Estimating Manager

What We Do At Inland:

Join our dynamic team at Inland Packaging, a leading local label and packaging manufacturer. We are currently seeking a dedicated and enthusiastic Estimating Manager to be part of our growing family. As a global supplier, Inland proudly produces 30 billion labels annually for renowned brands such as Kraft Heinz, New Glarus Brewing, Purina, AriZona, Coors Light, and many more.

At Inland, we are a family-owned business committed to innovation and excellence. We invest in state-of-the-art technology and offer comprehensive on-the-job training, ensuring endless opportunities for career advancement.

Job Summary:

The Cost Estimating Manager is responsible for leading the Estimating, Quotation, and Cost Analysis processes for Inland. This role will also be accountable for developing the Estimating team, with an emphasis on maximizing each member's potential. The position entails challenging existing processes and either refining or creating new ones to provide valuable intelligence to the organization. The Cost Estimating Manager is essential to Inland’s growth and margin protection by evaluating trends in current and prospective market segments in support of the company’s strategic market analysis.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This list of essential functions is not exhaustive and may be supplemented as necessary.

• Manages day-to-day activities of all staff to ensure value added activities and alignment with overall company strategic plans and focus areas.
• Continually strives to improve processes and add efficiencies wherever possible.
• Research new or potential operational equipment to understand costs and incorporates in financial modeling.
• Defines and meets expectations with all internal stakeholders to the estimating and quoting process.
• Assumes responsibility for estimating and quoting functions for any future acquisitions or new print processes.
• Key figure in developing and managing automated estimating and quoting systems.
• Updates, maintains, and analyzes existing estimating and costing rates and standards.
• Leads departmental supervision responsibilities in accordance with Inland’s policies and applicable laws by interviewing, hiring and training employees, planning, assigning and directing work, managing employee timecards, approving vacation requests, assisting in the disciplinary process and addressing complaints and resolving issues.
• Responsible for ensuring that company policies are understood and observed in the department. Enforces company policies in a fair and consistent manner.
• Assists broader Finance and P&IC departments in forecast process regarding expected and current gross margins.
• Assists Operations leadership in understanding decisions from a cost perspective to allow greater insight into the value proposition of the proposed initiative.
• Assists Sales Department in understanding price, evaluation of opportunities, and gross margin strategies.
• Maintains a strong level of morale and efficiency within the department.
• Provides guidance and direction to direct reports and assists in overcoming roadblocks.
• Conducts training of both new and current staff to ensure understanding and competency.
• Makes staffing recommendations to ensure departmental capacity, and performance is in line with business needs.
• Demonstrates and encourages safe work practices and expects the same of each team member.
• Manages relationships and expectations of internal stakeholders served by the department.

Core Competencies:

• Emotional Intelligence Essentials
  • Establishing and sustaining trusting relationships by accurately perceiving and interpreting own and others’ emotions and behavior; leveraging insights to effectively manage own responses so that one’s behavior matches one’s values and delivers intended results.
• Financial Acumen
  • Utilizing financial data to diagnose business strengths and weaknesses and identify the implications for potential strategies, keeping a financial perspective in the forefront when making strategic decisions.
• Leading Change
  • Driving organizational and cultural changes needed to achieve strategic objectives; catalyzing new approaches to improve results by transforming organizational culture, systems, or products/services; helping others overcome resistance to change.
• Coaching and Developing Others
  • Providing feedback, instruction, and development guidance to help others excel in their current and future job responsibilities; planning and supporting the development of individual skills and abilities.

Essential skills and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of work experience in an accounting, financial, analysis, or directly applicable role and/or a combination of experience and education required.
• Prior experience working in or closely with operations and sales in the manufacturing industry.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Strong negotiation and communication skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Experienced in computing, analyzing, and interpreting complex data, and modeling.
• Ability to communicate in a professional manner with all levels of internal and external customers.
• Ability to develop productive relationships with management, peers, plant personnel, suppliers, and customers.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, advanced in MS Excel

Non-Essential skills and experience:

• Advanced degree in business, management, or a related field
• Knowledge of the printing and packaging industries
• A deep understanding of accounting and finance concepts
• Knowledge of SQL and database structures
• Knowledge of Syspro or similar ERP

Work Environment:

• Operates in a demanding, fast-paced, people-oriented manufacturing environment with frequent changes and interruptions, and multiple project assignments.
• Works with a variety of people including vendors, customers, employees, managers, and executives.

Required Work Schedule:

• Typically works standard business hours.
• Must be flexible to attend conference calls, meetings, and other functions as they are scheduled.
• Must also be available during off hours, weekends, and holidays to meet organizational initiatives.
• Occasional travel required to Inland facilities

Physical Requirements:

Position is generally sedentary. Must be able to walk, sit, bend, stoop, and lift 20 pounds; 20/40 vision acuity.