Manufacturing Engineer – Estimator

Manufacturing Engineer – Estimator - Rochester, Kent (Supportive Bridge Staffing Agency Placement)

Position Overview

• Role: Manufacturing Engineer – Estimator

• Location: Rochester, Kent (On-site)

• Salary: Circa £40,000 per annum, depending on experience

• Job Function: Procurement and Supply Chain / Experienced Professionals

• Closing Date: Thursday, 8th October 2026 (Note: The vacancy may close early if sufficient applications are received)

About the Role

Shape winning proposals and turn innovative ideas into deliverable solutions! As a staffing partner, Supportive Bridge Staffing Agency is proud to recruit for this dynamic Manufacturing Engineer – Estimator position on behalf of BAE Systems.

Working closely with the bid team, you will ensure that requirements are understood and flowed down through operations and the supply chain. You will create high-impact, cost-effective estimates, support customer and supplier fact-finding missions, and help track material costs and build times as designs evolve from development into full-scale manufacturing.

Key Responsibilities

• Estimate Coordination: Coordinate inputs from operations and supply chain teams to produce high-quality, achievable, and cost-effective estimates for customer proposals.

• Fact-Finding & Reviews: Support customer fact-finding sessions for our estimates as well as supplier cost-base evaluations, actively participating in bid review and approval phases.

• Process Improvement: Review build times and support activity durations, estimating future targets and driving continuous process improvements.

• Cost & Design Tracking: Track material costs and build times during the development phase as designs mature to reveal true production costs.

What We Are Looking For

• Manufacturing Documentation: Demonstrated ability to create detailed Manufacturing Build Instructions, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and tooling/fixturing designs.

• Design for Manufacture (DFM): Solid understanding of transitioning designs from development to full-scale manufacturing while ensuring DFM principles.

• System Competence: Proven experience using enterprise systems like SAP, Oracle, or Epicor to manage complex Bills of Materials (BOMs).

• Qualifications: Relevant engineering discipline qualification, time-served experience in a similar role, or a CIPS qualification (highly advantageous).

Benefits & Perks

• Competitive Compensation: Attractive salary circa £40,000 per annum tailored to your experience.

• Pension & Share Plans: Comprehensive contributory pension scheme alongside employee share plans.

• Wellbeing & Lifestyle: Extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing, and lifestyle benefits, including private health plans, a green car scheme, and shopping discounts.