Advanced Manufacturing Engineer & Quoting Specialist

Job Listing Quick Facts

Company Name: Acme Industries
Location: Elk Grove Village, IL
Employment Type: Full Time
Category: Engineering
Pay: $90000 - $130000 per year View All Jobs at Acme Industries

Acme Industries is a contract manufacturer serving Fortune 500 clients with high-quality precision components. We specialize in medium-volume, medium-mix production for aerospace, defense, power generation, mining, transportation, and other industries.

Benefits begin immediately:
Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA, Flexible Spending, Life Insurance, and Short- and Long-Term Disability.

The Position:

We are seeking a senior-level Advanced Manufacturing Engineer & Quotation Specialist to develop fast, accurate, and competitive quotations for complex precision-machined components while providing advanced manufacturing engineering leadership. This role is ideal for a highly experienced CNC machining professional with advanced CAM expertise and a strong background in aerospace/defense quoting.

The successful candidate will balance speed and technical accuracy, using engineered approximations, rapid CAM-based strategy modeling, machining history, and expert judgment to generate reliable cycle-time and cost estimates under tight deadlines. Beyond hands-on quoting, this role plays a key part in advancing systems, digital tools, templates, and technologies that improve quoting speed, accuracy, and consistency.

Job Duties:

Advanced Manufacturing Engineering & CAM (for Estimating, Not Full Production)

• Use Top Solid (preferred), Esprit, or Mastercam to generate rapid conceptual toolpaths, machining strategies, or partial simulations to support accurate cycle-time estimation.
• Develop high-level machining plans including work holding concepts, operations sequencing, tool selections, and strategy templates for 3-, 4-, and 5-axis machining.
• Apply expert machining judgment to make fast, reliable cycle-time estimates without requiring fully detailed programming unless complexity demands it.
• Leverage digital libraries, previous machining data, and templated strategies to shorten quoting time.
• Provide DFM guidance, identify cost drivers, and collaborate with customers on manufacturability improvements.

Quotation Engineering

• Review RFQs, engineering drawings, CAD models, and technical data packages from aerospace, defense, power generation, rail, mining, and related industries.
• Develop complete cost models covering labor, machining, programming, materials, tooling, quality, inspection, and outside processes (coatings, heat treat, paint, etc.).
• Produce competitive quotes that blend technical rigor with rapid turnaround, using a structured balance of machine simulation, templated estimates, and history-based assumptions.
• Prepare formal quotation packages including pricing, lead times, technical notes, risk assessments, and deviations.
• Support customer bid reviews, cost justifications, and pre-award discussions with engineering-backed reasoning.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Leadership

• Work closely with engineering, quality, supply chain, and operations to ensure feasibility and alignment with shop capabilities.
• Interpret and ensure compliance with AS9100, ITAR, DFARS, NADCAP, and customer-specific requirements.
• Support long-term and strategic pricing initiatives, including quantity breaks, blanket agreements, and recurring program cost models.
• Build and refine quotation templates, machining libraries, and digital estimation tools to improve speed and accuracy.
• Contribute to the development of AI/ML-assisted quoting technology, machining-feature recognition, and automated cycle-time tools.
• Maintain quote history, performance metrics, win/loss analysis, and priors to continuously improve estimating accuracy.

The Right Person/What we need from you:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent technical discipline.
• 5+ years of CNC machining and manufacturing engineering experience in a high-precision environment.
• Advanced CAM experience:
• Previous experience with SmartCAM
• Also accepted:
  Esprit, Mastercam, NX, others
• Proven track record of quoting machined components in aerospace/defense or a closely related industry.
• Ability to generate rapid, reliable cycle-time estimates using expert machining knowledge, partial CAM, templates, and historical data.
• Strong understanding of complex multi-axis machining, tight tolerances, and exotic materials (Stainless steels, titanium, hardened steels, etc.).
• Fluency in GD&T, MIL-SPECs, customer specifications, and technical documentation.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and cost estimation tools.
• Excellent communication, documentation, and technical writing skills.
• S. Citizenship or Permanent Residency due to ITAR requirements.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Working knowledge of AS9100, DFARS, ITAR, and NADCAP compliance.
• Hands-on experience with fixture design, tooling strategies, and work holding optimization.
• Background in machining simulation,…