Estimator

Boardroom Appointments; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 350,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

Boardroom Appointments in Jet Park, Gauteng, seeks an experienced Estimator to manage tender requests, prepare accurate and profitable quotations for import, export and cross-trade shipments across air, sea and road freight.

The ideal candidate has 5–10 years of multimodal freight estimation experience, strong planning and negotiation skills, and is familiar with DG and African trade routes.

You will liaise with internal teams, meet deadlines, and ensure quotations are commercially viable.

Qualifications

• Matric required.
• 5–10 years’ experience in sea, air and road freight imports and exports.
• Experience in load planning and cargo weight assessment.
• Wide geographical knowledge.
• Knowledge of DG (dangerous goods).
• Understanding shipping requirements for Africa.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and Excel.
• Strong planning, organisational and communication skills.
• Proactive, tenacious and customer-focused.

Responsibilities

• Prepare estimates and pricing for import, export and cross-trade shipments.
• Price specialised cargo (breakbulk, bulk, RoRo, heavy-lift, out-of-gauge).
• Prepare local delivery quotations for varying loads.
• Obtain and evaluate customer requirements; maintain records of quotations.
• Ensure quotations are accurate, viable and timely.
• Process quotations and submit tenders to tender desk.
• Negotiate rates with third-party providers when requested.
• Manage customer logistics requirements and quotations based on service and cost.
• Coordinate with internal departments and hand over to operations.
• Liaise with network and customers for efficient service.
• Prepare status reports and handle admin duties.
• Follow procedures, HSE and legislation; report hazards and incidents.
• Participate in workplace improvements.

Skills

Planning

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Customer-focused

Proactive

Education

Matric

Tools

Microsoft Office

Excel

Job description

Estimator

Location: Jet Park, Gauteng
Department: Commercial
Industry: Freight Forwarding, Logistics and Supply Chain

Position overview

An opportunity is available for an experienced Estimator to manage tender requests, prepare accurate and profitable quotations, and ensure submissions meet customer requirements and deadlines. The successful candidate will have strong multimodal freight knowledge across air, sea, road and cross-trade shipments, including specialised cargo and African trade routes.

Key responsibilities

• Prepare estimates and pricing for import, export and cross-trade shipments across air, sea and road freight.
• Price specialised cargo, including breakbulk, bulk, RoRo, heavy-lift and out-of-gauge shipments.
• Prepare local delivery quotations for loads of varying sizes.
• Obtain and evaluate customer requirements, respond to enquiries and maintain accurate records of quotations and customer interactions.
• Ensure all quotations are accurate, commercially viable and submitted within the required deadlines.
• Process quotations and submit tenders to the tender desk for completion.
• Negotiate rates with approved third-party service providers when requested by clients or the network.
• Manage customer logistics requirements and negotiate quotations based on service quality and cost.
• Coordinate with internal departments, hand over shipments to operations and complete handovers for new business.
• Liaise daily with the relevant network and communicate with customers to ensure an efficient service experience.
• Prepare status reports when requested and handle general administrative duties.
• Follow company procedures, quality, health and safety requirements, and applicable legislation.
• Report hazards, incidents and injuries, and participate in initiatives to improve workplace systems.

Minimum requirements

• Matric.
• 5–10 years' experience in sea, air and road freight imports and exports.
• Experience in load planning and assessing cargo weights.
• Strong worldwide geographical knowledge.
• Sound knowledge of truck and vessel types, loading equipment and container types.
• Dangerous goods (DG) knowledge.
• Understanding of shipping and transport requirements, particularly for destinations across the African continent.
• Computer literacy, including proficiency in Microsoft Office and Excel.
• Strong planning, organisational and communication skills.
• Proactive, tenacious and customer-focused approach.

Ideal candidate

The ideal candidate will be commercially minded, detail-oriented and experienced in multimodal freight estimation. They must be able to assess complex cargo requirements, negotiate competitive rates and deliver accurate, profitable quotations within tight deadlines while maintaining strong customer and internal relationships.

Only candidates who meet the essential requirements will be considered.