Cost Engineer

Job Description:

Position Summary: The Cost Engineer will provide cost modeling and should-cost expertise for the xEV Business Unit (BU) to support the achievement of optimal supplier cost. This role involves collecting engineering requirements and providing cost estimates to both the BU and Category Procurement. Additionally, the Cost Engineer will implement and maintain a cost database to reference cost models across similar products and will be responsible for mastering cost data to optimize cost models effectively. This role is crucial in ensuring that the company maintains competitive pricing while delivering high-quality xEV products. This is a key player in balancing cost management with innovation in product development, directly contributing to the profitability and success of the business unit.

Minimum Requirements (Education, Experience, and Skills):

• BS/MS degree in relevant technical discipline.
• Professional knowledge of cost modeling methods and tools.
• Ability to read and understand design/manufacturing drawings and technical specifications.
• The candidate will need to travel to suppliers and/or Hitachi locations as required. Some international travel may also be required.

Preferred Qualifications (Education, Experience, and Skills):

• Procurement, Design, or Engineering experience in EV Motor, Inverter, or Drive Unit manufacturing.
• Fluent in English/Japanese helpful.

Position Duties and Responsibilities:

• The Cost Engineer is responsible for creating, analyzing, and validating supplier component material costs and targets.
• Lead the creation of detailed should-cost models for supplier components within the xEV Business Unit, providing data-driven insights for critical decision-making.
• Serve as the technical expert in should-cost modeling and Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VAVE), identifying cost reduction strategies.
• Working within the Business Unit Procurement team, the Cost Engineer will generate detailed material cost estimates, including piece price and production tooling estimations.
• Analyze, organize, and understand large amounts of data.
• Comprehend manufacturing processes, including regional differences in manufacturing assumptions.
• Occasionally travel to supplier facilities for enhanced costing collaboration and support.
• Solve unique and sometimes complex problems using data-driven analysis to identify solutions, establish next steps, and manage open items.
• Support should-cost and clean sheet analysis to Global Direct Purchasing Gr. for supporting negotiation, sourcing, new project part costing within the xEV BU.
• Collaborate with xEV Design Engineering and BU Purchasing to provide should-cost analysis for supporting supplier VEC, new product material costing.
• Create cooperation conditions between Hitachi Astemo Engineering and suppliers to use their best competences, knowledge, expertise, for supporting our product development.
• Build component should-cost database of component level parts to support prompt estimation and response to customer RFI/RFQ.
• Improvement of supplier competitiveness and operational performance through corporative on site Gemba workshop.
• Ability to lead change, resolve conflicts, and influence without direct authority.

Skills and Abilities:

• Corporate finance skills
• Cost Engineering skills
• Ability to work cross-functionally and
• Collaboration & Teamwork
• High Accountability
• Project Management
• Analytical & Problem Solving
• Communication & Presentation

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Will not supervise associates.

Essential to Job Functions – Physical and/or Mental Restrictions:

• Ability to work for long periods of time while sitting.
• Visual Ability to work accurately with detailed information and a computer screen.

Work Environment – Travel, Noise, Smells, Quiet, Indoors or Outdoors, etc.

• Factory Setting with Noise

Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) – Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, identity, disability, protected veteran status and national origin.

At Astemo, we’re challenging the status quo with the power of diversity, inclusion, and collaboration. Our goal is to build an inclusive work environment that celebrates the differences of our employees. We want to ensure that every employee feels valued, respected and empowered. We don’t just accept difference—we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. Astemo is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job at Astemo, please send the nature of the request and contact information to [email protected] when applying for the position.