Estimation Engineer
No salary listed
Mid
Bachelor's
Pinetown, South Africa
Hybrid
Project & Program ManagementProposal Management
About the job
Requirements
- A Bachelor’s degree, National Diploma, or equivalent qualification in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related quantitative technical discipline.
- Deep technical literacy regarding industrial eHouse systems, including medium- and low-voltage variable frequency drives, medium-voltage switchgear assemblies, programmable logic controller and Internet of Things systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and fire suppression.
- Solid conceptual knowledge of control systems, programmable logic controllers, instrumentation networks, and auxiliary transformer sizing.
- Technical proficiency in interpreting complex engineering drawings, general arrangements, piping and instrumentation diagrams, single-line diagrams, and mechanical and electrical multi-line drawings.
- Understanding of rate-of-exchange update tracking, Incoterms 2020 guidelines, global logistics including breakbulk, abnormal heavy road haulage, crane lifts, and ocean freight, and strategic supplier vetting.
- A minimum of 3 years of progressive experience in cost estimation, bid engineering, proposal preparation, or conceptual design within an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction, systems integration, or heavy industrial machinery environment.
- Proven experience receiving, reviewing, and analyzing complex technical requests for information and external bidding tenders containing multi-million-currency scopes.
- A demonstrated track record of preparing accurate Level 0, Level 1, and Level 2 budget estimates on standardized pricing templates.
- Prior experience managing supplier request-for-quotation processes, conducting proposal commercial adjudication, and negotiating high-value itemized bids.
- Experience collaborating with draftsmen, engineering managers, and design specialists to compile general arrangement layout drawings and ensure precise design-to-estimate alignment.
- Eligibility to work in South Africa.
Responsibilities
- Review external tender documents, client-issued requests for information, and requests for quotations to extract technical scope, mechanical and electrical requirements, and installation boundaries.
- Develop system architecture designs based on an understanding of heavy industrial applications.
- Perform conceptual electrical and mechanical engineering, including selection and evaluation of variable speed drives, medium-voltage switchgear assemblies, control and Internet of Things systems, energy and power-quality metering, auxiliary transformers, industrial heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and automated fire-suppression systems.
- Liaise with the eHouse design office to align conceptual estimates with physical space constraints and coordinate the development of general arrangement drawings and equipment layouts.
- Draft and compile technical proposals and commercial quotes, defining technical scope limits, exclusions, warranties, execution schedules, and payment milestones.
- Establish, verify, and maintain internal Level 0, Level 1, and Level 2 budgets.
- Receive and analyze internal technical input sheets from sales and solutions teams, and verify required site parameters such as motor nameplate specifications, cable routing distances, and civil slab locations before estimating.
- Develop Level 0 budgets during the S2 sales stage using known kilowatt-hour savings, target capital expenditure calculations, budget variable-frequency-drive quotes, and recent supplier pricing; target plus or minus 20 percent accuracy.
- Prepare Level 1 budgets during the S3 bidding stage following a signed client proposal, issue standard requests for quotations for drives, eHouses, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, fire systems, civil works, and logistics to suppliers, and update the budget template to target plus or minus 10 percent accuracy.
- Prepare Level 2 budgets during the S5 close-win stage following a signed contract and schedule, incorporating finalized engineering drawings and firm supplier quotes for the complete scope of work to establish a project baseline budget with plus or minus 5 percent accuracy.
- Use the Level 2 baseline budget to guide supplier purchase orders and final cost control.
- Control the supplier request-for-quotation process for Level 1 and Level 2 budgets by specifying original equipment manufacturer part and model numbers, issuing drawings, requiring itemized price breakdowns, and managing subcontractor expectations.
- Serve as the primary technical bridge between pre-award sales and revenue teams and post-award engineering, project management, and procurement teams to prevent discrepancies between estimated and executed scope.
- Coordinate with regional Project Engineers and the Vice President of Engineering and Project Management Office to align technical decisions, including programmable logic controller programming, panel builds, cabling, and site civil works, with budget expectations.
- Work with the eHouse design office to synchronize eHouse and equipment spatial and structural designs with material estimates and mitigate on-site spatial bottlenecks.
- Participate in fortnightly sales pipeline and capital expenditure cadence meetings to review incoming Level 0 and Level 1 budget requirements, meet deadlines, and manage priorities.
Desired Qualifications
- Sound understanding of heavy industrial applications, mechanical power dynamics, and thermodynamic principles is preferred.
- Proficiency with Salesforce, ClickUp, cost estimation software, and advanced analytical pricing models in Microsoft Excel is preferred.
About the company
Energy Drive focuses on reducing energy use in industrial plants by providing turnkey, zero-capex energy savings solutions for pump and fan motors. They install and manage energy-saving systems powered by variable speed drives (VSD) for low- and medium-voltage motors, and they guarantee net monetary savings for each system with no upfront installation cost. The company differentiates itself through disruptive collaboration with clients, offering guaranteed savings, and a willingness to fund the capital for energy-efficiency projects. They work across industries such as mining, chemicals, manufacturing, food and beverage, paper and packaging, textiles, power generation, and rubber. The goal is to change how industry uses energy by delivering verifiable energy efficiency and environmental savings and improving industrial energy performance.
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
Growth Equity (Non-Venture Capital)
Total Funding
$26.4M
Headquarters
Hillcrest, South Africa
Founded
2011
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- June 2025 Pears funding accelerates hiring, manufacturing, and cross-border sales execution.
- Energy Drive appointed Nick Moelders COO in November 2025 and Johannes Bayer EMENA head.
- Rockwell Automation deployments across four South African sites validate commercial traction through July 2026.
What critics are saying
- Apogee Wausau Group settled a March 2026 air-pollution case for $250,000.
- PMC Property amended an August 2026 lawsuit alleging defective glass failures in Philadelphia towers.
- Zero-capex savings contracts depend on project performance; misses or equipment failures can crush credibility.
What makes Apogee Sustainability unique
- Energy Drive Systems sells zero-capex motor savings with guaranteed net monetary savings.
- Its 2025 £20 million Pears investment funds international expansion across Europe and North America.
- It targets hard-to-abate industrial motors, especially mining, metals, steel, chemicals, and utilities.
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Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Disability Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Remote Work Options