Strategic Cost Engineering Leader

Jakks Pacific Inc; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Employee assistance program

401K matching

Employee discount

Job summary

JAKKS Pacific, Inc., a leading designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, seeks a Cost Engineering Manager in Santa Monica, CA. You will lead cost engineering from concept through production, partnering with Design, Engineering, Sourcing, Purchasing, and Asia teams to optimize costs and drive profitability.

The role emphasizes value engineering, cost modeling, and cross-functional leadership, with a focus on maintaining quality and competitive pricing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in cost engineering, product development, manufacturing engineering, or related field.
• Experience developing product cost models, value engineering initiatives, and cost optimization.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes including injection molding, tooling, electronics, metal fabrication, assembly, and packaging.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence engineering, sourcing, and manufacturing decisions.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, communication, and project management skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and cost analysis tools
• Experience with overseas manufacturers, particularly in Asia, is highly preferred.
• Toy industry experience is preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

• Lead cost engineering activities from concept through production, ensuring products achieve target cost, margin, and profitability.
• Partner with Product Design, Engineering, Sourcing, Purchasing, and Asia teams to provide strategic cost guidance during concept development and throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Develop, review, and approve product cost estimates, cost models, and cost validations to support business decisions, pricing strategies, and financial planning.
• Lead value engineering initiatives by identifying opportunities to optimize product design, material selection, manufacturing processes, tooling, and assembly methods without compromising product performance or quality.
• Review and negotiate factory quotations, cost breakdowns, and manufacturing assumptions to ensure competitive pricing and cost transparency.
• Drive cross-functional cost reduction initiatives by evaluating alternative materials, components, manufacturing technologies, and supplier capabilities when target costs are not achieved.
• Establish and maintain cost estimation methodologies, historical cost databases, benchmarking tools, and reporting systems to improve forecasting accuracy and support future product development.
• Oversee tooling cost estimation, validation, and budget management to ensure tooling investments are optimized and projects remain within approved budgets.
• Monitor product cost performance throughout development and production, proactively identifying risks, cost variances, and opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and global manufacturing partners to drive collaboration, accountability, and timely execution of cost objectives.

Skills

Cost engineering

Cross-functional leadership

Negotiation

Project management

Analytical

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Cost analysis tools

Job description

JAKKS Pacific, Inc., a leading designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, seeks a Cost Engineering Manager in Santa Monica, CA. You will lead cost engineering from concept through production, partnering with Design, Engineering, Sourcing, Purchasing, and Asia teams to optimize costs and drive profitability.

The role emphasizes value engineering, cost modeling, and cross-functional leadership, with a focus on maintaining quality and competitive pricing.