The posting
We are hiring an Estimator / Project Manager to own custom fabrication projects from initial customer request through final delivery at our manufacturing facility in Oak Ridge, TN.
This is a true high-mix, low-volume job shop environment. Customers come to us with drawings, specifications, and unique fabrication needs. Your job is to determine:
- Can we build it?
- How should we build it?
- What will it cost?
- How long will it take?
- What needs to happen to get it delivered successfully?
From there, you will manage the project through machining, welding, electrical, and assembly, coordinating internal production, materials, outside vendors, schedules, and customer expectations. This is not a position where you estimate a job and hand it off. You will have ownership throughout the project lifecycle, serving as the link between the customer and the shop floor.
Why Join Us?
- Own Projects Start to Finish: Take projects from RFP and estimating through manufacturing and final delivery.
- True Job Shop Environment: Work on a constantly changing mix of custom projects rather than repetitive production.
- Technical Variety: Support projects spanning machining, welding, electrical, fabrication, and assembly.
- Customer Exposure: Build direct relationships with customers and become their primary point of contact.
- Cross-Functional Role: Work closely with engineering, purchasing, vendors, and skilled trades throughout the facility.
Compensation
- Starting Salary: Approximately $70k/yr
- M-F, ~7:00 A.M. - 3:30 P.M.
Requirements
Responsibilities
- Project Ownership: Manage multiple custom fabrication projects simultaneously from initial customer request through completion and delivery.
- Estimating: Develop labor, material, purchased component, outside-process, cost, and lead-time estimates for incoming projects.
- Manufacturing Planning: Determine how projects should move through machining, welding, electrical, assembly, and outside processes.
- Customer Management: Serve as a primary point of contact for assigned customers, communicating pricing, schedules, progress, questions, and changing requirements.
- Shop Coordination: Work directly with machinists, welders, technicians, assemblers, and engineers to answer questions and keep jobs moving.
- Scheduling: Manage project timelines and shop workflow while balancing multiple jobs with different priorities and delivery dates.
- Purchasing & Vendors: Coordinate with purchasing and outside suppliers to obtain pricing, materials, services, and accurate lead times.
- Technical Review: Review RFPs, drawings, blueprints, specifications, dimensions, and tolerances to understand project requirements and manufacturing feasibility.
- Problem Solving: Respond to changing drawings, material issues, vendor delays, shop constraints, and customer requests while keeping projects on track.
- Production Coordination: Participate in daily production meetings and provide updates on project status, requirements, bottlenecks, and delivery schedules.
- Inspection Support: Assist the machine shop with dimensional inspection and other technical project needs when necessary.
Qualifications
Required
- Manufacturing Background: Experience working in a manufacturing environment with an understanding of how parts move from drawings and raw materials through production and delivery.
- Project Management: Proven ability to manage projects, schedules, materials, customers, vendors, or production priorities.
- Customer Communication: Comfortable communicating directly with customers through both phone and email and taking ownership of follow-ups.
- Organization: Ability to manage numerous active projects and priorities without allowing deadlines, details, or customer commitments to fall through the cracks.
- Blueprint Reading: Ability to read and interpret manufacturing drawings, dimensions, tolerances, and technical specifications.
- Technical Aptitude: Working knowledge of manufacturing processes, materials, measuring equipment, and shop-floor terminology.
- Problem Solving: Able to adapt quickly when schedules, materials, drawings, or customer priorities change.
- Shop-Floor Communication: Comfortable working directly with machinists, welders, fabricators, technicians, engineers, and purchasing personnel.
Preferred
- Job Shop Experience: Experience in a high-mix, low-volume job shop or custom fabrication environment where every project may require a different manufacturing approach.
- Custom Fabrication: Experience supporting projects involving CNC machining, welding, fabrication, electrical work, and/or assembly.
- Estimating Experience: Experience developing manufacturing estimates involving labor, materials, purchased components, outside processes, and lead times.
- Engineering Background: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Technology, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline. Equivalent manufacturing experience will also be considered.
- CAD Experience: Familiarity with AutoCAD, Inventor, SolidWorks, or similar 2D/3D CAD software.
- GD&T / Inspection: Understanding of geometric tolerancing, dimensional inspection, gauges, and precision measuring equipment.
- Vendor Coordination: Experience sourcing materials or outside manufacturing processes and managing supplier pricing and lead times.
Benefits
- Medical & Vision Insurance
- Health Savings Account: Employer HSA contribution
- 401(k): Generous company matching program
- Paid Time Off: Competitive PTO package that increases with tenure
- Paid Holidays: Multiple company-paid holidays throughout the year
- Additional Paid Leave: Bereavement and jury duty leave
- Schedule Flexibility: Flexible scheduling opportunities available with tenure
- On-Site Amenities: Employee fitness and recreational facilities
