Cost Engineer - Technology, Strategy & Methods

ZF Group; Lansing (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Incentive Plan

Paid Vacation

Personal Time

401k Plan

Health Care Benefits

Paid Holidays

Employee Groups and Outreach

Job summary

ZF Group in the United States is seeking a Cost Engineer – E-Technology to drive best-in-class product cost and emission calculations at the technology level and support target cost achievement through strong technical expertise and on-site validations.

You will lead cost-engineering workshops, develop and govern CE processes and tools, and collaborate with global teams to deliver continuous improvements across the product lifecycle. A Bachelor's degree and 5–6 years of experience are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• 5-6 years of professional experience in cost engineering, manufacturing engineering, or process optimization (complex industrial environment preferred)
• Strong understanding of manufacturing technologies and production cost structures
• Experience with should-cost modeling, cost benchmarking, and technology evaluation
• Knowledge of product lifecycle costing, value engineering, and Design-to-Cost methods
• Analytical, structured, and innovative mindset with strong problem-solving skills
• Confident communicator with the ability to collaborate in global, cross-functional teams

Responsibilities

• Perform best-practice product cost and emission calculations on technology level (e.g., CEI, BPI, BPG, BPB)
• Lead and support cost-down workshops with suppliers and internal operations (PPV & OPV improvements)
• Develop, implement, and govern Cost Engineering processes, methods, and standards
• Drive Design-to-Cost and CIP initiatives across product lifecycle phases
• Evaluate, implement, and improve cost engineering tools and systems, including user trainings
• Support and lead expert teams, trainings, and cross-functional initiatives

Skills

Cost engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Excel

Power BI

aPriori

Costimator

Job description

Reporting to the Head of Cost Engineering, the Cost Engineer delivers best in class product cost and emission calculations at the technology level and supports target cost achievement through strong technical expertise, on site validations, and cost down workshops with suppliers and operations. This role drives continuous improvement by defining, governing, and implementing cost engineering (CE) processes, methods, and tools, while ensuring effective risk, compliance, and knowledge management. Additional responsibilities include leading expert teams, delivering trainings (e.g., Design to Cost, moderation, negotiation), evaluating and implementing new costing tools, serving as a CE systems and tools administrator, and ensuring accurate master data management.

What you can look forward to as Cost Engineer – E-Technology (m/f/d):

• Perform best-practice product cost and emission calculations on technology level (e.g., CEI, BPI, BPG, BPB)
• Apply strong manufacturing and process knowledge, including on-site validations
• Lead and support cost-down workshops with suppliers and internal operations (PPV & OPV improvements)
• Contribute to target achievement through should-cost modeling and early cost-lever identification
• Develop, implement, and govern Cost Engineering processes, methods, and standards
• Drive Design-to-Cost and CIP initiatives across product lifecycle phases
• Evaluate, implement, and improve cost engineering tools and systems, including user trainings
• Support and lead expert teams, trainings, and cross-functional initiatives

Your Profile as Cost Engineer – E-Technology (m/f/d):

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• 5-6 years of professional experience in cost engineering, manufacturing engineering, or process optimization (complex industrial environment preferred)
• Strong understanding of manufacturing technologies and production cost structures
• Experience with should-cost modeling, cost benchmarking, and technology evaluation
• Proficiency in Excel and data analysis tools (e.g., Power BI); experience with aPriori, Costimator, or similar cost-engineering software
• Knowledge of product lifecycle costing, value engineering, and Design-to-Cost methods
• Analytical, structured, and innovative mindset with strong problem-solving skills
• Confident communicator with the ability to collaborate in global, cross-functional teams

What We Offer:

• A supportive collaborative team environment
• Annual Incentive Plan
• Paid Vacation
• Personal Time
• 401k Plan
• Health Care Benefits
• Paid Holidays
• Supportive Employee Groups and community outreach activities

ZF does not offer visa sponsorship for this role (e.g., H-1B, TN), and candidates must be authorized to work in the U.S. without requiring sponsorship by ZF now or in the future. This role also does not include any immigration-related support, including - but not limited to - being listed on government forms, providing documentation for work authorization, coordinating with universities, or participating in training plans or other procedures related to visa status (e.g., H-1B, TN, F-1 OPT/CPT, J-1, O-1, L-1, E-3, and any other status requiring employer sponsorship or immigration-related support). IF YOU REQUIRE ANY FORM OF VISA SPONSORSHIP OR ANY IMMIGRATION SUPPORT NOW OR IN THE FUTURE, PLEASE DO NOT APPLY.