Production Cost Engineer

H. T. PROF Group; Farmington (CT); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

H. T. PROF Group is seeking a Production Cost Engineer to analyze and improve manufacturing costs across multiple lines in Farmington, CT.

You will interface with production, engineering, Controlling, and global lead plants to ensure cost transparency and drive cost-reduction initiatives. You will review monthly cost reports, benchmark against lead plants, and manage cost targets while supporting localization projects and financial impact assessments.

Qualifications

• 1–3 years in manufacturing cost engineering, production engineering, or process improvement.
• Experience in cost benchmarking, variance analysis, and KPI management.
• Strong project management and cross-site coordination experience.
• Advanced Excel skills including PivotTables; SAP and Power BI experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Review monthly group production cost reports; identify variances and actions.
• Benchmark assembly hours and fabrication costs against lead plants.
• Define cost/time deltas vs lead plants; develop action plans.
• Maintain cost-per-hour targets for fabrication processes and lead initiatives.
• Review MOH calculations monthly with Controlling; summarize drivers and risks.
• Lead cost review meetings with lead plants; review costs and progress.
• Support cost-measure investigations with data collection and analyses.
• Provide cost and project updates to senior leadership for all product lines.
• Support localization projects with business-case evaluations and financial impact.
• Plan, manage, and execute improvement, cost-saving, and localization projects.

Skills

Excel

SAP

Power BI

Project management

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Cross-site coordination

Travel occasionally

Education

Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering

Equivalent degree in engineering/operations

Tools

PivotTables

Power Query

Job description

The Production Cost Engineer is responsible for analyzing, benchmarking, and improving manufacturing costs across multiple production lines. This role acts as a key interface between production, engineering, controlling, and global lead plants to ensure cost transparency, identify cost drivers, and execute cost-reduction initiatives. The position supports both day-to-day cost monitoring and long-term cost strategy, including localization and process improvement projects.

• Review and analyze monthly group production cost reports; identify cost variances, root causes, and corrective actions.
• Perform benchmark analyses of assembly hours and fabrication costs against lead plants.
• Define cost and time deltas vs. lead plants and develop project-based action plans to close gaps.
• Define and maintain cost-per-hour targets for fabrication processes; lead initiatives to achieve target levels.
• Review manufacturing overhead (MOH) calculations monthly with Controlling; summarize key changes, drivers, and risks.

Stakeholder Coordination & Reporting

• Lead monthly cost review meetings with each lead plant to review production costs, cost measures, and project status.
• Facilitate cross-functional meetings with stakeholders responsible for cost measures and project execution.
• Support and coordinate cost-measure investigations, including data collection, analysis, and follow-up actions.
• Provide monthly or quarterly cost and project performance updates to senior leadership covering all assigned product lines.
• Support project engineers with cost analyses for localization projects, including business-case evaluations and financial impact assessments.
• Plan, manage, and execute concurrent improvement, cost-saving, and localization projects ensuring on-time delivery and realized financial benefits.
• Develop and maintain structured project plans with scope, timelines, risk analyses, and cost strategies; monitor and report progress to senior leadership.

Experience

• 1-3 years in manufacturing cost engineering, production engineering, or process improvement, preferably in sheet metal fabrication environments.
• Experience in cost benchmarking, variance analysis, and manufacturing KPI management.
• Strong project management skills; experience leading cross-site projects and stakeholder meetings.
• Advanced Excel skills (PivotTables, Power Query); SAP and Power BI experience preferred.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills; willingness to work on the shop floor and travel occasionally.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Business Administration (operations focus), or equivalent.