Customer Service & Estimating Representative

Columbia Packaging Group•Chino, CA

6d•$23 - $28•Onsite

About The Position

The Customer Service & Estimating Representative serves as a primary point of contact among customers, sales, estimating, purchasing, and internal operations teams. The role primarily supports the customer service function by managing customer orders, requirements, documentation, and communications throughout the order lifecycle. The position also cross-trains in estimating processes to provide assigned support and business continuity for the company's centralized estimating function. Customer service is the primary responsibility of the role; estimating activities are performed using established methods and in coordination with the primary estimator and Customer Service Manager. The representative is expected to deliver accurate, timely, and clearly documented work while providing professional and responsive customer service. The anticipated work allocation is approximately 75% customer service and 25% estimating support and cross-training. Priorities may shift based on customer demand, workload, employee absences, and business continuity needs.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Three to five years of experience in customer service, order processing, sales support, estimating support, purchasing, or a related administrative or coordination role involving direct customer interaction, including at least one year of experience in a manufacturing environment.
Strong mathematical, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Outlook, Word, and Teams.
Experience with ERP, order-management, estimating, production or comparable business systems.
Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining accuracy and clear documentation.
Professional written and verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Associate degree in Business, Supply Chain, Manufacturing Technology, Engineering Technology, or a related field.
Experience in a flexible-packaging, printing, or converting environment.
Experience preparing estimates, reviewing product specifications, or supporting pricing and margin analysis.
Experience coordinating materials, artwork, specifications, and production documentation.
Experience working cross-functionally with sales, purchasing, production, quality, and shipping teams

Responsibilities

Receive customer purchase orders and requests through email, sales coordination, or other approved channels.
Promptly acknowledge receipt of customer orders.
Review purchase orders for completeness before processing and resolve missing or conflicting information.
Verify customer pricing against approved quotes and initiate quote revisions when required.
Confirm product specifications, quantities, due dates, shipping requirements, and other order details match the customer purchase order.
Coordinate revised purchase orders with the customer before processing when discrepancies exist.
Coordinate new or revised specifications with customers and internal teams.
Enter customer orders into company systems accurately and in a timely manner.
Create and issue order acknowledgments to formally confirm order acceptance.
Maintain accurate order, item, material, and customer records throughout the order lifecycle.
Process approved order changes, cancellations, corrections, replacements, and returns.
Order or coordinate required materials, including film, according to approved job specifications.
Manage artwork preparation, revisions, plate requirements, and approvals with customers, prepress vendors, and internal teams when applicable.
Confirm materials, artwork, and specifications are complete and approved before release to production.
Generate, print, and assemble job documentation and production packets as required by workflow.
Prepare labels and other customer- or production-specific documentation.
Verify production paperwork accurately reflects the approved order, quote, artwork, and specifications.
Complete required quality checks and support manager audit or release requirements.
Proactively communicate order status, shipment details, delays, constraints, and changes to customers and internal stakeholders.
Work closely with sales, production, quality, purchasing, shipping, and other operations personnel to resolve order issues.
Support rush requests, shortages, corrections, replacements, complaints, and returns, including initiation of the appropriate internal process.
Coordinate with shipping and operations regarding customer delivery requirements and order status.
Cross-train on company estimating systems, methods, documentation, and approval requirements.
Prepare assigned new estimates and existing quote revisions using approved company methods.
Support routine estimating requests, workload peaks, and coverage during employee absences.
Review specifications, material assumptions, production configurations, quantities, and cost inputs for completeness and accuracy.
Escalate incomplete, unusual, or higher-risk estimating requirements to the primary estimator or responsible manager as applicable.
Maintain complete estimating records, internal notes, supporting calculations, approved pricing, quote revisions, and quote-pipeline information.
Coordinate with sales, purchasing, customer service, operations, and other subject matter experts to resolve missing or uncertain estimating inputs.
Participate in periodic estimating activities to maintain proficiency and backup readiness.
Perform assigned pricing and margin analysis using approved company methods and data.
Monitor assigned material costs and other estimating inputs and identify when quote updates may be required.
Identify and communicate potential value engineering opportunities that may improve cost, manufacturability, material use, or customer value for review by the primary estimator or responsible manager.
Support assigned reporting and analysis related to quotation activity, pricing, and conversion of estimates to orders.
Provide professional and courteous service while managing multiple customer accounts, orders, assigned estimates, and priorities.
Communicate regularly with customers and internal teams regarding customer activity, issues, trends, pricing, order patterns, and changes.
Develop and maintain a working understanding of flexible-packaging manufacturing processes to support accurate order processing, estimating, customer communication, and on-time delivery.
Send product samples as requested.
Maintain confidentiality and professionalism at all times.
Follow company safety, quality, and record-retention policies and procedures.
Perform special projects and other duties as assigned.
Maintain regular and reliable attendance for scheduled shifts.