Estimating Specialist

The Gund Company • Cedar Lake, IN

21h

About The Position

Overview Join The Gund Company, where you will find friends who will support and challenge you to crush goals that provide amazing growth opportunities. We are in the business of electrical insulation manufacturing, but we really pride ourselves in just being a group of fun, driven, problem solvers who LOVE what we do! The Gund Company: Take Care of Each Other, Take Care of the Customer and Take Care of the Business Job Summary The Estimating Specialist focuses on determining the best process cost structure to meet our customer requirements. Based on understanding our best process cost structure, the Estimating Specialist works with the customer service and sales teams to prepare quotations to meet our customer requirements. Responsible for cost estimate of labor and materials on proposed projects for bid. Analyzes details of projects to be bid and works closely with engineering and production staff to assure accuracy of cost estimates. Requires extensive knowledge of products and service. Capable of performing tasks in multiple areas of the functional discipline, but will be a content expert in one or more. Work assignments require deep discipline-specific knowledge and/or experience and this individual will be sought out to address problems questions. Work activities involve regular communication with individuals both internal and external to the company. With limited oversight, this individual will document and administer processes and lead interdisciplinary teams in process improvement initiatives.

Requirements

• Three to five years’ experience with custom manufacturing quoting processes.
• Outstanding Excel skills including formulas, lookup tables, and ODBC links.
• Proficiency creating written and pictorial documentation of manufacturing processes, especially for the purpose of documenting capability and best process cost structures.
• Experience with computer software including MS Office and ERP software.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in low volume, high variety manufacturing a plus
• Experience working as a machinist or craftsman a plus
• Experience working in an ISO quality environment a plus
• Associates Degree and Relative Certifications a plus

Responsibilities

• By market/facility, become an expert in the product line, production capabilities, and cost structure related to satisfying our customer’s requirements.
• Assist in customer requirement review including specifications and drawings.
• Coordinate any customer specification deviation requests.
• Visit TGC facilities participating in GEMBA and Kaizen activities to understand and document our process capability and related cost structure.
• Develop and improve costing calculators and models by product line to drive the efficiency and accuracy of the quoting process.
• Using TGC’s quoting calculators and Visual Estimating Window, create the costing models that allow TGC to competitively quote customer requirements based on leveraging our company’s global competitive advantages.
• Utilize and continuously improve automated quoting module PCM.
• Participate in the Quote follow-up process in order to understand “what it will take to earn the business” while working with the sales and service team to make necessary quotation adjustments.
• Participate in the ‘after’ Quote process (After Action Review – AAR) in order to understand the customer’s feedback and analyse our process capability for improvement opportunities via Kaizen activities.
• Lead the implementation of the Gross Profit Review Process in coordination with the Production Manager, Value Stream Manager, and/or the Market Manager.
• Identify gross profit losers including the investigation of root cause and the corresponding correction action.
• Identify gross profit excessive winners to provide a proactive price decrease to customers as necessary.
• Update Engineering Masters as necessary to reflect best cost process steps and related times.
• Assist in leading Kaizen events and ensure that the best cost fabrication practices are documented, implemented and maintained.
• Share Kaizen event results (Yokoten) with other facilities while learning from the best practices of other facilities based on their Kaizen events.
• Develop, implement, and improve process instructions and standard works.
• Take ownership of the red pen improvement process.
• Maintain functional excellence in processes related to area of functional specialization.
• Advise and influence business leaders as required to ensure legal/regulatory compliance and positive business outcomes.
• Maintains process documentation and provides training and training materials that allow others to administer processes with limited direction.
• Mentors and develops peers in area of functional expertise.
• Leads/facilitates process improvement activities utilizing lean tools and techniques.

Benefits

• Our employees have a vested interest in our Company’s success. The Gund Company is 30% employee-owne d through our ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan). Shares are awarded each year based on a calculation that takes into consideration our Company’s financial profitability, employee tenure, and earnings. There is no out-of-pocket investment required!
• A safe and healthy work environment
• Competitive wages
• Comprehensive, cost-effective employee benefits: Health, Dental, Vision, Life, and Disability
• 401(k) retirement savings program with a 50% employer match up to 6% of contributions
• Regular employee feedback through our IDP (Individual Development Plan)
• According to the Gallup Q12 employee survey method, The Gund Company is ranked “world-class” regarding employee engagement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees