Strategic Sourcing Cost Estimator

Ontic Engineering & Manufacturing Inc; North Carolina; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical insurance

Competitive PTO/holidays

401K with up to 4% matched

Annual bonus program

Flexible working arrangements

Paid volunteering opportunities

Mental health support

Development opportunities

Employee referral program

Job summary

Ontic is seeking a Strategic Sourcing Cost Estimator at its Creedmoor, NC site to support the Revenue Management team. You will develop cost estimates, evaluate suppliers, and identify cost reduction opportunities across engineering, finance, operations, and sourcing functions.

You will lead RFQ activity, partner with Global Sourcing, and provide commercial insight for pricing and sourcing decisions, all while working onsite in Creedmoor, NC.

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, Operations, or a related field.
• 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.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain material and product cost estimates using supplier quotations, BOMs, engineering information, market data, 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.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Procurement

Cost estimating

ERP/MRP

BOMs

Education

BA/BS degree in Supply Chain

Tools

Excel

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

About Ontic

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.

Role Overview

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.

Qualifications

• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.

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
• #LI‑Onsite

Equal Opportunity & Diversity

EEO/Minority/Female/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Disability/Veteran Compensation Pay Range

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex including sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Export Control Compliance

This position must meet export control compliance requirements.

To meet export control compliance requirements, a "U.S. Person" as defined by 22. C.F.R. §120.15 is required.

"U.S. Person" includes U.S. Citizen, lawful permanent resident, asylee, or refugee.

Company Overview

Ontic is a leading manufacturer to the world’s civil and military aircraft. By becoming the OEM to critical parts others originally developed, we provide continuity, availability and longevity to our customers’ fleets, supporting them for a lifetime of flight. Through our in‑house manufacturing and engineering, MRO, spares, and AOG support, we ensure certified, safety‑critical components remain available, compliant, and reliable across the full operational life of the aircraft we support. We use our expertise and experience to reduce supply chain risk, improve production outputs and deliver for our customers, so they can keep their aircraft flying now and in the future.