Director, Product Cost Excellence and Value Engineering

Scout Motors • Novi, MI

1d • $160,000 - $192,500 • Onsite

About The Position

Scout Motors is building a modern, purpose-driven automotive company rooted in iconic American heritage and focused on the future of electrified mobility. We are looking for a Head of Product Cost Excellence and Value Engineering to establish and lead a cross-functional program that improves product cost competitiveness while protecting customer value, quality, performance, and brand integrity. Become part of an iconic brand that is set to revolutionize the electric pick-up truck & rugged SUV marketplace.

Requirements

• 12+ years of experience in automotive engineering, procurement, product cost management, cost engineering, value engineering, manufacturing, or a related field.
• Proven success leading cost optimization and value engineering initiatives in complex product development environments.
• Strong understanding of vehicle systems, product development processes, supplier cost structures, industrialization, and lifecycle cost drivers.
• Experience using value analysis/value engineering, design-to-value, should-cost modeling, competitive benchmarking, teardown analysis, supplier cost breakdowns, and total cost of ownership approaches.
• Ability to translate technical and commercial opportunities into clear business cases, implementation plans, stakeholder decisions, and measurable financial outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional collaboration across engineering, procurement, finance, manufacturing, quality, logistics, product, and supplier partners.
• Strong financial acumen, analytical capability, and comfort working with cost databases, KPI dashboards, business cases, and executive-level reporting.
• Entrepreneurial mindset, high ownership, strong communication skills, and the ability to drive structure and alignment in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with digital tools, advanced analytics, AI-enabled workflows, or data-driven decision-making in product development or cost optimization is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead Product Cost Excellence and Value Engineering initiatives within product development, partnering closely with Engineering, Procurement, Finance, Manufacturing, Quality, Logistics, and Supplier Development.
• Drive execution of product cost excellence strategy and contribute to its continuous evolution across programs and platforms.
• Drive adoption and improvement of governance, operating cadence, KPI tracking, and roadmaps to monitor cost optimization ideas through approval, execution, and financial realization.
• Lead cross-functional cost optimization workshops with internal teams and suppliers to generate practical, high-impact ideas balancing cost, customer value, quality, timing, and technical feasibility.
• Apply value engineering, design-to-value, competitive benchmarking, teardown insights, should-cost analysis, supplier cost breakdowns, and total cost of ownership methods to improve cost competitiveness.
• Develop business cases for cost optimization initiatives, including savings potential, investment needs, tooling impacts, engineering effort, timing, risks, payback, and overall financial impact.
• Collaborate with suppliers and internal teams to identify productivity improvements, localization opportunities, logistics efficiencies, material cost improvements, and process optimizations.
• Leverage data-driven cost analytics, digital workflows, and emerging technologies to improve visibility, decision quality, and execution speed.
• Lead and develop a team of product cost optimization and value engineering specialists.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision and income protection plans
• 401(k) program with an employer match and immediate vesting
• 20 days planned PTO, as accrued
• 40 hours of unplanned PTO and 14 company or floating holidays, annually
• Up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave for biological and adoptive parents of all genders
• Paid leave for circumstances related to bereavement, jury duty, voting time, or military leave
• Corporate Vehicle Program with eligibility for 1 assigned vehicle
• A mobility stipend
• Pay Transparency
• Annual performance bonus program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed