What are the responsibilities and job description for the AMES Aircraft Maintenance Estimator position at Airborne Maintenance & Engineering Services?
The Aircraft Maintenance Estimator is responsible for developing labor and cost estimates for airframe maintenance, modification, and repair services across multiple aircraft platforms. This role converts customer workscopes, task cards, and engineering documents into accurate labor-hour forecasts that support competitive bids, heavy check planning, and program-level budgeting.
The Estimator leverages strong technical knowledge-often gained through prior mechanic experience-to determine realistic man-hour requirements and sequencing considerations for C-checks, heavy maintenance visits (HMVs/HMV-like events), cargo conversions, structural repairs, and special projects. The role serves as a key partner to Contracts, Planning, Operations, Engineering, and Finance to ensure proposals are consistent, compliant, competitive, and operationally executable.
Key Responsibilities Estimating & Workscope Analysis- Review customer-provided workscopes, task cards, service bulletins (SBs), airworthiness directives (ADs), and OEM maintenance data to determine required labor hours.
- Translate technical requirements into structured estimates for heavy maintenance checks, modification programs, cargo conversions, and out-of-sequence repairs.
- Apply historical data, MRO best practices, skill-level assumptions, and Airborne/PEMCO labor standards in building accurate forecasts.
- Analyze multiple aircraft types (e.g., B737, B757, B767, A321, ATR, CRJ) to determine fleet-specific labor variations and work package complexities.
Bid & Proposal Support - Prepare detailed labor-hour estimate summaries for incorporation into customer proposals, including support for TAT expectations and program scheduling.
- Collaborate with Contracts & Planning to ensure that estimates align with commercial terms, rate structures, and customer-specific requirements.
- Support pricing development by ensuring accurate roll-ups of direct labor, materials assumptions (as required), special tooling, and third-party services.
- Provide technical justification for estimates during customer negotiations, internal reviews, and senior leadership bid approvals.
- 5-10 years of experience in aircraft maintenance, planning, estimating, or related technical aviation roles.
- Strong understanding of task card structures, maintenance program logic, MRO processes, and heavy check operations.
- Ability to read and interpret SBs, ADs, engineering drawings, AMMs, SRMs, IPCs, and customer program requirements.
- Proficiency in estimating labor for multiple aircraft types.
- Excellent analytical, mathematical, and document interpretation skills.
- Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel and estimating tools.
- Ability to work collaboratively with Contracts, Operations, Engineering, and Finance.
- A&P Certificate or equivalent technical background.
- Experience in a Part 145 MRO environment.
- Experience supporting customer proposals, pricing, or contract development.
- Experience with maintenance planning systems and digital task card platforms.
Education
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