Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Cost Estimation & Quoting

Position Overview

Job Title: Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Cost Estimation and Quoting at JM Fabrication, Arlington, Texas. JM Fabrication is hiring a Senior Manufacturing Engineer with deep experience in manufacturing cost estimation and quoting for complex aerospace and defense components. In this role you will generate accurate, defensible estimates for CNC machined parts, sheet metal and fabricated components, weldments, mechanical and electro-mechanical assemblies, and wire and cable harnesses.

Key Responsibilities

• Estimating, Cost Engineering, and Quoting
  • Develop detailed manufacturing cost estimates and quotes for CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, structural weldments, mechanical assemblies, and wire and cable assemblies.
  • Cover processes including CNC milling, CNC turning (multi-axis machining), sheet metal forming, bending and rolling.
  • Create routings, BOM costing, labor standards, and cycle time estimation models.
  • Perform should-cost analysis, value engineering, and make vs buy analysis.
  • Identify cost drivers, risk areas, and margin exposure during proposal development.
  • Support proposal and customer RFQ response activities.
• Manufacturing Engineering Responsibilities
  • Interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, specifications, and customer flow-downs.
  • Apply DFM and DFA principles to improve manufacturability and cost.
  • Define manufacturing sequences, tooling, fixturing, inspection points, and test requirements.
  • Support first article inspection (FAI) planning and production launch.
  • Partner with Quality to ensure AS9100, ITAR, and customer requirements are captured in estimates.
• Assemblies, Wire Harness, and Integration
  • Estimate labor and material for complex multi-level assemblies.
  • Understand kitting, staging, hardware integration, torque requirements, and final assembly labor.
  • Estimate wire harness manufacturing including operations such as cut, strip, crimp, terminate, continuity testing, shielding, grounding, connector integration, backshells, and strain relief.
• Tools, Systems, and Data
  • Utilize job-based ERP, MRP, and MES systems for estimating and routing development.
  • Experience with ProShop ERP, Epicor, JobBOSS, SAP, or Oracle is strongly preferred.
  • Utilize CAD viewers and technical documentation systems.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering with direct cost estimation and quoting responsibility.
• Proven experience estimating mixed-process jobs across machining, fabrication, welding, assemblies, and wire harnesses.
• Strong understanding of CNC machining, fabrication, welding, and assembly processes.
• Experience in aerospace or defense manufacturing environments.
• AS9100 environment experience.
• Strong written documentation of assumptions, exclusions, and risks.
• Ability to challenge undefined or unrealistic customer requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Aerospace and defense proposal support.
• Experience in ITAR and DFARS-regulated environments.
• Post-job estimate vs actual analysis and continuous improvement experience.

Equal Employment Opportunity: JM Fabrication is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. Decisions are based on capability, performance, and integrity.

ITAR Compliance Disclosure: This position may involve access to technical data, hardware, software, or other items subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Applicants must be a U.S. Person as defined by ITAR, meaning a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or an individual granted refugee or asylum status. Proof of status will be required as a condition of employment.