CNC Manufacturing Cost Estimator & Production Planning Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

About the Role

Picture your day starting with a quick scan of new customer inquiries. You open SAP, confirm material availability, and shape a clear plan from initial quote to finished part. By mid‑morning, you’ve built precise cost models, tuned routings, and coordinated with the shop to validate tooling and program needs. In the afternoon, you’re aligning production priorities with the Scheduler and Production Manager, clearing exception messages, and ensuring every stakeholder knows what’s needed—and when—to deliver on time.

What You’ll Own Costing, Estimating & Master Data

• Create and maintain cost estimates within SAP, including accurate material masters, bills of material, and routings.
• Compare planned versus actual job costs post‑completion and implement corrections as required.
• Set and sustain production lot sizes, safety stock, and other master data to keep plans realistic and reliable.
• Partner with shop floor and engineering to clarify specifications and sharpen cost precision.
• Solicit and track quotes from outside service providers (OSPs) for new and ongoing processes.

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Provide dependable lead times in response to customer inquiries.
• Use SAP/FastPro to analyze capacity and materials, then plan and confirm sales orders accordingly.
• Initiate production orders, review new sales orders, and communicate must‑hit dates to internal partners.
• Align build priorities with the Production Scheduler and Production Manager.
• Monitor exception messages and quickly resolve schedule conflicts and production bottlenecks.

Process & Product Support

• Coordinate fixturing, tooling, CNC/CMM programs, and process documentation to support the shop.
• Follow through on new product launches to validate master data and schedule adherence.
• Implement revision changes and update all associated tools, fixtures, programs, drawings, and documents.
• Lead and contribute to continuous improvement, process optimization, and cost‑reduction efforts.

Cross‑Functional Communication

• Serve as the go‑to contact for Sales on delivery commitments, order status, and schedule movements.
• Coordinate seamlessly with suppliers, subcontractors, and internal teams.
• Keep stakeholders current on material positions, schedule changes, and job progress.

Compliance & Documentation

• Ensure ISO/AS9100 compliance across estimating, planning, and scheduling activities, including ITAR/EAR‑related work.
• Contribute to process documentation initiatives.
• Maintain controlled documents in SAP and related systems.

What You Bring

• Must be US citizen.
• High school diploma required; two‑year machine technology degree/certification preferred.
• 3+ years of manufacturing estimating and planning experience.
• Proficiency reading technical drawings with ASME/ISO standards; familiarity with GD&T.
• Strong machining background (milling, turning, drilling); exposure to high‑performance materials (molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten) is a plus.
• Working knowledge of SAP PP and MM preferred; other relevant software skills essential.
• Foundational understanding of MRP in a manufacturing setting.
• Self‑starter able to prioritize with minimal supervision.
• Detail‑driven problem solver with strong analytical skills.
• MS Office proficiency (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Clear communicator with solid organization and technical writing abilities.

Benefits & Compensation

• Medical: 90% employer‑paid with 100% deductible reimbursement
• Dental
• Vision
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Company‑paid life and disability insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Time‑off benefits
• And much more

Base compensation: $60,000–$85,000 annually, commensurate with experience and skill level.