POSITION SUMMARY
The Commercial Estimating Manager provides leadership, technical guidance, and cost analysis support to the Commercial Estimating team throughout the quotation and sales process, with a focus on Low Voltage Switchgear, Switchboards, Panelboards, and Busway. This position is responsible for managing Commercial Estimating activities, ensuring accurate and timely estimates, supporting competitive pricing, and maintaining technically sound proposals that meet customer requirements. The Commercial Estimating Manager assists with hiring new Cost Engineers, supports onboarding and training, provides ongoing coaching and mentoring, and participates in performance reviews and evaluations. This role collaborates with Sales, Application Engineering, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and other stakeholders to improve estimating accuracy, strengthen cost tools and processes, support team development, and drive consistent, customer-focused quote execution.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Manage and guide the Commercial Estimating team in developing clear, concise, technically sound, and cost-effective solutions for customer review and acceptance based on customer requirements and RFPs.
- Oversee cost estimating activities, equipment selections, and technical calculations to support Low Voltage Switchgear, Switchboards, Panelboards, and Busway applications.
- Ensure the Quote Configurator and related estimating tools are applied consistently to provide accurate, complete, and timely quote support.
- Assist in the hiring process for new Cost Engineers, including candidate evaluation, interview support, and selection recommendations.
- Lead onboarding and training for new Cost Engineers to ensure proper understanding of products, estimating processes, tools, customer requirements, and internal workflows.
- Provide coaching, mentoring, and day-to-day guidance to Cost Engineers to support technical development, workload prioritization, quality, accountability, and productivity.
- Participate in performance reviews and evaluations for Cost Engineers, providing feedback on technical performance, estimating accuracy, customer responsiveness, teamwork, and professional development.
- Review customer technical specifications, one-lines, scope documents, and project requirements to ensure cost estimates align with customer expectations while optimizing profitability and schedule commitments.
- Collaborate with Sales, Application Engineering, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and customers to resolve cost, scope, pricing, and technical questions throughout the quotation process.
- Drive continuous improvement of Commercial Estimating standards, estimating practices, quote tools, and process documentation.
- Maintain a positive, progressive, and productive team culture aligned with reliability, accountability, safety, integrity, quality, and productivity objectives; perform other duties as required.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Engineering Technology, Construction Management, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
- 10+ years of experience in electrical power distribution, including commercial estimating, cost engineering, application engineering, or technical proposals.
- 3+ years of people management experience, including experience leading managers or multiple technical teams.
- Working knowledge of medium voltage and low voltage switchgear, switchboards, panelboards, busway, or related power distribution equipment.
- Ability to interpret one-line diagrams, technical specifications, RFPs, and project scope documents and translate them into complete, accurate cost estimates.
- Experience managing estimating priorities, quote quality, and turnaround times across multiple product lines and customer opportunities.
- Strong understanding of equipment costs, labor assumptions, supplier quotations, and the factors that affect proposal profitability and delivery commitments.
- Demonstrated ability to coach technical leaders, develop team capability, and work effectively with Sales, Engineering, Operations, and Supply Chain.
- Strong communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Experience estimating engineered-to-order switchgear, busway, or integrated skid solutions for data center or industrial applications.
- Familiarity with UL 1558, UL 891, UL 67 equipment standards.
- Experience improving quote configurators, cost models, estimating data, or quotation processes.
- Experience supporting high-volume quotation activity across multiple manufacturing locations.
Preferred
PHYSICAL & ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS
TIME TRAVEL REQUIRED
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