Quotations Specialist

Be part of a growing, successful company in an exciting and challenging field. Border States is 100% employee-owned, which means you’re empowered to make decisions, find solutions and receive rewards for your hard work.

Job Summary

The Quotations Specialist provides specialized knowledge and skills in quoting equipment and packages to customers. Performs takeoffs of bids and pricing functions. Proactively works with engineers and customers to meet their changing business needs and resolve issues. Develops quotations and requests bid and/or performance bonds for customers within company profit objectives and guidelines. Actively participates in coordinating, analyzing, and acting upon information and feedback of customer needs, pricing, products, competition, and procedures.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Performs takeoffs of bids and pricing functions that could include products such as switchboards, panelboards, transformers, safety switches, motor control centers, variable frequency drives, switchgear, duct systems, and specialty equipment or products such as fixtures, lighting, lamps, and dimming systems.
• Utilizes knowledge and experience to make judgment and discretionary decisions to determine what product specifications, applications, and pricing are necessary for a specific project.
• Provides guidance and may participate in the completion of the quotation process for each assigned project.
• Provides customers with timely follows-up on specialized or technical inquiries and requests.
• Develops quotations and requests bids for customers within company profit objectives and guidelines.
• Provides consistent, responsive, quality service to our customers.
• Actively participates in coordinating, analyzing, and acting upon information and feedback of customer needs, pricing, products, competition, and procedures.
• Coordinates with Border States staff to resolve customer billing issues resulting from errors in the quotations process, pricing, shipping, delivery or other customer service/credit areas.
• Maintains an active log of wins/losses for project bids that includes vendors and contractors quoted.
• May provide value engineering and expedited ship options per customer’s specific project needs.

Non-essential Functions

• Provides input and market intelligence, as required.
• May place orders and hold orders on secured projects, prepare submittal drawings, and release hold orders after submittal approval.
• May obtain orders and provide sales support for the BSE outside sales force.
• May provide guidance in purchasing functions, product evaluations and code descriptions, inventory management, pricing development, and other related services.
• Attends sales meetings and training programs, as required.
• Participates in sales meetings and trade shows, as needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a business or trade degree preferred or the equivalent in work experience.
• Minimum of four years of prior customer service, quotation, or sales experience with strong knowledge of electrical products and systems preferred.
• Comprehensive knowledge of product lines and applications, alternate product substitutes, and supplier pricing policies preferred.
• Ability to read, write and speak in English preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of PC for Windows, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint), Internet, Email and SAP software preferred.
• Prior experience working in switchgear manufacturer quotations software (i.e. Eaton BidManager) may be preferred.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong technical ability to understand electrical systems and product applications with prior electrical distribution experience preferred.
• Technical ability to read blueprints and specifications.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication, reading, and customer service skills are preferred with the ability to effectively plan and organize.
• Excellent customer service skills include being competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged.

Physical Requirements

• Frequency at which you would carry/lift in a typical day:
• Lift from Waist:
• < than 10 lbs. - Not at all
• 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
• 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
• 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
• 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
• 100+ lbs. - Not at all
• Lift from Floor:
• < than 10 lbs. - Frequently
• 10 to 25 lbs. - Frequently
• 26 to 50 lbs. - Occasionally
• 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
• 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
• 100+ lbs. - Not at all

• < than 10 lbs. - Not at all
• 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
• 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
• 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
• 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
• 100+ lbs. - Not at all

Physical Activity

• Sitting: Continuously
• Standing: Frequently
• Walking: Frequently
• Bending/stooping: Occasionally
• Crawling: Not at all
• Climbing/Walking Stairs: Frequently
• Reaching: Frequently
• Crouching/squatting: Occasionally
• Kneeling: Occasionally
• Balancing: Occasionally
• Repetitive motion: Continuously
• Pivoting: Occasionally
• Pushing/Pulling: Occasionally
• Grasping: Continuously
• Fingering: Continuously
• Talking: Continuously
• Driving: Occasionally
• Desk work: Continuously
• Use of a computer: Continuously
• Use of a telephone: Continuously
• Hearing: Continuously
• Exposure: Occasionally
• Travel: Occasionally

Additional Information

This job description is a summary of the job duties and responsibilities and is not intended to cover all possible job duties and is subject to change at the employer’s discretion. Employees must be able to perform the essential job duties and satisfy job requirements either with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Our History Border States is a leader in the electrical supply distribution industry with over 120 locations in 31 states. Our employee-owners are second to none in delivering top-notch customer service and in demonstrating extraordinary people skills. We are one of the largest independent electrical distributors in the United States providing products and services to the construction, industrial and utility industries. Border States has a competitive benefit package and is a 100 percent employee-owned company.

Values As a Border States employee-owner, you’re responsible for living our mission, service philosophy and service standards.

Our Purpose We believe unstoppable businesses shouldn't go it alone. We are owners - of relationships, of outcomes, of every moment these unstoppable businesses need to deliver.

Service Philosophy We earn customer loyalty and confidence by caring about their needs and adding value to everything we do.

Service Standards Border States employee-owners are competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged.

Your career Join an experienced team at one of the largest electrical distributors in the United States. What are you waiting for?

Border States has a competitive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

Health, Dental and Vision Benefits
Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity
FSA & HSA
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
Disability Benefits
401(k) Retirement Plan
Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Program
Paid Holidays
Paid Volunteer Time
Personal Leave time and more! Border States provides bonuses to their employee-owners upon the achievement of branch and company goals.

Equal Opportunity For All It’s not just the law. It’s something we’ve believed in since our founding. We value the diversity of all of our employee-owners and will always be an equal opportunity employer.

Drug Free/Smoke Free workplace