Pre-Sales Costing Associate

About The Design Gallery

The Design Gallery stands as East Africa's top destination for luxury interior decoration, showcasing a select range of premium European brands. We aim to craft exceptional living environments by transforming imaginative ideas into elegantly designed spaces that offer memorable experiences.

Role Overview

We seek a meticulous Pre-Sales Costing Associate dedicated to ensuring pricing precision in every proposal prepared. Positioned within our Sales team, this role applies quantity surveying expertise to quotations including measurement verification, cost calculations, pricing rationale, and margin validation. Each figure leaving our company will undergo independent review for accuracy.

Key Responsibilities

• Generate and validate proposal costings by taking measurements and verifying quantities against design criteria and drawings.
• Create detailed, itemized quotations that highlight purchase price, selling price, and profit margin per element.
• Calculate gross margins for each quote ensuring minimum profit objectives are met across sectors like residential, commercial, hospitality, and custom projects.
• Oversee currency fluctuations and import cost exposure including exchange rates, shipping, and customs duties on imported goods.
• Recommend cost-saving value-engineering solutions that preserve quality and intended design.
• Identify pricing risks, scope inconsistencies, and measurement errors pre-issuance, escalating proposals that fall below target margins.
• Collaborate with the Design team to confirm product specifications, finishes, and project scope prior to finalizing prices.
• Manage the entire tendering and bidding process from opportunity tracking, Bill of Quantities preparation, to submission consolidation.
• Maintain costing models, control quotation versions, and update a dynamic pricing database covering labor rates, material costs, supplier catalogs, exchange rates, and freight charges.
• Record commercial assumptions, exclusions, and clarifications within bids to safeguard the company against disagreements.

Desired Qualifications and Experience

• Between 2 to 4 years of hands-on experience in cost estimation, quantity surveying, or related activities within a project-based setting.
• Background in interior design, construction, or architectural fields is beneficial.
• Proficiency preparing Bills of Quantities, conducting quantity take-offs, and composing cost build-ups.
• Strong numerical ability with experience handling pricing rates, waste allowances, currency conversions, and distinguishing between markup and margin.
• Competent in interpreting technical drawings, specifications, and finish schedules.
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD or equivalent software for quantity extraction from drawings.
• Advanced skills in Excel for developing and sustaining structured pricing templates.
• Familiarity with CRM and ERP accounting platforms like HubSpot, Zoho, Odoo, or Sage.
• High attention to detail with the ability to maintain accuracy in pressured timelines.
• Relevant professional certifications in Quantity Surveying or related fields are an added advantage.

Work Culture - FUSE Principles

The Design Gallery operates on the FUSE philosophy encouraging creativity, grit, ownership, and passion (“Figure It Out”); boldness, adaptability, and energy (“Unstoppable”); teamwork, communication, empathy, and loyalty (“Synergy”); and progressive, thought-leadership driven dynamics (“Evo-Creative”).