Job Summary: The Bid Manager/Estimator is a hybrid role on the Fast Lane team, serving as a strategic partner to Sales by managing the due diligence process for new opportunities, crafting market-competitive solutions to drive winning bids, and collaborating cross-functionally for seamless execution. This role delivers detailed, high-quality cost estimates by analyzing artwork, technical drawings, and data to meet customer needs and align with operational strategy. Success hinges on creative problem-solving, internal tools, and strategic thinking to ensure rapid, accurate bid turnarounds.

Our Exceptional Benefits Plan includes:

Supportive & Friendly Culture
Medical, Dental, Vision coverage options
Flexible Spending & Health Savings Accounts
Wellness Programs
Company paid Life Insurance
401k with Employer Contribution
Company paid Short/Long Term Disability
Generous Paid Time Off program + Holidays
Career Growth Opportunities and Career Mapping
Additional perks including Pet Insurance, Employee Assistance Program, Educational Assistance Program, Identity Theft Protection, Critical Illness Plans, Commuter Benefits and various employee discount offerings from our Vendors 

Stratus is one of the nation’s largest brand implementation companies. We are made up of 1,200+ employees nationwide who roll up their sleeves, dive into the details and bring our clients’ brands to life! We deliver versatile solutions for some of the nation’s largest and most recognized brands. From exterior signage & interior branding to site refresh & remodel, from energy & lighting to repair & maintenance solutions, we deliver ideal solutions to meet all our client's branding needs.

The salary range for this position is $65,000 to $76,000 annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Essential Responsibilities: 

1. Partner with Sales, Estimating, Operations, and Strategic Pricing as a key liaison, ensuring alignment on new opportunities.
2. Lead internal kickoff meetings to define opportunity scope, set critical milestones, assign ownership, and establish timelines.
3. Interpret customer requirements to develop accurate scopes of work that meet or exceed expectations.
4. Manage opportunities from receipt to handoff, logging updates and communications in systems like Salesforce and ERP.
5. Produce precise cost estimates (product, labor, ancillary) by evaluating technical drawings, artwork, and data, using internal tools or coordinating with Preferred/Qualified Manufacturing Partners (PMP/QMP) as identified by Supply Chain, while quantifying risks.
6. Integrate market trends and best practices into estimates, balancing internal SLAs, customer needs, and operational goals.
7. Identify value engineering opportunities and share actionable insights with stakeholders.
8. Deliver clear bid documentation—background, scope, expectations, and financials—for a smooth transition to Operations.
9. Collaborate with Leadership to pinpoint process gaps and implement efficiencies that accelerate bid turnarounds without compromising quality.
10. Meet or exceed Estimating team KPIs (e.g., turnaround time, accuracy, win rate).
11. Work with Vendor Relations, Supply Chain, and Field Partner Management to optimize the PMP/PFP networks for cost savings and faster responses.
12. Communicate proactively with internal teams to resolve estimate challenges, technical questions, or training needs.

Skills: 

• Clear, concise communicator with Executive Leadership, cross-functional teams, Sales, and diverse clients.
• Proficient in reading and analyzing technical drawings for accurate takeoffs.
• Highly organized and analytical, thriving under tight deadlines and pressure.
• Strong negotiator with proven relationship-building skills.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel expertise; comfortable with spreadsheets, databases, and customer data for cost estimation.
• Detail-oriented, self-motivated, and adaptable to a fast-paced, priority-shifting environment.
• Customer-focused mindset for internal and external stakeholders.
• Mechanical/technical aptitude, ideally with sign production or manufacturing experience.

Education, experience, certifications:
• Bachelor’s degree or technical education preferred (or equivalent experience).
• Experience in project management, data analytics, purchasing, negotiation, or estimating—ideally in the sign industry—preferred.
• Proven track record of initiative and delivering results in a deadline-driven setting.

Physical and mental demands:
• Ability to excel in a high-pressure, deadline-focused environment.
• Willingness to travel occasionally as needed.
• Flexibility to work outside regular hours when business demands arise.