The Job:

The Pre-Sales Engineer for Maintenance of Security Systems plays a pivotal role in the commercial success of our service offerings. This individual is responsible for accurately estimating the costs, resources, and timelines associated with providing comprehensive maintenance, service, and support contracts for various security systems. Working closely with sales, technical, and operations teams, this role ensures that proposals are competitive, profitable, and accurately reflect the scope of work required to maintain system performance, reliability, and client satisfaction.

Responsibilities & Accountabilities:

Cost Estimation & Pricing for Maintenance Contracts:

• Develop detailed cost breakdowns and pricing models for a wide range of security system maintenance contracts (e.g., annual maintenance contracts (AMCs), service level agreements (SLAs), time & material (T&M) agreements and ad hoc Jobs).
• Estimate labor costs (on-site engineers, remote support, specialized technicians), spare parts, consumables, travel, and logistics required for ongoing maintenance activities.
• Quantify resource allocation (man-hours, equipment, software licenses) necessary to meet specified service levels and response times.
• Factor in varying levels of service, from basic preventative maintenance to comprehensive predictive and corrective support, 24/7 availability, and system upgrades.
• Analyze historical maintenance data, industry benchmarks, and vendor pricing to ensure competitive and accurate estimations.

Technical Scope Definition & Validation (Estimation Focus):

• Review client requirements, existing system documentation, site surveys, and technical specifications to clearly define the scope of maintenance work.
• Collaborate with Site Engineers and sales teams to understand the functional and non-functional requirements for ongoing system support.
• Identify potential risks, complexities, and exclusions that could impact maintenance costs and propose mitigation strategies or adjustments to estimates.
• Validate the technical feasibility and maintainability of proposed solutions, ensuring that estimated efforts align with achievable service delivery.

Proposal Development & Commercial Support:

• Prepare professional, detailed, and clear cost proposals, quotations, and commercial sections of tenders/RFPs specifically for maintenance services.
• Present and justify estimation methodologies and cost breakdowns to sales teams and, when required, directly to clients.
• Participate in negotiation discussions, providing technical and cost-related insights to support commercial agreements.

Market Analysis & Benchmarking:

• Conduct market research on prevailing maintenance costs, service offerings, and pricing strategies of competitors within the UAE security sector.
• Benchmark internal estimation processes against industry best practices to identify areas for improvement and efficiency.
• Stay informed about new security technologies and their impact on maintenance requirements and costs

Tools & Process Improvement:

• Utilize and potentially develop specialized estimation software, spreadsheets, and tools to streamline the quotation process.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of estimation models, templates, and methodologies to enhance accuracy and efficiency.
• Maintain an organized database of past estimations, actual costs, and project outcomes to inform future pricing strategies.

Selection Criteria:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Computer Science or a related field. Professional certifications in estimation or security systems are highly regarded.
• Minimum of 4-6 years of progressive experience in a pre-sales estimation, cost engineering, or technical commercial role, with a strong focus on service contracts or maintenance agreements , ideally within the security systems or a related low-voltage/IT integration industry.
• Proven experience in accurately estimating costs for technical services, labor, and materials.
• Demonstrable understanding of the operational aspects and common issues related to the maintenance of security systems (CCTV, Access Control, Intrusion Detection, VMS, PSIM, etc.).
• Experience with tenders and large-scale project quotations are beneficial.
• Strong analytical and mathematical skills, with meticulous attention to detail.
• Proficiency in creating detailed financial models, cost sheets, and pricing structures.
• Familiarity with various security system components, their typical failure rates, and maintenance requirements.
• Basic understanding of networking, IT infrastructure, and software licensing models relevant to security systems.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel or specialized estimation software is a plus.