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Open nowPosted 20 days ago

Estimation Engineer

Workable (global search)108,016 open roles

Where
Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
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Your applicationOpen nowEstimation EngineerWorkable (global search) · Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

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The clock on this job

Early applications get read.

7.9% of postings close within 7 days. Measured by our own scanner across the market. Workable (global search) postings stay open a median of 7 days.

Share of postings closed within
  1. 1.6%1 day
  2. 3.6%3 days
  3. 7.9%7 days
  4. 14.9%14 days
  5. 34.0%30 days
This job: posted 20 days ago

Workable (global search) median: 7 days open

The posting

1. GENERAL PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

The Estimation Engineer is a vital, technically-grounded and commercially-focused professional role designed to engineer accurate, highly competitive cost estimates based on conceptual system designs.

Operating in a high-growth, project-based engineering environment, the Estimation Engineer carries responsibility for translating technical inputs (including customer specifications, RFIs, RFQs & Supporting drawings/Documents) into multi-tiered budget estimations and detailed commercial proposals. The function is required to prepare the most cost effective solution for integrating eHouse structures and variable speed drive systems—incorporating medium-voltage and low-voltage electrical hardware, switchgear, control panels, industrial HVAC, and fire suppression systems, as well as factory workshop integration and final on-site field installation, rigging, civil foundations, and commissioning costs.

2. CORE PORTFOLIO & KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

2.1 Bid & Proposal Engineering (External Portfolio)

Fulfill the bid engineering function to compile competitive, technically compliant commercial proposals:

  • Tender & RFQ Assessment: Receive and systematically review external tender documents, client-issued Requests for Information (RFIs), and Requests for Quotations (RFQs) to extract technical scope, mechanical/electrical requirements, and installation boundaries.
  • Application Understanding & System Architecture: Develop robust system architecture designs based on a granular understanding of heavy industrial applications.
  • Conceptual Engineering & Sizing: Execute conceptual electrical and mechanical engineering, including the selection and evaluation of variable speed drives (such as Rockwell PT6000T, Schneider ATV6100 or ABB ACS5080MV), MV switchgear assemblies (such as ABB SafePlus 36 or Schneider RMAirSeT), control/ IoT systems, energy & power quality metering, auxiliary transformers, industrial HVAC, and automated fire suppression systems.
  • Design Office Collaboration: Liaison with the eHouse design office to ensure that conceptual estimations are aligned with physical space constraints and coordinate the development of General Arrangement (GA) drawings and equipment layouts.
  • External Quote & Proposal Compilation: Draft and compile comprehensive, high-quality technical proposals and commercial quotes. Ensure that technical scope limits, exclusions, warranties, execution schedules, and payment milestones are clearly defined and presented.

2.2 Baseline Budgeting & RACI Alignment (Internal Portfolio)

Establish, verify, and maintain internal Level 0 (L0), Level 1 (L1), and Level 2 (L2) budgets to protect group profit margins and streamline projects:

  • Internal RFI Processing: Receive and analyze internal RFI/ technical input sheets completed by the sales/solutions teams. Ensure all required physical site parameters (such as motor nameplate specs, cable routing distances & civil slab locations) are present and verified before estimating.
  • Level 0 (L0) Budget Preparation: Develop L0 budgets during the S2 sales stage, triggered by known kWh savings and target CAPEX calculations, to determine commercial go-no-go viability. Utilize budget VFD quotes and last-ordered supplier pricing on a standardized budget template with +/- 20% target accuracy.
  • Level 1 (L1) Budget Preparation: Prepare and submit detailed L1 budgets during the S3 bidding stage, triggered by a signed client proposal. Ensure standard RFQ documents (drives, eHouses, HVAC, fire system, civil works, and logistics) are sent to suppliers and budget quotes are analyzed, updating the budget template as a detailed revision with +/- 10% target accuracy.
  • Level 2 (L2) Budget Preparation: Formulate detailed L2 budgets during the S5 close-win stage, triggered by a signed contract and schedule. Incorporate finalized engineering drawings and firm supplier quotes on the complete Scope of Work (SOW) to establish the project baseline budget with +/- 5% accuracy. Use this budget to guide supplier purchase orders (POs) and final cost control.
  • RFQ Control & Supplier Management: Control the RFQ process for L1/L2 budgeting by being very specific (i.e. referencing OEM part/model numbers, issue of drawings), enforcing specific itemized price breakdowns and managing sub-contractor expectations.

2.3 Engineering Liaison & Stakeholder Collaboration

Establish highly cohesive interfaces with internal operational, technical, and commercial stakeholders:

  • Technical-Commercial Bridge: Serve as the primary technical bridge connecting the pre-award sales/revenue teams with the post-award engineering, project management, and procurement teams to ensure zero discrepancies between estimated and executed scope.
  • Inter-Departmental Collaboration: Liaison regularly with Regional Project Engineers (PE) and the VP Engineering/PMO to ensure technical design decisions (including PLC programming, panel builds, cabling, and site civil works) are aligned with budget expectations.
  • Design Office Collaboration on GA Drawings: Work side-by-side with the eHouse design office to verify that the spatial and structural designs of eHouses and equipment layouts are fully synchronized with physical material estimations. Ensure layouts leave nothing to the imagination and mitigate risk of on-site spatial bottlenecks.
  • Frictionless Sales Cadence Support: Participate in fortnightly sales pipeline and CAPEX cadence meetings to review incoming L0 & L1 budget requirements, ensuring deadlines are achieved and priorities are dynamically managed.

3. ORGANIZATIONAL REPORTING & TEAM STRUCTURE

This position reports directly to the Group Supply Chain Manager, who in turn reports directly to the VP of Operations. The role is situated within the structured supply chain, procurement, and estimating function of Energy Drive, which works in dual alignment with both the global commercial sales and local/ regional engineering teams.

The team structure operates as a high-cohesion unit. The Estimation Engineer has no direct reports but works in tight daily alignment with the regional Project Engineers to obtain real-time equipment cost feedback and design confirmations, keeping pre-award cost estimation models highly accurate and dynamically aligned with global market rates.

Requirements

4. SUCCESS PROFILE

4.1 Technical & Academic Knowledge

  • Bachelor’s Degree, National Diploma, or equivalent qualification in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related quantitative technical discipline.
  • Deep technical literacy regarding industrial eHouse systems: MV/LV Variable Frequency Drives, MV Switchgear assemblies, PLC/ IoT systems, HVAC, Fire Suppression.
  • Solid conceptual knowledge of control systems: PLCs, instrumentation networks, and auxiliary transformer sizing.
  • Sound understanding of heavy industrial applications, mechanical power dynamics, and thermodynamic principles is preferred.
  • Technical proficiency in interpreting complex engineering drawings, general arrangements (GAs), P&IDs, single-line diagrams (SLDs), and mechanical and electrical multi-line drawings.
  • Understanding of rate of exchange (ROE) update tracking, Incoterms 2020 guidelines, global logistics (breakbulk, abnormal heavy road haulage, crane lifts, and ocean freight), and strategic supplier vetting.
  • Proficiency with Salesforce, ClickUp, cost estimation software, and advanced analytical pricing models in Microsoft Excel is preferred.

4.2 Required Experience

  • Minimum of 3+ years of progressive experience in cost estimation, bid engineering, proposal preparation, or conceptual design within an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC), systems integration, or heavy industrial machinery environment.
  • Proven experience in receiving, reviewing, and analyzing complex technical RFIs and external bidding tenders containing multi-million-currency scopes.
  • Demonstrated track record of preparing highly accurate Level 0 (L0), Level 1 (L1), and Level 2 (L2) budget estimates on standardized pricing templates.
  • Prior experience in managing supplier RFQ processes, running proposal commercial adjudication, and negotiating high-value itemized bids.
  • Experience collaborating with draftsmen, engineering managers, and design specialists to compile GA layout drawings and ensure precise design-to-estimate alignment.
  • Eligibility to work in South Africa.

Benefits

Discovery Group Life benefit

Discovery Medical contribution

Gap Cover contribution

Cell Phone allowance

Bonus scheme

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