Project Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

About Us
Founded in 1990, FERPA Precision Machine, Inc. is a family-owned precision manufacturing company specializing in high-performance seals, engineered thermoplastic components, and precision-machined parts for aerospace, space, energy, industrial, and other demanding applications.

As an AS9100D and ISO 9001 certified manufacturer, FERPA provides innovative, reliable, and on-time solutions through CNC machining and specialized manufacturing processes. We work with a wide range of advanced engineering plastics and high-performance metals to support customers requiring tight tolerances, complex geometries, and critical quality requirements.

Committed to continuous improvement, customer satisfaction, and long-term growth, FERPA combines advanced manufacturing technology with a collaborative, team-oriented culture where employees are encouraged to learn, contribute, and grow professionally. We value integrity, accountability, innovation, and exceptional service as we continue our tradition of manufacturing excellence.

We look forward to partnering with you!

Position Summary
FERPA is actively expanding its presence in aerospace, space, energy, and high-performance sealing markets. We are seeking a customer-focused, detail-oriented professional to manage customer relationships, prepare quotations, coordinate projects, and support business development initiatives involving precision machined components and engineered thermoplastic products.

This role serves as a key liaison between customers and internal teams, ensuring projects move smoothly from RFQ through shipment while maintaining exceptional customer service, responsiveness, and attention to detail. The successful candidate will help support customer retention, account growth, new business opportunities, and the continued expansion of FERPA's capabilities within our target markets.

The ideal candidate is outgoing, organized, technically curious, comfortable learning manufacturing processes and materials, and enjoys building strong relationships with customers, suppliers, and internal teams.

This is a hybrid position, working three days per week in the office and two days remotely.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned customer accounts, building and maintaining strong relationships with engineers, buyers, planners, and other key customer contacts.
• Manage customer projects from RFQ receipt through final shipment, ensuring customer requirements, timelines, and expectations are met.
• Review customer drawings, specifications, material requirements, and quality requirements to prepare accurate and competitive quotations.
• Coordinate with programmers, production personnel, suppliers, and subcontractors to develop manufacturing plans, obtain pricing, assess feasibility, and support quote development.
• Estimate material costs, procure materials, and coordinate outside processing services including passivation, plating, coating, etching, heat treating, and other subcontracted operations.
• Maintain regular communication with customers regarding quotations, order status, lead times, delivery schedules, and project updates.
• Support production scheduling and order management activities to help ensure on-time delivery and customer satisfaction.
• Follow up on open quotations and identify opportunities to convert RFQs into orders.
• Identify opportunities to grow existing customer accounts and support new business development initiatives.
• Maintain accurate customer, project, and quotation records within company software systems.
• Support supplier onboarding, customer onboarding, vendor registrations, and capability presentations as required.
• Maintain a professional LinkedIn presence and participate in digital outreach activities to promote FERPA's capabilities, increase industry visibility, drive website traffic, and support lead generation efforts.
• Promote FERPA's capabilities in precision machining, engineered thermoplastics, sealing products, aerospace, space, energy, and industrial markets

Training & Development Expectations

FERPA utilizes Paperless Parts as its primary quoting and estimating platform. The successful candidate will participate in a structured onboarding and training program designed to develop proficiency in estimating precision machined components and assemblies.

During the first 90 days, the employee will:

• Complete Paperless Parts training and internal FERPA estimating work instructions.
• Learn to interpret engineering drawings, material specifications, customer requirements, and manufacturing processes.
• Review and rebuild historical quotations to develop familiarity with FERPA's quoting standards and pricing methodology.
• Progress from supervised quote preparation to independent quote development.
• Learn material procurement, outside processing requirements, and manufacturing routing considerations.
• Develop proficiency in customer communication, RFQ management, and project coordination.

The goal is for the employee to become capable of independently preparing and managing routine quotations and customer projects within approximately 90 days, with continued mentoring and development on more complex opportunities thereafter.

The employee will learn to interpret customer drawings, specifications, material callouts, inspection requirements, and outside processing requirements and understand their impact on manufacturing cost and quoting strategy.

Required Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate or bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office and the ability to learn ERP/MRP systems and quoting software.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple inquiries in a fast-paced environment.
• ·This position requires U.S. Person status as defined by applicable law for authorized access to data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). A U.S. Person includes U.S. Citizens, U.S. Nationals, lawful permanent residents, and individuals granted refugee or asylum status in the United States.

Preferred Qualifications & Skills

• Experience with Paperless Parts, ERP/MRP systems, manufacturing estimating software, or similar digital quoting platforms.
• Experience in customer service, inside sales, account management, estimating, project coordination, manufacturing, or a related field.
• Experience in precision machining, CNC manufacturing, plastics manufacturing, metal fabrication, or a related industrial environment.
• Experience preparing quotations, estimating costs, purchasing materials, and coordinating outside processing services.
• Familiarity with engineered sealing products and high-performance thermoplastics, including thermoplastic backup rings, spring-energized seals, and related precision-machined components.
• Familiarity with high-performance sealing materials such as PEEK, PTFE, Delrin®, Vespel®, and other engineered polymers used in aerospace, energy, industrial, and fluid sealing applications.
• Familiarity with aerospace, space, and high-performance metallic materials used in mission-critical components and assemblies, including aluminum alloys, stainless steels, nickel-based alloys, copper-based alloys, and specialty materials such as 15-5PH, 17-4PH, A286, Inconel® 625, MP35N, Aluminum Nickel Bronze (C63020), and Copper Nickel Tin (C72900).
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, material specifications, and customer quality requirements.
• Familiarity with AS9100D, ISO 9001, and/or ITAR-regulated environments.