VAVE & Cost-Optimization Specialist (Procurement)

Strattec Security Corp.; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 125,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Comprehensive health benefits

Paid time off

401(k) with company match

Life insurance

Wellness program

Volunteer opportunities

Location-based benefits

Job summary

Strattec Security Corp. seeks a results-driven Program Lead to manage cost-reduction and continuous improvement initiatives in a high-volume manufacturing environment.

You will drive value engineering across ideation, benchmarking, and supplier collaboration to deliver measurable cost savings while protecting product performance. Responsibilities include leading cross-functional teams, developing business cases, and overseeing project portfolios from kickoff through deployment, with a strong

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, or hybrid technical-commercial field.
• 4–6 years managing technical cost-reduction or continuous improvement in high-volume production.
• Value engineering methodologies and ROI/TCO analysis; strong project management capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead teardowns and benchmarking to identify cost-out opportunities.
• Develop business cases with costs, MOD, tooling updates, and payback periods.
• Coordinate validation testing between Quality, Engineering, and Procurement.
• Facilitate VAVE workshops with key suppliers for cost savings.
• Manage a portfolio of cost-out projects from ideation to deployment.
• Translate product requirements into technical roadmaps and milestones.
• Identify and mitigate technical risks and dependencies.
• Own the program schedule and drive accountability across engineering teams.
• Participate in design reviews to ensure scalable, maintainable solutions.
• Facilitate trade-off decisions balancing speed to market and technical debt.
• Enforce engineering excellence with testing, code quality, and documentation.

Skills

Value engineering

Financial analysis (ROI/TCO)

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field

Value Engineering Certification (CVS/VMA)

Job description

Strattec Security Corp. seeks a results-driven Program Lead to manage cost-reduction and continuous improvement initiatives in a high-volume manufacturing environment.

You will drive value engineering across ideation, benchmarking, and supplier collaboration to deliver measurable cost savings while protecting product performance. Responsibilities include leading cross-functional teams, developing business cases, and overseeing project portfolios from kickoff through deployment, with a strong