Pre-Sales Costing Associate

About Us

The Design Gallery is East Africas premier destination for luxury interior design representing an exclusive portfolio of premium European brands.

JOB PURPOSE

This role gives the commercial team dedicated costing personnel so that pricing accuracy is owned by a meticulous specialist. Working within Sales the Pre-Sales Costing Associate applies quantity-surveying discipline to every proposal before it is issued taking responsibility for measurement cost build-up pricing logic and margin integrity on each quotation. The result is consistent profitable and defensible pricing that allows the sales team to concentrate on closing deals and client relationships and gives management confidence that every number leaving The Design Gallery has been independently verified.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Costing and Quotation Accuracy

Produce and check proposal costings taking off measurements and confirming quantities against the design specifications and drawings.

Construct line-by-line quotations that set out buying price selling price and the profit margin on each item.

Test the pricing build-up across design fees installation and both local and imported sourcing to confirm it holds together.

Maintain a consistent costing methodology and templates to standardize quotation quality across all proposals.

Manage quotation revisions and version control as scope or specifications change during the pitch ensuring the current pricing is always clearly identified.

2. Specification Sourcing and Verification

Confirm specifications finishes and scope with the Design team before any pricing is locked.

Stay current on supplier and partner product ranges including new product introductions specification changes and pricing updates and factor these into costings and the pricing database.

Raise pricing risks scope gaps or measurement discrepancies internally before the quotation goes out.

3. Commercial Analysis and Value Engineering

Calculate gross margin and profitability on every quotation ensuring each proposal meets the companys minimum gross-profit targets for residential commercial hospitality and bespoke luxury projects.

Advise the Sales team where pricing should be adjusted to protect margin figures or improve pitch competitiveness.

Work to the clients stated budget where given advising the Sales team early where design intent or specification is likely to exceed it.

Account for and manage currency and import-cost exposure including exchange-rate movement freight and duty in the pricing of imported finishes and products.

Prepare pricing within the agreed margin and discount thresholds escalating any quotation that falls below target margin to leadership for approval before proceeding.

Identify value-engineering opportunities recommending alternative products or specifications that reduce cost without compromising quality or design intent.

Highlight commercial risks such as imported materials currency fluctuations long-lead items and unrealistic budgets before a quotation is issued.

4. Quality Control and Compliance

Review all final submissions for accuracy consistency and alignment with internal and external requirements.

Conduct quality checks on documentation identifying potential risks or discrepancies before submission.

Ensure compliance with internal and external standards throughout the quotation process.

5. Tender and Bid Administration

Register and track all incoming tender opportunities ensuring submission deadlines and scope requirements are logged immediately.

Coordinate the bid response process end to end: digest scope assign to supplier channels set internal deadlines and compile final submissions.

Prepare accurate Bills of Quantities cross-referenced against client briefs for review and approval before submission.

Conduct comparative analysis of supplier quotations to support pricing and margin decisions.

Maintain a live tender and bid register covering all active opportunities their status and outcomes.

6. Proposal Support and Cost Database

Support building of client-facing proposals keeping the costing and the presented document consistent with each other

Maintain pricing databases covering labour rates material costs supplier catalogues exchange rates and freight costs to keep estimates current and accurate.

Document commercial assumptions scope of exclusions and clarifications within each proposal to protect the company against disputes or mispriced scope.

Track and report on quotation turnaround time and accuracy.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Academic

Bachelors degree or diploma in Quantity Surveying Construction Management Project Management or any related field.

A background or exposure to interior design construction or architecture is an added advantage

Advanced Excel skills with comfort working with pricing templates and structured costing tools.

CAD software proficiency is mandatory

Mastery of CRM & Sales pipeline tools like Salesforce HubSpot or Zoho CRM to track client data

Accounting ERP software proficiency i.e. Odoo SAGE Zoho

Experience

2 4 years experience in Interior design construction or a similar project-based environment.

Demonstrated experience in costing and BOQs preparation.

Strong command of measurement take-offs and cost build-ups.

High attention to detail and comfort working with deadlines.

Working Knowledge of BIM (Building Information Modelling) will be an added advantage

Technical Competencies

Quantity surveying measurement and take-off using standard methods with accurate area volume and quantity calculation from drawings.

Strong numeracy including confident handling of rates percentages mark-up versus margin wastage allowances and currency conversion.

BOQ preparation and tender pricing.

Buying price selling price gross margin and value-engineering analysis.

Costing templates and structured pricing tools.

Ability to read and interpret design specifications drawings and finishes schedules.

Familiarity with AutoCAD or similar CAD tools sufficient to read and take off quantities from drawings (drawing production is not required).

Knowledge of local and international construction standards

KEY COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS

Costing Precision: Meticulous accuracy in measurement take-offs and margin calculation with zero tolerance for pricing error.

Numerical Precision: Accurate and confident with measurement rates and margin mathematics understanding the difference between mark-up and margin and applying each correctly.

Commercial Awareness: Understands how buying price selling price and margin affect deal profitability and pitch competitiveness.

Value-Engineering Mindset: Finds cost-saving alternatives that protect quality and design intent improving competitiveness without eroding margin.

Collaborative Partner: Works closely with sales design and suppliers to confirm scope and pricing before issue.

Organized and Deadline-Driven: Manages multiple live pitches simultaneously and delivers under pressure without compromising accuracy.

Integrity: Handles supplier pricing and commercial information with discretion and professionalism.