+ years in strategic sourcing, procurement, supply chain, estimating, supplier management, or related function, preferably in aerospace/defense/manufacturing.
• Experience developing sourcing strategies and managing RFQ activity.
• Experience with pricing discussions: lead times, MOQs, tooling, capacity, terms, and cost reduction.
• Experience using ERP/MRP systems, historical purchasing data, supplier quotations, and market intel.
• Understanding BOMs, manufacturing processes, material cost structures, supplier economics, and key cost drivers.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specs, and technical documentation for sourcing/cost estimation.
• Strong commercial judgment to assess pricing, cost drivers, and sourcing alternatives.
• Proficiency in Excel for supplier comparisons, cost modelling, and scenario analysis.
• Strong negotiation, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Familiarity with aerospace/defense sourcing requirements or regulated supply chains preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain material and product cost estimates from supplier quotes, BOMs, engineering data, and market intel.
• Develop sourcing strategies balancing cost, quality, capacity, lead time, risk, and business needs.
• Lead RFQ activity for materials, components, equipment, and services.
• Identify alternative suppliers to improve competition and reduce cost.
• Evaluate supplier quotations for competitiveness, completeness, and cost reasonableness.
• Develop should-cost estimates, target costs, and supplier comparisons for negotiations.
• Work with suppliers to understand cost structures, tooling, MOQ, capacity, and other cost drivers.
• Support supplier negotiations with cost targets and market data.
• Analyze BOMs, drawings, specs, and manufacturing requirements to validate cost assumptions.
• Assess purchasing trends, supplier performance, market conditions, and alternative options.
• Partner with Global Sourcing and Supply Chain leadership on strategies including dual sourcing and cost reduction.
• Provide cost and sourcing insights to support new business, quotations, contracts, and pricing strategies.
• Support long-term agreements with cost models and pricing frameworks.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to align sourcing with business objectives.
• Develop reporting to improve visibility into supplier competitiveness and cost reduction opportunities.
• Present sourcing recommendations and savings opportunities to leadership.

Skills

Negotiation

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Excel

Read engineering drawings

BOMs understanding

Education

BA/BS in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, Operations

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

We are a fast-paced business with ambitious growth plans; so if you are dedicated, enthusiastic and always seeking ways to improve, you’ll enjoy a career with us!

Ontic is a leading global aerospace OEM trusted by the world’s aviation leaders. Ontic’s Creedmoor, NC, site is home to a number of specialist companies within the Ontic Group, including Firstmark, Twin Commander, and Metro Merlin. With over 1,400 employees across four time zones and nine sites, we have more than doubled in size since 2019 and are continuing to grow at pace.

Our team is looking for a Strategic Sourcing Cost Estimator to join the Revenue Management team , reporting to the Head of Revenue Management , with an onsite work structure in Creedmoor, NC.

The Strategic Sourcing Cost Estimator will provide strategic sourcing and cost estimating support focused on supplier strategy, material cost optimization, sourcing risk, and long-term competitiveness. This role will partner across Supply Chain, Strategic Sourcing, Engineering, Finance, Operations, and Revenue Management to develop cost estimates, evaluate suppliers, identify cost reduction opportunities, and provide commercial insight for pricing and sourcing decisions.

To be considered for the Strategic Sourcing Cost Estimator opening, here’s what you’ll need to bring with you:

• BA/BS degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, Operations, or a related field of study.
• 2-3+ years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, supply chain, estimating, supplier management, or a related function, preferably within aerospace, defense, or manufacturing.
• Experience developing sourcing strategies, managing RFQ activity, evaluating supplier proposals, and supporting supplier selection decisions.
• Experience working directly with suppliers on pricing, lead times, minimum order quantities, tooling, capacity, commercial terms, and cost reduction opportunities.
• Experience utilizing ERP/MRP systems, historical purchasing data, supplier quotations, and market intelligence to support sourcing and estimating decisions.
• Understanding of bills of material (BOMs), manufacturing processes, material cost structures, supplier economics, and key supply chain cost drivers.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and technical documentation to support sourcing and cost estimation.
• Strong commercial judgment with the ability to assess supplier pricing, identify cost drivers, evaluate sourcing alternatives, and determine cost reasonableness.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including supplier comparisons, cost modeling, scenario analysis, and decision-support tools.
• Strong negotiation, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills with the ability to influence sourcing and commercial decisions.
• Familiarity with aerospace/defense sourcing requirements, government contracting, or regulated supply chains is preferred.

As a Strategic Sourcing Cost Estimator, you will:

• Develop and maintain material and product cost estimates using supplier quotations, historical purchasing data, BOMs, engineering information, market intelligence, and sourcing assumptions.
• Develop sourcing strategies for new and existing requirements, balancing supplier capability, cost, quality, capacity, lead time, risk, and long-term business needs.
• Lead RFQ activity for materials, components, equipment, and services in support of new business, pricing, cost reduction, and strategic sourcing initiatives.
• Identify and develop alternative suppliers to improve competition, reduce cost, mitigate risk, and strengthen sourcing coverage.
• Evaluate supplier quotations and commercial proposals for competitiveness, completeness, sustainability, and cost reasonableness.
• Develop should-cost estimates, target costs, historical benchmarks, and supplier comparisons to support negotiations and sourcing decisions.
• Work with suppliers to understand underlying cost structures, manufacturing processes, tooling, minimum order quantities, capacity, and other commercial cost drivers.
• Support supplier negotiations with cost targets, market data, historical pricing, volume scenarios, and fact-based recommendations.
• Analyze BOMs, drawings, specifications, and manufacturing requirements to validate cost assumptions and identify key sourcing and cost drivers.
• Assess purchasing trends, supplier performance, market conditions, and alternative sourcing options to identify cost reduction and risk mitigation opportunities.
• Partner with Global Sourcing and Supply Chain leadership on supplier strategies, negotiation plans, dual sourcing, consolidation, and long-term cost reduction.
• Provide cost and sourcing insight to support new business, customer quotations, contract negotiations, and long-term pricing strategies.
• Support long-term agreement negotiations through cost models, escalation assumptions, volume scenarios, and supplier pricing frameworks.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure sourcing strategies and cost estimates align with business objectives and operational requirements.
• Develop reporting that improves visibility into supplier competitiveness, sourcing risk, purchase price trends, and cost reduction opportunities.
• Present sourcing recommendations, cost risks, and savings opportunities to cross-functional and senior leadership.

Our Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical insurance
• Competitive PTO, holiday pay, and sick leave
• Company 401K plan with up to 4% matched contribution
• Annual bonus program (varies by level and discretionary based on company and individual performance)
• Flexible working arrangements
• Paid volunteering opportunities
• Access to mental health champions across our sites
• Commitment to development
• Employee referral program

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