Plastics Cost Estimator

Job Summary:

The Plastics Cost Estimator develops accurate, competitive, and well-supported quotations for injection-molded components, tooling, secondary operations, and related manufacturing services at Forj Medical's Vadnais Heights site. This role evaluates customer requirements and translates technical and operational inputs into clear quotations while partnering with Commercial, Engineering, Tooling, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, NPI, and Operations to balance customer needs, manufacturability, risk, capacity, and business objectives.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Review RFQs, customer drawings, models, specifications, forecasts, and quality requirements to define scope, assumptions, risks, and information gaps.
• Will be required to know the current market and be able to estimate tooling and material based on experience and knowledge without soliciting estimates from vendors.
• Develop detailed cost models for injection molding, molds and fixtures, purchased materials, labor, machine time, cycle time, scrap, secondary operations, inspection, packaging, validation, preventative maintenance, and outside services.
• Partner with Tool Design, Process Engineering, NPI, Quality, Operations, Toolroom, Maintenance, and Supply Chain to establish realistic manufacturing concepts, routings, capacity assumptions, lead times, and project requirements.
• Solicit and evaluate supplier quotations for tooling, resin, components, automation, equipment, and external processes; document sourcing assumptions and commercial risks.
• Prepare accurate quotation packages, pricing recommendations, investment requirements, and supporting rationale for internal review and customer submission.
• Identify cost drivers and recommend design, tooling, sourcing, automation, cavitation, or process alternatives that improve value and manufacturability.
• Maintain estimating tools, cost standards, historical data, labor and burden assumptions, quote records, and version control.
• Conduct post-award and post-launch reviews comparing estimated and actual cost, cycle time, scrap, labor, capital, and margin; incorporate lessons learned into future estimates.
• Support change quotations, annual pricing reviews, make-versus-buy decisions, capital planning, and business-case development.
• Communicate assumptions, exclusions, risks, and timing clearly to internal stakeholders and support customer clarification discussions as needed.
• Ensure estimates align with applicable quality-system, regulatory, customer, and company requirements.
• Manage multiple quotations and deadlines in a fast-paced contract-manufacturing environment.
• Perform other duties and support strategic projects as assigned.

Qualifications:

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Finance, Business, Supply Chain, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education and directly related manufacturing estimating experience may be considered.

Experience

• Three or more years of cost estimating, quoting, manufacturing engineering, program management, tooling, or related experience preferred.
• Experience estimating injection-molded components, molds, secondary operations, automation, or precision-manufactured products strongly preferred.
• Experience in medical device, regulated manufacturing, or contract manufacturing preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong financial, analytical, and problem-solving skills with careful attention to detail.
• Working knowledge of injection molding, tooling, manufacturing routings, cycle-time analysis, materials, labor, overhead, scrap, and capital-cost drivers.
• Advanced spreadsheet skills and proficiency with ERP/MRP, quoting, or cost-modeling tools.
• Ability to read technical drawings, specifications, bills of materials, and customer requirements.
• Clear written and verbal communication and strong cross-functional collaboration skills.

Working Conditions

• Office environment
• Manufacturing environment

Compensation 

• The expected starting salary for this position is $90,000 to $110,000 depending on qualifications. As part of your overall rewards, we offer a comprehensive benefits program.