Estimator - Manufacturing (3D / Assembly-Led) | £40,000-£45,000 | Harlow Area
Are you an experienced manufacturing Estimator who can mentally build a product before it exists?
This is an opportunity to join a long-established, global manufacturing business supplying complex, assembled products into retail environments across the UK and Ireland. The role is a replacement for a highly experienced manufacturing professional, so we are looking for someone with strong practical understanding of how products are physically constructed, not just quoted from drawings.
The Role
You'll play a critical role in the pre-production phase, producing accurate cost estimates for assembled, multi-process products. You will often be working from concepts, sketches, or incomplete information rather than fully defined drawings, using your manufacturing and production knowledge to determine how something will actually be made.
Key responsibilities include:
Visualising products in three dimensions to determine manufacturing methods and cost
Producing detailed cost estimates covering materials, labour, overheads, and assembly
Costing products that combine multiple processes (e.g. plastics, metal fabrication, printing, assembly)
Creating and maintaining BOMs, routings, and costings within ERP/MRP systems
Working closely with production, purchasing, and project teams to validate assumptions
Liaising with suppliers to obtain realistic pricing and lead-time data
This role suits someone who enjoys problem-solving, judgement-based estimating, and being close to how products are actually built.
What We're Looking For
Essential:
Strong manufacturing background with exposure to assembled products, not just flat parts
Ability to visualise and cost products in three dimensions, often without full drawings
Solid understanding of manufacturing cost drivers (materials, labour, overheads, processes)
High numerical accuracy with strong Excel and analytical skills
Experience working with ERP/MRP systems (BOMs, routings, costing)
Highly desirable:
Experience in assembly-led, high-mix, or NPI environments
Exposure to plastics, metal fabrication, printing, or mixed-process manufacturing
Backgrounds in manufacturing engineering, production planning, costing, or estimating
Experience working close to the shop floor and suppliers
What's On Offer
Benefits including life insurance, gym and occupational health programmes, and recognition schemes
A cooperative manufacturing environment with long-term stability
The chance to take ownership of a key role with real influence on how products are manufactured
Why Apply?
This is not a "tick-box" estimator role. It's a position for someone who enjoys thinking like a manufacturer, applying experience and judgement, and taking responsibility for costs that directly impact production.
If you're looking for a role where your manufacturing knowledge genuinely matters, apply today.
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