Job Overview

We are seeking an experienced Estimation Manager to lead its Estimation department and take ownership of the accuracy, integrity, competitiveness, and timely delivery of all cost estimates and bids.

Reporting directly to senior leadership, the Estimation Manager will oversee and develop a team of estimation coordinators, establish departmental standards, and serve as the final approval authority before pricing and proposals are presented to clients.

The successful candidate will act as the company's technical and commercial authority on project costing, supplier quotations, pricing strategy, and bid development across commercial and utility-scale solar projects in Canada and the United States.

This position is ideal for a leader seeking full ownership of an estimating function, including its people, processes, financial accuracy, and overall performance.

Key Responsibilities

1. Team & Department Leadership

- Lead, manage, and develop a team of estimation coordinators responsible for structural and budget costing, supplier sourcing, and bid preparation.
- Establish workload priorities, assign opportunities, monitor deadlines, and ensure the accuracy and quality of deliverables.
- Oversee hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, and professional development.
- Develop an effective departmental structure, including responsibilities, escalation procedures, approval authorities, and coverage protocols.
- Establish individual and departmental objectives aligned with business priorities and KPIs.
- Report to senior leadership on bid volume, turnaround times, pricing accuracy, supplier responsiveness, bid outcomes, and departmental performance.
- Foster accountability, collaboration, commercial awareness, and continuous improvement.

2. Cost Estimation & Pricing Strategy

- Own the cost-estimating methodology for fixed-tilt racking, single-axis trackers, driven pile and helical foundation systems, and related project requirements.
- Provide final approval of estimates, ensuring accuracy, completeness, commercial viability, and defensibility.
- Review client drawings, technical specifications, geotechnical reports, bills of materials, scopes of work, schedules, and RFP documentation.
- Evaluate complex and high-value bids to identify costing errors, scope gaps, incorrect assumptions, and margin exposure.
- Develop and maintain detailed cost models covering materials, fabrication, coatings, tooling, packaging, freight, tariffs, duties, installation, escalation, and project-specific risks.
- Collaborate with Sales and senior leadership to establish competitive pricing strategies while protecting margins.
- Ensure estimates identify assumptions, qualifications, exclusions, escalation factors, quotation validity periods, and commercial risks.
- Support value-engineering initiatives to reduce costs without compromising quality, performance, safety, or technical compliance.
- Maintain estimating tools and workbooks with appropriate version control, audit readiness, and data integrity.
- Compare estimated costs against actual project outcomes and apply findings to future pricing decisions.
- Maintain historical cost information and current pricing benchmarks.

3. Supplier Sourcing & Commercial Management

- Oversee RFQs, supplier engagement, quotation comparisons, and negotiation processes.
- Engage directly with strategic,



high-value, and high-risk suppliers and manufacturing partners.
- Identify, qualify, and onboard domestic and international suppliers to strengthen capacity, supply continuity, and cost competitiveness.
- Evaluate supplier capabilities, capacity, equipment, tooling, quality systems, certifications, geographic coverage, pricing, and lead times.
- Develop and maintain a preferred-supplier database covering performance, pricing history, capacity, tooling, certifications, Incoterms, and commercial terms.
- Negotiate supplier pricing, payment terms, quotation validity, escalation provisions, freight arrangements, delivery schedules, and tooling ownership.
- Identify and approve commercial risks involving pricing, freight, tariffs, duties, escalation, and supply-chain exposure before bid submission.
- Monitor steel and commodity prices, freight conditions, exchange rates, cross-border tariffs, trade-policy developments, Section 232 measures, counter-tariffs, and HS classifications.
- Translate market and trade developments into actionable estimating guidance.
- Develop mitigation strategies for supplier, pricing, tariff, lead-time, capacity, and logistics risks.

4. Bid & Proposal Management

- Oversee the development of accurate and professional bid packages, including estimates, technical designs, specifications, schedules, assumptions, qualifications, and corporate information.
- Review RFP requirements and establish bid plans, responsibilities, milestones, approval processes, and submission deadlines.
- Coordinate contributions from Estimation, Sales, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations.
- Ensure proposals comply with client instructions, technical specifications, contractual requirements, and submission criteria.
- Review and approve proposals for technical consistency, commercial accuracy, completeness, clarity, and professional presentation.
- Identify and escalate contractual, technical, pricing, scheduling, tariff, freight, and supply-chain risks.
- Support clarification meetings, bid revisions, client negotiations, presentations, and best-and-final-offer requests.
- Represent the Estimation department in client presentations and strategic or high-value RFP responses.
- Maintain organized, auditable records of estimates, supplier quotations, approvals, pricing assumptions, bid documents, and project references.

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Process Improvement

- Serve as the primary Estimation contact for Sales, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations.
- Ensure bid packages are technically aligned, commercially competitive, complete, and delivered on schedule.
- Develop and enforce standardized estimating procedures, RFQ templates, supplier evaluation criteria, costing tools, approval workflows, and proposal formats.
- Establish controls for estimate reviews, pricing approvals, data integrity, document versioning, and final submissions.
- Lead post-bid and post-project reviews,



incorporating lessons learned to improve estimating accuracy and win rates.
- Implement improvements to reduce turnaround times, increase cost precision, and improve productivity.
- Support the scalability of the Estimation department as the company's project pipeline grows.

Qualifications & Experience

- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Construction Management, Business, or a related field.
- Minimum 5–8 years of progressive experience in cost estimating, bid management, strategic sourcing, or technical proposal development.
- Demonstrated experience leading an estimating, procurement, sourcing, or bid-management team.
- Proven ability to establish or improve estimating processes, supplier networks, documentation, and internal controls.
- Experience managing complex bids involving multiple departments, external suppliers, and competing deadlines.

Technical & Industry Knowledge

- Strong understanding of solar PV systems, structural steel components, fabrication processes, foundations, and construction or installation methods.
- Proven ability to develop detailed cost models and evaluate complex supplier quotations.
- Experience sourcing fabricated steel, roll-formed components, fasteners, galvanizing, foundations, or engineered products is strongly preferred.
- Knowledge of freight, Incoterms, tariffs, duties, contract terms, quotation validity, escalation, lead times, and margin protection.
- Ability to identify, quantify, communicate, and mitigate pricing and supply-chain risks.
- Sound commercial judgment and confidence defending pricing decisions to senior leadership, clients, and stakeholders.

Software & Systems Proficiency

- Advanced Microsoft Excel, including cost modelling, quotation analysis, and supplier comparison tools.
- Robust proficiency in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.
- Experience with ERP, CRM, procurement, or estimating systems is an asset.
- Familiarity with AutoCAD, PVsyst, HelioScope, or solar design documentation is an asset.

Communication Skills

- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong presentation abilities when engaging clients, senior executives, and cross-functional stakeholders.

Key Competencies· People leadership & team development

- Commercial & financial acumen
- Technical estimating & cost analysis
- Strategic sourcing & negotiation
- Pricing strategy & margin protection
- Risk assessment & decision-making
- Process improvement & standardization
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Accuracy & accountability
- Deadline & priority management

Express Employment Professionals Woodbridge is a global staffing firm operating in compliance with Ontario employment laws, including Pay Transparency rules effective January 1, 2026. We welcome all qualified candidates and do not require Canadian experience. AI may be used to support screening, with final decisions reviewed by humans. Reasonable accommodation is available on request. This posting and applicant information will be retained for three years.

Pay: $85,000.00-$115,000.00 per year

Benefits:

- Dental care
- Extended health care
- RRSP match
- Vision care

Experience:

- cost estimating, bid management, and strategic sourcing: 5 years (required)
- solar PV systems, structural steel components: 5 years (required)

Work Location: In person

📌 Estimation Manager (Mississauga)
🏢 Express Employment Professionals
📍 Mississauga