Cost Estimator

Overview

Responsible for preparing cost estimates for new program quotations and large-scale engineering changes. Quotation deliverables include piece price, tooling, capital equipment, process flows and engineering/design time. Interpret engineering BOMs, drawings and models to fully understand part requirements. Develop manufacturing and labor plans with an understanding of process capabilities across multiple locations. Determine baseline cycle times based on equipment or labor bottlenecks and assess total manufacturing hours and impacts to operations.

Assist with updating plant layouts for quotes, understanding material flow, current capacity, WIP requirements, and capital equipment footprints. Maintain and update capacity by piece of equipment and plant location. Analyze internal and external costs to ensure quote accuracy and competitiveness. Collaborate cross-functionally with Purchasing, Sales, Manufacturing, Plant and Corporate teams. Present business cases to executive management clearly and concisely, ensuring all financial metrics meet or exceed corporate targets.

Products/industry to be estimated will include automotive interiors.

• Must have automotive manufacturing background.
• Must have strong knowledge of automotive interiors plastic product structures, injected plastics, or very complex manufacturing commodities and processes.
• Must know how to prepare and cost for new program quotations and large-scale engineering changes, with quotation deliverables including piece price, tooling, capital equipment, process flows and engineering/design time.
• 5–8 years’ experience:

• Ability to develop a costed bill of material.
• Ability to interpret engineering data in various forms (drawings, CAD data, hand-sketches, BOMs) to understand part requirements.
• Understanding of labor routings and variable/fixed overhead structure cost drivers.
• Ability to develop manufacturing and labor plans with a full understanding of process capabilities across several locations.
• Determine baseline cycle times based on equipment or labor bottlenecks and understand total manufacturing hours and impacts to operations.
• Experience creating manufacturing plans and assessing plant capacity during the quote phase; skilled in capital requisition, tooling requisition, manufacturing labor, and takt time.
• Maintain and update capacity by piece of equipment and by plant location.
• Ability to function effectively within a cross-functional team to develop final product costing.
• Strong analytical skills for business case development to the quote stage.
• Strong engineering background (PE or ME) and understanding of labor routings and overhead cost drivers.
• Previous interiors costing estimation experience and a business/finance background.
• Travel:
  Yes, approximately 5%, to plants in the USA as needed.

Current process is all manual and done in Excel. Any AutoCAD background is preferred in terms of looking at CAD data. Strong interpersonal skills, ability to work with teams across manufacturing, plant personnel, and other departments to pull together the full financial picture. Ability to interpret customer requests and incorporate manufacturing needs such as safety, scaffolding, and pain points in the manufacturing plan when estimating for quotes.