Estimating & Sales Operations Specialist

Estimating & Sales Operations Specialist

Department: Sales

Reports To: Vice President of Sales

Location: Milwaukee, WI

Position Summary

The Estimating & Sales Operations Specialist supports the sales and customer service functions by preparing accurate and timely quotes, coordinating customer communication, and assisting with operational workflows. This role plays a key part in improving quoting efficiency, supporting data-driven decision-making, and enhancing overall sales operations.

The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, analytical, process-driven, and comfortable working cross-functionally within a manufacturing environment. In addition to quoting and customer support, this position will contribute to process improvement initiatives, reporting and analytics, ERP data management, and workflow optimization to support company growth and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

1. Quoting & Estimating

• Prepare accurate and timely quotes for products and services while ensuring alignment with customer requirements and company pricing structures.
• Review customer specifications, drawings, and requirements to support quote development and order accuracy.
• Coordinate with internal departments to ensure pricing, lead times, and manufacturing capabilities are accurately reflected in quotations.

2. Sales Operations Support

• Support the sales team by assisting with proposals, order processing and overall sales workflow coordination.
• Maintain accurate quote, order, and customer records within ERP and related systems.
• Assist with tracking open quotes, follow-up activity, and sales support initiatives.

3. Process Improvement & Workflow Optimization

• Lead continuous improvement efforts within the quoting and estimating process to increase accuracy, consistency, responsiveness, and operational efficiency.
• Analyze existing workflows and identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and communication gaps across sales, customer service, production, and operations.
• Develop and maintain standardized procedures, templates, and documentation to improve scalability and reduce quoting turnaround times.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to implement process improvements that enhance customer experience and internal productivity.
• Support ERP system optimization initiatives, including workflow enhancements, process automation opportunities, and data integrity improvements.

4. Data Analytics & Reporting

• Monitor and analyze quoting metrics including quote volume, response times, conversion rates, win/loss trends, margin performance, and customer purchasing behavior.
• Generate recurring reports, dashboards, and KPI summaries to support sales planning, operational decision-making, and performance improvement initiatives.
• Identify trends and business insights from quoting and sales data to support pricing strategies, forecasting, and customer growth opportunities.
• Assist management in developing data-driven recommendations to improve profitability, operational efficiency, and customer responsiveness.
• Maintain accurate reporting data within ERP and CRM systems to ensure consistency and reliability of business analytics.

5. Customer & Cross-Functional Support

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align quoting priorities, improve communication and ensure customer expectations are met efficiently and accurately

6. ERP & Data Management

• Maintain accurate customer, pricing, and product data within ERP and related systems.
• Support ongoing data cleanup, reporting accuracy, and system process improvements.
• Assist with maintaining data consistency and documentation standards across sales operations processes.

Qualifications

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent required. Associate degree in business, manufacturing, operations, or a related field preferred.

Experience

• Previous experience in estimating, quoting, sales support, customer service, or manufacturing operations preferred.
• Experience within manufacturing, industrial distribution, metal fabrication, or related industries is highly desirable.
• Exposure to process improvement, workflow optimization, or operational analytics is a plus.

Skills

• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to identify inefficiencies and recommend practical process improvements.
• Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills including formulas, sorting/filtering, pivot tables, and basic reporting functions.
• Experience with ERP systems, CRM tools, or reporting software preferred.
• Ability to learn new systems and software quickly.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy in documentation and reporting.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, team-oriented manufacturing environment.

Other

• Familiarity with manufacturing processes, production workflows, and customer order fulfillment is preferred.
• Exposure to Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, or workflow optimization methodologies is a plus.