Cost Estimation Sales Engineer (Manufacturing)

Department: Sales & Marketing | Type: Full-Time | Reports To: Sales Engineer II

Picture your morning: an RFQ lands in your inbox. You pull drawings, break down materials and labor, and collaborate with sales to clarify scope. By midday, you’ve aligned with vendors on pricing and lead times. In the afternoon, you fine-tune a proposal—balancing technical soundness with commercial viability—before handing it off with confidence that it will win the work and deliver healthy margins.

Role Snapshot

• Translate customer RFQs into precise, itemized estimates covering materials, labor, timelines, and resources.
• Build competitive cost models for bids, vendor selection, and value analysis.
• Partner with customers, suppliers, and internal teams to resolve technical and pricing questions.
• Advise sales with technical insight and pricing strategy aligned to customer specifications.
• Review specs to recommend optimal configurations, installation approaches, and rollout strategies.
• Project effort and schedules; allocate resources thoughtfully to meet commitments.
• Validate proposals for accuracy, completeness, and quality before submission.
• Create and maintain cost-control tools, methods, and documentation to support budget management.
• Coordinate procurement inputs and cost data to support forecasting, risk assessment, and planning.
• Analyze cost and project performance to surface trends and continuous-improvement opportunities.
• Uphold ISO standards and company procedures throughout estimating and proposal workflows.
• Apply hands-on knowledge of manufacturing processes, materials, and estimating techniques.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Who Thrives Here

• You enjoy blending technical problem-solving with customer engagement.
• You bring sharp analytical skills and a detail-first mindset to estimating.
• You’re comfortable interpreting complex specifications and requirements.
• You communicate clearly with customers, vendors, and cross-functional partners.
• You operate well in a fast-paced manufacturing setting and seek process improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering, or related field preferred.
• 2–4 years of estimating experience, ideally in manufacturing.
• Proven experience building project cost estimates and interpreting technical requirements.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office and estimating tools; JobBOSS (ECI) preferred.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes, materials, and cost-estimating methods preferred.

Physical Requirements

• Effective vision and hearing, including close, distance, peripheral, depth perception, and focus adjustment.
• Frequent standing and walking throughout the day.
• Regular use of hands for handling, reaching, and operating office equipment.
• Sustained concentration and accuracy during detailed analytical work.
• Lift/move up to 25 lbs regularly and up to 50 lbs occasionally.

Why You’ll Love It Here

Join a growing manufacturer where your technical judgment and commercial savvy directly influence project outcomes and customer satisfaction. Collaborate with experts in engineering, sales, and operations to deliver innovative solutions and precise estimates that fuel company growth.

Compensation & Location

Pay Range:$71 - 88K
Location: Saint Paul, MN

Additional Proficiencies

• Bachelor's Degree
• Business-to-Business (B2B)