Cost Estimating Manager

A Cost Estimating Manager at a Tier 1 automotive supplier oversees the financial forecasting should-cost modeling and quoting processes for new and existing programs. This role bridges purchasing engineering and sales to ensure competitive profitable bids on products while leading cost-targeting and benchmarking activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Cost Estimation & Should-Cost Modeling: Lead the development of detailed should-cost models to provide a baseline for supplier negotiations and customer negotiations including materials labor tooling packaging and freight.
• RFQ Management: Manage the end-to-end RFQ (Request for Quotation) process ensuring accurate timely submissions for new business opportunities and engineering changes (ECI).
• Strategic Sourcing & Benchmarking: Collaborate with Purchasing to target cost reduction opportunities benchmarking current costs against industry standards to achieve the lowest product costs.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Engineering Sales Purchasing and Finance to analyze blueprints manufacturing processes and technical data to ensure estimates are realistic and technically sound.
• Team Leadership & Management: Manage mentor and develop a team of cost estimators/engineers setting departmental KPIs and ensuring high-performance standards.
• Supplier Negotiations: Provide data-driven support to purchasing teams to challenge supplier quotation prices and drive cost reductions.
• Profitability Analysis: Evaluate the financial impact of design changes volume fluctuations and macroeconomic factors (e.g. raw material fluctuations) on product profitability.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Education: Bachelors degree in Engineering Finance Business or a related field; a technical degree is preferred.
• Experience: 5 years of experience in cost estimating manufacturing or finance ideally within a Tier 1 automotive environment.
• Technical Knowledge: Deep understanding of manufacturing processes (e.g. die-casting injection molding stamping) tooling requirements and raw material markets.
• Software Proficiency: Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel (complex modeling) and ERP systems (e.g. SAP Hyperion).
• Analytical Skills: Strong numerical aptitude to research assemble manage and manipulate large data sets.
• Communication & Negotiation: Excellent interpersonal skills to negotiate with suppliers and present findings to senior management.
• People Management: Ability to manage a group of people and develop them at the same time as being task oriented.