Principal Automotive Cost Engineer / Consulting Lead

• Lead automotive consulting engagements focused on:
  • Manufacturing and assembly cost estimation
  • Component and commodity-level should-cost analysis
  • DFM/DFA and Design-to-Cost initiatives
  • Sourcing strategy, make/buy analysis, and supplier negotiations
• Develop defendable, transparent cost models across:
  • Individual parts and sub-assemblies
  • Component families and commodities
  • Systems, platforms, and vehicle programs
• Support cost-informed decisions from early concept and design through launch and steady-state production.

• Build and maintain cost models for automotive components and commodities, including:
  • Materials (metals, plastics, composites, electronics, textiles, etc.)
  • Manufacturing processes and routings
  • Purchased parts and supplier-provided assemblies
• Establish and normalize:
  • Material cost tables
  • Process and cycle-time assumptions
  • Regional labor and overhead benchmarks
• Perform comparative cost analysis across:
  • Design alternatives
  • Suppliers and sourcing regions
  • Manufacturing processes and levels of automation
• Support purchasing and supply-chain teams with target costing, cost breakdowns, and negotiation support.

• Partner with Engineering to evaluate cost impacts of:
  • Design changes
  • Material substitutions
  • Tolerance and specification decisions
  • Manufacturing process selection
• Identify primary cost drivers and communicate tradeoffs clearly to engineering, manufacturing, finance, and program leadership.
• Influence decisions before cost is locked into the design.

• Lead implementation and integration of the SEER suite (e.g., SEER-MFG, SEER-H, SEER-3D, SEER-SEM) into client environments.
• Configure and calibrate cost models aligned to:
  • Client manufacturing realities
  • Data availability
  • Decision maturity
• Provide advanced technical support to clients, including:
  • Model validation and troubleshooting
  • Assumption development and refinement
  • Executive interpretation of results
• Act as a feedback conduit between clients and Galorath product teams to inform roadmap and feature evolution.

• Apply and benchmark Galorath solutions alongside other major DFM/DTC and cost-engineering platforms, including:
  • Siemens digital manufacturing and PLM tools
  • aPriori
  • FACTON
  • Boothroyd-Dewhurst (DFMA)
  • Comparable commercial or internal cost-engineering systems
• Advise clients on tool selection, integration strategies, and cost-engineering maturity progression.

• Design and deliver client training on:
  • Galorath tools and methodologies
  • Parametric and process-based cost modeling
  • Component and commodity cost analysis
  • DFM/DTC best practices
• Train engineers, cost analysts, and program teams to independently apply cost insights to real decisions.
• Mentor client teams toward sustainable, long-term cost-engineering capability.

• Contribute to Galorath’s automotive thought leadership through:
  • White papers, blogs, and technical articles
  • Conference presentations and industry panels
  • Client webinars and executive briefings
• Represent Galorath as a trusted authority in automotive cost engineering, DFM/DTC, and cost-informed decision-making.

• Advanced experience with:
  • Parametric, analogical, and bottoms-up cost modeling
  • Learning curves, yield loss, scrap, rework, and overhead modeling
• Strong understanding of automotive manufacturing processes, including:
  • Machining, stamping, casting, forging
  • Injection molding and composites
  • Manual and automated assembly
• Ability to interpret CAD models, engineering drawings, GD&T, routings, and BOMs.
• Familiarity with ERP, PLM, and MES environments common to global OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Manufacturing, Mechanical, Industrial), Finance, Economics, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Demonstrated success in senior, client-facing consulting roles supporting automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.
• Strong executive-level communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Full professional proficiency in German and English, with the ability to operate effectively in a technical and business environment, is required.
• Minimum of 10 years of automotive industry manufacturing cost estimation experience, encompassing:
  • Production-level manufacturing cost estimation and cost engineering
  • Component and commodity cost modeling and should-cost analysis
  • Cross-functional engagement with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Purchasing
  • Application of DFM/DFA and Design-to-Cost principles in automotive programs

• Clients rely on Galorath as a strategic cost-engineering partner, not just a tool provider.
• Component- and system-level cost visibility influences decisions early.
• Galorath platforms are embedded into client workflows and decision processes.
• Client teams are trained, enabled, and independently effective.
• Galorath’s automotive credibility and industry leadership continue to grow.

• This role is based in Germany and requires frequent travel to client locations, primarily within Germany and broader Europe.

Join Galorath and Become an Employee Owner!

We offer a great benefits package including:

• Competitive Compensation


• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) - our contributions are significantly greater than most companies throughout the country.


• Medical Insurance


• Dental Insurance


• Vision Insurance


• Company-sponsored Long Term Disability


• AFLAC Voluntary Benefits


• Flexible Spending Accounts (dependent & healthcare)


• Paid Vacations, Holidays, and Sick Leave


• 401K Plan

To learn more about Galorath, please visit us at http://www.galorath.com.