CNC Estimator / Planner

Job Summary:

About Ace Precision Industries and Boulden Company

Ace Precision Industries is a machine shop in Akron, OH, operating under the Boulden Company, an industrials platform that manufactures and repairs bearings and wear materials for reciprocating and rotational equipment in the petrochemical and oil & gas markets. Ace Precision runs CNC precision mills, lathes, multi-axis turn-mill centers, horizontal and vertical machining centers, wire EDM, and CNC grinding, alongside general job-shop / contract machining and light assembly.

Much of the work is aligned to Boulden's product line — reciprocating and rotating components such as labyrinth seals, tilt-pad and wear bearings, and related precision parts — manufactured new or re-run from prior jobs. Boulden is growing by acquisition and standardizing operations and systems across its sites as it integrates. This role sits inside that effort: it owns the front end of every job — the quote — and helps put estimating and production planning onto common, documented, repeatable processes as the platform scales.

Why this role exists

Every job starts with a quote, and Ace's ability to win the right work at the right margin depends on getting RFQs back to customers fast, accurately, and consistently. This role exists to own that front end: to turn customer RFQs — for new parts and for previously manufactured products — into timely, defensible estimates grounded in the shop's real machines, cycle times, and cost. Today too much of the estimating logic lives in people's heads. This role puts a single owner on RFQ responsiveness and estimating discipline, documents how estimates get built, and carries that ownership downstream into production planning — turning won quotes into scheduled, sequenced work that reflects the shop's real capacity.

The mandate — first 12 months

Three priorities, in order:

• RFQ response & turnaround. Become the single point of ownership for customer RFQs — new and repeat work. Turn quotes around on time (target 24 hours), keep the RFQ queue visible, and follow up with the Boulden sales team to convert quotes to orders.
• Estimating accuracy & margin. Build cost, material, and lead-time estimates from prints and specifications, using historical job data for previously manufactured parts. Support value-based pricing with sales to protect margin, and keep estimating assumptions documented so quotes tie to how the shop actually performs.
• Production planning & scheduling. Turn won quotes into scheduled work — build and maintain routings, sequence jobs through the shop against real machine and labor capacity, and manage promise dates and material timing so the floor runs to a plan, not a scramble.

Underneath all three: document the process. Turn estimating logic, standard cycle-time and cost data, and planning and scheduling standards into documented, repeatable work — so quoting and planning survive turnover and port cleanly onto the Boulden operating system.

Key responsibilitiesEstimating & RFQ response (primary)

• Own the intake and turnaround of customer RFQs for new and previously manufactured products; keep the RFQ queue visible and prioritized against promise dates (target 24-hour turnaround).
• Develop cost, material, and lead-time estimates from engineering prints and specifications — reading drawings and GD&T, identifying operations and setups, and estimating machining time across the shop's mills, lathes, turn-mill centers, EDM, and grinding.
• Estimate work aligned to Boulden's product line — labyrinth seals, tilt-pad and wear bearings, and other reciprocating and rotating components — pulling from historical job data for repeat parts.
• Source and confirm material and outside-process pricing and lead times; build these into the quote.
• Work with the Boulden sales team on value-based pricing to maximize margin; follow up on open quotes to convert them to orders.
• Keep estimating assumptions (machining direct labor, material, outside processing) documented and consistent so quotes are repeatable and tie to how the shop actually performs.

Production planning & scheduling (secondary)

• Turn won quotes and orders into production routings and work orders — operations, sequence, setups, and standard run times — so every job enters the shop with a clear plan.
• Schedule and load work across the shop's mills, lathes, turn-mill centers, EDM, and grinding against real machine and labor capacity; sequence jobs to hit promise dates.
• Manage material and outside-process timing so stock, tooling, and outside operations arrive when the schedule needs them; flag long-lead items early.
• Track jobs against the plan and keep promise dates current — reprioritize when rushes, delays, or capacity changes hit, and feed actual run times back into routings and the estimating data.

Cost data, standards & documentation

• Maintain standard cycle-time, labor, and cost data — feed proven actuals back into the estimating model so estimate-to-actual variance shrinks over time.
• Document how estimates, routings, and schedules get built (methods, assumptions, templates) so the work runs on documented process, not memory.
• Use the shop's estimating and scheduling software (internal AI solution) to build quotes, capture routings, and support scheduling with realistic times.

Cross-functional collaboration

• Work closely with the Operations Manager, Shop Floor Supervisor, sales, and the machinists so quotes and schedules reflect real capacity, tooling, and lead times.
• Flag RFQs that don't fit the shop's capability or capacity early — before they become missed promises or margin-losing jobs.
• Support standardization and integration onto the Boulden platform as estimating and planning processes are rolled out across sites.

Required qualifications

• Experience estimating machining or repair work from prints and specifications in a machine shop or precision-machining / metalworking environment (level and years flexible — estimating strength is the priority).
• Able to read and interpret engineering drawings, tolerances, and GD&T, and translate them into operations, setups, and realistic machining time.
• Working knowledge of CNC machining processes (mills, lathes, machining centers, EDM, grinding), setups, tooling, and materials — enough to estimate credibly across the shop.
• Comfortable building and managing production schedules and routings — sequencing jobs, loading machines to capacity, and managing promise dates and material timing.
• Detail-oriented and responsive under deadline pressure, with clear communication across sales, production planning, and the floor.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience estimating or planning bearings, wear materials, labyrinth seals, tilt-pad bearings, or repair/remanufacturing for rotating or reciprocating equipment.
• Experience serving petrochemical and/or oil & gas customers and their quality requirements (ISO 9001, API, or customer/OEM approvals) preferred.
• Experience with production scheduling and ERP/MRP or shop-scheduling systems in a machine shop or make-to-order manufacturing environment.
• Associate or bachelor’s degree in a technical, manufacturing, or business field — or equivalent shop-floor experience.

Working conditions

On-site role based in the Akron, OH machine shop. Combines desk-based estimating and planning work with regular time on the production floor to confirm methods, capacity, and job status. Shop-floor environment: exposure to machinery, noise, and coolants/lubricants, and required use of PPE when on the floor. Occasional extended hours to support RFQ deadlines and production needs.

Compensation

Base wage: $75,000 - $85,000 Per Year (Salary Commensurate with Experience)

Insurance: Medical, dental, vision and supplemental insurance for disability and life coverages are available.

401(k) with company match.

120 hours Paid Time Off, including 24 hours sick leave.

Pay: $75,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person