Manufacturing Engineer Estimator

Location: Elmwood Park Chicago
Salary: $80000$120000 per year (based on experience)

Seeking a Manufacturing Engineer Estimator with experience in precision machining and manufacturing processes. This role is responsible for reviewing engineering drawings developing manufacturing plans and preparing accurate cost estimates for custom machined components. The ideal candidate has a strong machine shop background and can balance technical requirements with cost-effective production methods.

• Review blueprints CAD models and engineering drawings to determine manufacturing methods.
• Develop manufacturing routings and process plans for CNC milling turning grinding and inspection.
• Estimate setup times machining cycle times labor material tooling and production costs.
• Evaluate outside processing requirements including heat treating plating and specialty coatings.
• Identify manufacturing risks such as tight tolerances complex GD&T challenging materials and tooling requirements.
• Collaborate with engineering and production teams to ensure accurate and practical estimates.
• Support continuous improvements in estimating accuracy manufacturability and quoting efficiency.

• Experience in manufacturing engineering estimating or a precision machine shop environment.
• Strong knowledge of CNC machining machine setup and manufacturing processes.
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints engineering drawings and GD&T.
• Experience estimating machining cycle times tooling feeds and speeds.
• Proficiency with CAD/CAM software including SolidWorks AutoCAD and Mastercam.
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems such as ProShop JobBOSS or similar.
• Strong analytical organizational communication and problem-solving skills.

• Estimating custom short-run or precision-machined components.
• CNC programming or manufacturing process development.
• Job costing routing development and machine shop quoting practices.

• Consistently accurate and timely manufacturing estimates.
• Strong understanding of production costs and machining processes.
• Ability to identify manufacturing risks before production.
• Effective collaboration with cross-functional teams to support successful project execution.

If you have a strong machine shop background and enjoy developing accurate manufacturing estimates for precision-machined parts we encourage you to apply.