Advanced Project Buyer

Brose Fahrzeugteile; Auburn Hills (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Flexible working hours

Development programs

Educational assistance

Community events

Job summary

Brose in Auburn Hills, MI, is seeking a senior cost engineer to drive cost optimization across automotive programs. You will collaborate with Engineering, Product Development, and Suppliers to evaluate designs, materials, and processes to identify design-to-cost opportunities before design freeze.

The role focuses on should-cost modeling, cost breakdowns, and supplier evaluations, with cross-functional teamwork and data-driven recommendations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering; automotive exp preferred.
• 5–8 years in the automotive industry, Tier 1 supplier ideal.
• Experience with cost engineering, should-cost modeling, and cost breakdowns.
• Ability to evaluate designs, materials, processes, and manufacturing costs.

Responsibilities

• Support early stages of automotive programs by identifying cost opportunities.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Product Development, and Suppliers to evaluate designs and processes for cost targets.
• Analyze drawings, CAD models, and specs to assess manufacturability and cost drivers.
• Develop should-cost estimates, cost breakdowns, and cost benchmarks.

Skills

Cost engineering

Should-cost modeling

Cost breakdown

Design to cost

Value engineering

Supplier evaluation

Cross-functional

SAP

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

SAP

Excel

Cost analysis tools

Job description

As a successful family-owned company on a path to global growth, the Brose Group offers challenging responsibilities and exciting career opportunities to performance-driven, skilled specialists with solid professional knowledge and proven career expertise who wish to contribute to our company’s success.

Your Tasks

• Support the early stages of new automotive programs by identifying cost optimization opportunities, evaluating manufacturing concepts, and contributing to competitive product cost targets.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Product Development, and Suppliers to evaluate component designs, materials, manufacturing processes, and technical specifications to identify design-to-cost opportunities before design freeze.
• Analyze engineering drawings, CAD models, and component specifications to assess manufacturability, cost drivers, and potential design improvements.
• Develop should-cost estimates, component cost breakdowns, and cost benchmarks considering raw materials, manufacturing processes, tooling, labor, and other relevant cost factors.
• Research and evaluate potential suppliers, emerging technologies, and alternative manufacturing solutions based on technical capabilities, cost competitiveness, quality, and feasibility.
• Support new business acquisitions by providing preliminary cost estimates, supplier assessments, and technical purchasing input during the quotation and concept development phases.
• Monitor raw material markets, commodity pricing trends, and manufacturing technologies to identify opportunities for improved cost competitiveness.
• Work cross-functionally with Commodity Buyers, Project Buyers, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Program Management, and Customer Teams to communicate recommendations and support purchasing decisions.
• Prepare cost analyses, business cases, supplier evaluations, and recommendations for management review.
• Coordinate the handover of identified cost-saving opportunities, supplier recommendations, and technical findings to Commodity Buyers for formal sourcing execution.
• Support project purchasing activities, acquisition documentation, and administrative coordination as needed.

Your Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering highly preferred, particularly Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, or a related engineering discipline. Applied experience in technical aspects of automotive product development and manufacturing preferred.
• 5–8 years of relevant experience in the automotive industry, preferably within a Tier 1 automotive supplier.
• Strong understanding of automotive manufacturing processes, particularly metal stamping, welding, metal fabrication, tooling, and component manufacturing.
• Experience interpreting engineering drawings, CAD models, and technical specifications to evaluate component design, manufacturability, and cost.
• Demonstrated experience in cost engineering, should-cost modeling, cost breakdown analysis, design-to-cost, or value engineering.
• Experience supporting automotive product development, new business acquisitions, advanced purchasing, or early supplier involvement.
• Ability to identify and evaluate supplier capabilities, manufacturing technologies, and alternative production processes.
• Experience with automotive seating systems, seat structures, or metal-intensive automotive components preferred.
• Understanding of automotive product development processes, program timing, and supplier qualification requirements.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to translate technical information into actionable cost improvement recommendations.
• Excellent communication and cross‑functional collaboration skills, particularly when working with Engineering, Purchasing, and Program Management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications; experience with SAP, commodity pricing indices, or cost analysis tools preferred.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and contribute to projects in a fast‑paced automotive environment.

We offer you a modern working environment with our Brose working world

Brose offers a high‑tech work environment and a wide range of benefits. Along with competitive performance‑based compensation and health insurance, our employees also benefit from attractive social and family‑oriented programs throughout our North American locations*. Our benefits packages include comprehensive medical and insurance. Brose also provides educational assistance and a variety of community outreach, family, and sporting events. Flexible working hours and a collaborative work environment give our employees the freedom to balance work and personal life. Brose believes in investing in people. We offer a wide range of development programs with great opportunity for individual growth through training, international or regional assignments and tailored career paths. Our objective is to provide our employees the tools necessary to live a balanced life, experience a rewarding work environment and contribute to our surrounding communities.

*Benefits package may vary slightly per location

Bachelor's degree in Engineering highly preferred, particularly Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, or a related engineering discipline. Applied experience in technical aspects of automotive product development and manufacturing preferred. 5–8 years of relevant experience in the automotive industry, preferably within a Tier 1 automotive supplier. Strong understanding of automotive manufacturing processes, particularly metal stamping, welding, metal fabrication, tooling, and component manufacturing. Experience interpreting engineering drawings, CAD models, and technical specifications to evaluate component design, manufacturability, and cost. Demonstrated experience in cost engineering, should‑cost modeling, cost breakdown analysis, design-to-cost, or value engineering. Experience supporting automotive product development, new business acquisitions, advanced purchasing, or early supplier involvement. Ability to identify and evaluate supplier capabilities, manufacturing technologies, and alternative production processes. Experience with automotive seating systems, seat structures, or metal‑intensive automotive components preferred. Understanding of automotive product development processes, program timing, and supplier qualification requirements. Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to translate technical information into actionable cost improvement recommendations. Excellent communication and cross‑functional collaboration skills, particularly when working with Engineering, Purchasing, and Program Management. Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications; experience with SAP, commodity pricing indices, or cost analysis tools preferred. Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and contribute to projects in a fast‑paced automotive environment.