Estimator

At Foresight Group, we bring together the best technology and decades of expertise to put images and messages on just about anything you can imagine. Foresight Group is a subsidiary of Reseda Group, a wholly-owned CUSO of Michigan State University Federal Credit Union. With locations in Lansing and Ann Arbor, we specialize in commercial printing, direct mail services, large sign printing, promotional items, and trade show displays. Go to our website, Foresight Group, to learn more about the history of our company!

Position Summary:

The Estimator assists in project planning by preparing a cost estimate for printing jobs by determining the most economical process to manufacture while considering production capacity of the facility. The Estimator also is responsible for ensuring each job is produced to customer's specification.

Work Arrangement: This position is able to work onsite, at our Lansing Headquarters.

Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am-5:00pm

An offer of employment with MSU Federal Credit Union and affiliates is contingent upon the agreed work arrangement (onsite/hybrid/remote) and work location. MSU Federal Credit Union may or may not be able to accommodate temporary or permanent changes to work arrangements or allow employment outside the city and/or state of residency in which the new hire resides at the time of offered employment.

Compensation & Benefits:

• This position starts at $19.00 /hour, dependent on experience
• Work environment that is climate-controlled, clean, orderly, and promotes safety
• 100% Company-Paid Health, Dental, Vision, Life, and Long-Term Disability Premiums
• Up to 13 days of PTO within your first year, as well 6 Paid Holidays
• 401(k) with an immediate 2:1 Match, plus an automatic 2% contribution from company
• 6 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Strong emphasis on client relations and in person contact as needed; ensures that each job is produced efficiently and to customer's specification.
• Determine services needed to fulfill customer printing, mailing, and display graphic needs, assisting in the development of strategies and action plans for both sales and the customer as primary contact and liaison to the production team, ensuring each job is produced to customer's specification.
• Learns and understands the customer's needs and listens for any opportunity to sell new services to a current customer.
• Services the customer by solving problems, gathering, and transmitting information as needed and demanding the highest quality product.
• Takes job specs from customer, creates quote request, and move work into estimating. Will require learning MIS software Pace.
• Communicates estimates to sales rep or customer when requested.
• Assist sale representative in communication with the customer.
• Complete a timely and correct estimate based on job specifications.
• Tracks job through production and communicates any problems and changes to plant personnel, sales rep and customer.
• Keeps accurate records on all jobs and customer contacts, so both company and customer are protected should question arise later.
• Inspects outgoing proofs when schedules allow and ships them to customer if supplied during normal work hours or under special circumstances.
• Make sure all alteration charges are charged, recorded on a transmittal, and entered into Pace before job reaches billing.
• Gather vendor information regarding outside work and quote 3 vendors, if possible, to include issuing purchase orders.
• Entering job into production based on approved estimates, verifies ticket is correct before entering production.
• Communicates any special circumstances with production prior to processing a job.
• Handles issues with production raised by customer, sales rep or production.
• Provide feedback to sales rep concerning production questions/concerns.
• Maintain schedules and information for all outside work.
• Maintains vendor price lists and discount terms and allowances. Develops knowledge of materials used, the best suppliers and competitive prices. Keeps aware of price changes and competitive prices.
• Researches and recommends cost savings potential to management.
• Keeps accurate records on all jobs and customer contacts, so both company and customer are protected should questions arise later.
• Educate customers on Foresights capabilities and added values, ability to up sell.
• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required:

• High School Diploma or General Education Degree (GED)
• Requires the ability to operate a wide variety of standard office equipment, such as a computer and keyboard, a calculator, telephone, FAX, photocopier, etc.
• Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables in situations where only limited or no standardization exists.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Any experience in the printing industry, preferably in estimating, customer service, or project planning roles highly preferred.
• Familiarity in the operating system "PACE" highly preferred.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

• The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and sit.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• This job may require close vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts, fumes or airborne particles, risk of electrical shock and a work environment where the noise level is typically loud
• Work related travel is occasionally required.
• This position requires onsite presence at the employee's assigned location for all scheduled shifts.

Disclaimer:

• Note this job description is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills, and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. This document does not represent a contract of employment, and MSU Federal Credit Union reserves the right to change this position description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as MSUFCU may deem appropriate.
• MSUFCU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer.
• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.