Planning and Estimating Manager

About the role

The Planning & Estimating Manager oversees the estimating process and the planning of awarded work, ensuring jobs are produced efficiently. This role includes assigning estimates to estimators, reviewing large and complex estimates and strategic RFPs, and overseeing standardized procedures, methods, and processes for estimating deliverables.

Responsibilities

• Assigns and oversees the daily workflow of the department, distributing incoming estimate requests to estimators based on workload, complexity, and expertise
• Reviews large, complex, and strategic estimates and RFPs before they are released, ensuring pricing accuracy, competitiveness, and alignment with company strategy
• Reviews estimates and provides feedback to estimating staff to both develop staff and improve estimate accuracy
• Participates in the development of departmental procedures and policy
• Provides constructive and timely performance evaluations

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Supervise and lead all estimating and planning processes and operations
• Lead the planning of all awarded work by partnering with production and scheduling teams to sequence jobs, allocate equipment and labor, and identify the most efficient path to run each job
• Maintain job progress against plan, identifying bottlenecks or inefficiencies, and proactively adjusting plans to keep jobs on schedule and on budget
• Compare estimated specifications and assumptions to actual production performance after job completion, using findings to improve both future estimate accuracy and planning decisions
• Create and implement department procedures
• Analyze and identify key areas of improvement in both estimating and job planning, applying cost estimation and production planning techniques to drive cost reductions and aid operational efficiency
• Review, analyze, and understand economic trends and consider risks and cost implications
• Conduct regular audits to detect and resolve problems

Requirements

• 5+ years related experience and/or training or equivalent combination of education and experience
• High degree of knowledge and understanding of a variety of print/manufacturing processes and components and ability to evaluate and analyze associated costs
• Strong understanding of production scheduling and capacity planning, with the ability to balance equipment, labor, and material constraints to maximize job efficiency
• Able to read and understand financial accounting and manufacturing performance reports

Qualifications

• The ideal candidate must be able to complete all physical requirements of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to lift up to 20 pounds at times
• Requires fine motor hand and arm movement, manual dexterity and coordination
• Must be able to access and navigate each department in the facility