Cost Engineer

Lever, Inc.; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Mainspring Energy in Menlo Park, CA is seeking a motivated Cost Engineer to join the SC PM & Cost Engineering team. The role focuses on supply chain cost analysis, should-cost modeling, and capacity reporting in a fast-moving hardware environment.

You will support BOM cost roll-ups, cost-down tracking, and cross-functional data collection with procurement, engineering, and finance, building analytical skills to grow into more senior ownership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related field.
• 0-3 years of relevant cost analysis or supply chain experience.
• Strong analytical skills with spreadsheet-based data analysis, BOM cost data.
• Excellent written and verbal communication across teams.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills, multitasking ability.
• Eagerness to learn and grow in cost engineering.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate on cost analysis across procurement, manufacturing, transport, and distribution.
• Support BOM cost roll-ups and forecasting activities.
• Maintain should-cost and cost models to evaluate scenarios.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Communication

Attention to detail

Multitasking

Eagerness to learn

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related field

Tools

Excel

Google Sheets

Job description

About Mainspring

Mainspring Energy manufactures and delivers fuel-flexible, low-emissions local power solutions that rapidly add new capacity and deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable electric power. The company began commercial shipments of its Mainspring Linear Generators in 2020 and today has hundreds of megawatts in advanced development and field operations for leading Fortune 500 companies, data centers, and utilities. Mainspring also partners with global energy leaders including AEP, NextEra Energy Resources, Schneider Electric, and more.

The core values that ground our work, guide our decisions, and connect us together:

• Pragmatic Optimism
• Excellence without Ego
• Proactive Collaboration

Job Overview

We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Cost Engineer to join our SC PM & Cost Engineering team. This position provides an excellent opportunity to gain hands‑on experience in supply chain cost analysis and optimization strategies, should-cost modeling, and capacity reporting inside a fast-moving hardware environment. You will work closely with the experienced team members to support BOM cost roll-ups, cost-down tracking, and capacity planning, while building the analytical and cross‑functional skills to grow into more senior cost engineering ownership over time.

Key Responsibilities

Cost Analysis & Should-Cost Support

• Assist in conducting cost analysis across the supply chain - procurement, manufacturing, transportation, and distribution - in support of BOM cost roll-up and forecasting activities

• Help build and maintain should-cost and cost models to evaluate the impact of different scenarios on overall BOM cost, working under the guidance of the Cost Engineering Program Manager

• Research and track market trends for key cost drivers (raw material prices, labor costs, logistics rates) and summarize findings to support forecasting and cost planning

Capacity Planning & Reporting Support

• Support the team’s capacity management process by helping compile and maintain supply and production capacity data across commodities

• Help develop and maintain a cost/capacity tracking database or dashboard (e.g., Smartsheet, Quickbase, Tableau, Power BI, or equivalent) to support cost reduction and capacity visibility efforts

• Prepare clear, data-driven reports and visuals to communicate cost and capacity metrics and project progress to stakeholders

Cross-Functional Support & Project Execution

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams - procurement, engineering, commodity management, and finance - to collect and validate cost and capacity data

• Support the tracking of cost-savings initiatives, providing status updates and reporting to the team as needed

• Assist in maintaining project tracking so cost and capacity data stays current and accurate

• Support supplier engagement efforts to understand cost structures, identify cost-saving opportunities, and maintain pricing transparency

• Participate in ad-hoc projects and process-improvement initiatives as assigned

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related field

• 0-3 years of relevant experience (internships, co-ops, or full-time experience in cost analysis, supply chain, or a related analytical role)

• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in spreadsheet-based data analysis (Excel, Google Sheets); comfort working with BOM or cost data

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across teams

• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously

• Eagerness to learn,