Estimator

Job Purpose:

To provide costing and pricing of products (including labor, equipment, materials, and services) for all outgoing quotes and tenders, and to manage cost data on the ERP system.

 Key Results Area:
Administration:

Complete breakdown and variance analyses (price, usage, efficiency); analyze drawings; and prepare accurate time, cost, and material estimates in line with departmental standards.
Maintain and update ERP master data, including Item Master/Branch information and GL Class Codes, ensuring all entries meet quality and governance standards.
Produce and maintain accurate Bills of Materials (BOMs) for each item to support manufacturing and costing accuracy.
Maintain and update the supplier directory on a quarterly basis to ensure current and reliable sourcing information

Cost Management:

Maintain and update the cost database, including benchmarking to industry standards, performing cost roll-ups (simulate and freeze), and ensuring system accuracy after new item setup or changes.
Estimate manufacturing times and material costs using the relevant database and conduct variance analysis where required.
Calculate and review selling prices using agreed markups in line with the sales budget or product class, and compare product cost to selling price to provide feedback.
Maintain and distribute accurate price lists, including issuing new price lists to Sales and updating customer price lists upon request

Customer Satisfaction:

Submit accurate pricing to Sales within agreed timelines.
Coordinate with Procurement, the Drawing Office, and relevant departments to resolve supplier costing, BOM, routing, and sales order issues.

Estimated Workflow (where applicable):
Define the scope of work (material, fabrication, etc.) within 24–48 hours
Identify all scope elements requiring costing.
Develop costing formulas, equations, or spreadsheets using cost data where standard ERP costing methods are unavailable
Product Data Management:

Build and maintain accurate Bills of Materials (BOMs), routings, and Item Master data using drawing information and standard nomenclature to support manufacturing and costing accuracy.
Source and update supplier costs for BOM components and buyout items to ensure accurate cost inputs.
Establish and update standard costs by applying standard cycle times, recovery rates, and revised manufacturing processes or rates.
Record and maintain tender and enquiry information in the relevant document management system.

Reporting:

Prepare and submit accurate costing reports to management for review and approval within agreed timelines.
Analyze trend data where applicable.
Present all expected costs to management for review, approval, and acceptance.
Run weekly reports (e.g., Zero Cost Report, Integrity Report, Invoice Order Report).

Attention to detail:
Accomplishes tasks by ensuring all steps in a process or procedure have been completed and checking work for errors or omissions before submission
Communication:

Organises communication by clarifying purpose and importance, stressing major points, and following a logical sequence.
Ensures understanding by seeking input from the audience, checking comprehension, and presenting messages in different ways to ensure clarity.
Comprehends communication from others by attending to messages, correctly interpreting information, and responding appropriately

Decision Making:

Identifies issues, problems, and opportunities by recognizing when action is needed.
Gathers information by identifying the need for and collecting relevant data to better understand issues, problems, and opportunities.
Chooses appropriate action by formulating clear decision criteria, evaluating options by considering implications and consequences, and selecting the most effective solution

Follow Up:
Communicates timeframes by building due dates into assignments and task delegations. Effectively communicates milestones and expects results.
Gathers appropriate information by asking questions to obtain relevant information and seeking feedback from those directly involved
Planning and Organising:
Prioritises work by identifying more critical and less critical activities and assignments, and adjusts priorities when appropriate.
Schedules tasks by allocating appropriate amounts of time to complete own and others’ work, avoids scheduling conflicts, and develops timelines and milestones
Problem Solving:
Takes initiative to proactively solve problems when they occur
Quality Orientation:
Ensures high-quality output by vigilantly monitoring job processes, tasks, and work products to ensure they are free from errors, omissions, or defects
Takes action: initiates steps to correct quality problems or notifies others of quality issues as appropriate