Senior Manager Product Cost Optimization - Process & Industrialization (all genders)

Gropyus Ag; Berlin (NH); Hybrid; USD 101,000 - 157,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited contract

30 vacation days

Hybrid work

40 days abroad

Company pension

Language courses

Mental health support

Virtual Shares Program

Ownership and impact

Diverse international team

Job summary

GROPYUS is seeking a Senior Cost Optimization Manager - Building Systems to drive cost competitiveness across our innovative building systems. You will bridge product development, engineering, manufacturing, procurement, and construction to realize value engineering opportunities.

Ideal candidates bring a strong track record in automotive/aviation/ship building or lean manufacturing, with experience delivering measurable cost savings and a passion for industrialized construction.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in cost engineering and related fields across industrial environments.
• Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies applied to cost reductions.
• Proven cross-functional impact and financial outcome translation.

Responsibilities

• Support Building Systems Cost Optimization strategy across portfolio.
• Apply design-to-cost, should-cost, value engineering, and target-costing across functions.
• Identify, analyze, and prioritize cost optimization opportunities for systems, components, materials, and interfaces.
• Develop and maintain transparent cost models and benchmarks.
• Drive cross-functional cost optimization initiatives and implement improvements.
• Partner with Product, Engineering, Manufacturing, Procurement, Construction, and R&D teams to embed cost awareness.

Skills

Cost engineering

Product costing

Value engineering

Industrial engineering

Operational excellence

Cost optimization

Automotive

Aviation

Ship building

Lean manufacturing

Continuous improvement

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical mindset

Financial outcomes

Business travel

Fluent English

Industrialized construction

Modular building systems

Prefabricated housing

Timber construction

German-speaking markets

Digital costing tools

Construction methodologies

Contractor interfaces

Project cost drivers

Fluent German

Tools

Virtual cost models

Cost benchmarks

Job description

About The Company

GROPYUS is a technology-based construction company focused on building multi-story residential buildings. Thanks to its prefabricated building system with a wide range of design options, automated offsite construction, and fully digitalized processes, the company is able to create resilient timber housing quickly and cost-effectively. GROPYUS is using scalable construction and manufacturing solutions to tap into a future market, strengthen Europe’s innovation capacity, and play a substantial role in improving sustainability. The company delivers its multi-family houses as a complete and turnkey solution. The combination of technology, construction, robotics, and manufacturing expertise means buildings can be created in a fully digitalized end-to-end process. The building system is based on versatile wall and slab elements, making it easier to optimize land use, customize plans, and build fast with both off-site construction and on-site assembly. This system is complemented by the Building Operating System–developed in-house.

About the Role

Join GROPYUS and help drive cost competitiveness across our innovative building systems. Working at the intersection of product development, engineering, manufacturing, procurement, and construction, you will identify and realize cost optimization opportunities throughout the building lifecycle.

As Senior Cost Optimization Manager - Building Systems, you will play a key role in developing transparent cost structures, challenging technical solutions, and driving value engineering initiatives across our product portfolio.

This role is particularly suited to candidates from automotive/aviation/ ship building, industrial manufacturing, or other lean-driven industries who bring a strong track record in cost optimization, value engineering, and operational excellence to support the industrialization of building systems.

Yourareofresponsibilitiesinclude:

• Support the development and implementation of the Building Systems Cost Optimization strategy, ensuring cost competitiveness and value creation across the product portfolio
• Apply design-to-cost, should-cost, value engineering, and target-costing methodologies across product development, manufacturing, procurement, and construction functions
• Identify, analyze, and prioritize cost optimization opportunities for building systems, components, materials, and construction interfaces
• Develop and maintain transparent cost models and cost benchmarks, ensuring continuous learning from estimated versus actual cost performance
• Drive cross-functional cost optimization initiatives and support implementation of improvement measures
• Partner closely with Product, Engineering, Manufacturing, Procurement, Construction, and R&D teams to embed cost awareness into decision-making processes

About You

Must-Have Skills

• Extensive experience in cost engineering, product costing, value engineering, industrial engineering, operational excellence, or cost optimization within automotive/aviation/ship building, lean manufacturing, high-volume production, or similarly advanced industrial environments
• Strong track record applying Lean Manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies to achieve measurable cost, productivity, and efficiency improvements
• Proven track record of delivering measurable cost reductions and business impact through cross-functional initiatives
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate technical solutions into financial outcomes
• Usual business travel between our sites expected
• Fluent English language skills

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Experience with industrialized construction, modular building systems, prefabricated housing.
• Familiarity with timber construction, German-speaking construction markets, and digital costing tools
• Strong understanding of construction methodologies, materials, contractor interfaces, and project cost drivers
• Fluent German language skills

What we offer

• Anunlimitedcontractwith 30 vacation days.
• Flexible work:We value regular in‑person collaboration in the office, while also offering working from home and the opportunity to work up to 40 days a year from abroad.
• Attractive perks and benefits: We offer a company pension scheme, language courses (English/German), and employee discounts with selected sustainable brands. Furthermore, our external partners in mental health support you in strengthening your mental health through anonymous private/group sessions.
• Virtual Shares Program: Participate in the success of GROPYUS through our Virtual Share Program.
• Ownership: You can truly make your mark with your work and contributions – onall our organizational levels. Find your solutions, drive and test them.
• The chance to be part of something big: Our mission is to rethink an entire industry. Join us in reinventing construction and fostering sustainable, affordable living.
• A diverse and enriching work environment:Become a valued member of a wonderfully diverse team of individuals from over 50 countries. At GROPYUS we value inclusion above all, ensuring that everyone feels they belong – no matter their background. In this way, our differences become strengths that help us grow as a team.

Join us on our mission to design buildings as continuously evolving products to create the most exciting and affordable experience for all. We build for people and conserve the resources of our planet.
We can't wait to get to know you.
For more information, visit our website.