Senior Estimating Engineer / Production Engineer

About the role

Join a long‑established, market‑leading subcontract precision engineering business that supplies high‑spec components to aerospace and oil & gas customers. As a senior professional reporting to the Director, you will sit at the intersection of sales, estimating and production engineering, delivering accurate quotations and ensuring manufacturability.

Key responsibilities

• Create detailed cost estimates for CNC‑machined components and assemblies from RFQs, drawings and specifications.
• Interpret complex drawings, including GD&T, tolerances, surface finishes and material requirements.
• Obtain competitive pricing for external processes such as heat treatment, coating and NDT.
• Support pricing strategy to protect margins while remaining competitive.
• Act as the technical point of contact for key aerospace and oil & gas customers, building relationships and supporting contract negotiations.
• Identify value‑engineering and cost‑reduction opportunities.
• Ensure smooth handover to production, reviewing manufacturability and recommending optimal machining methods, tooling and processes.
• Assist process planning, fixture design and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Help resolve production issues and non‑conformances.
• Work to AS9100, ISO 9001 and customer‑specific quality requirements, maintaining traceability and material certification.

Required profile

• 5‑10+ years’ experience in precision engineering or subcontract machining.
• Background in estimating and/or production engineering.
• Strong knowledge of CNC turning, milling and multi‑axis machining.
• Proficiency with GD&T and interpreting complex engineering drawings.
• Experience with ERP/MRP and estimating software.
• Familiarity with materials such as Inconel, titanium, stainless steels and duplex alloys, and related processes (NDT, coatings, heat treatment).
• Solid cost‑analysis capability with awareness of margins and overheads.
• Confident customer‑facing communication skills.

Required skills

• CNC machining (turning, milling, multi‑axis)
• Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T)
• ERP/MRP systems
• Estimating software
• Material expertise: Inconel, titanium, stainless steel, duplex alloys
• Non‑Destructive Testing (NDT)
• Coating and heat‑treatment processes
• Cost analysis and margin management

What we offer

• Competitive salary (DOE)
• Pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Company bonus