Lead Cost Analyst / Cost Engineering Manager

Planet-posted 9 days ago
Full-time • Mid Level
Hybrid • San Francisco, CA
501-1,000 employees
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Planet is currently seeking a Lead Cost Analyst/Cost Engineering Manager to join our team in San Francisco, CA. Join our high-impact Supply Chain organization and serve as a crucial link between our engineering, manufacturing, and financial planning teams. This role demands a unique blend of financial expertise and technical acumen to drive product profitability from initial concept through mass production. You will be the primary owner of our product and project costing models, responsible for ensuring financial discipline, supporting key investment decisions, and ultimately, improving our unit economics. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and enjoy translating complex technical plans into clear financial outcomes, this is the role for you. This is a full-time, hybrid role which will require you to work from our San Francisco office at least 3 days per week.

  • Lead Cost Estimation & Modeling:
  • Review project plans and specifications to develop accurate and reliable cost estimates for key projects.
  • Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain teams to model product and production costs across development stages (e.g., Bill of Materials (BOM), tooling, labor, overhead).
  • Translate engineering and production plans into financially rigorous build and ramp scenarios, identifying financial risks and reallocation opportunities.
  • Cost Control & Financial Strategy:
  • Collaborate with program managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to ensure the effective execution of cost control measures throughout the lifecycle of projects.
  • Drive marginal cost analysis and margin forecasts for new and existing products.
  • Drive cost-down roadmaps in collaboration with Design, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing, identifying levers to improve unit economics.
  • Strategic Financial Support & Analysis:
  • Support cross-functional tradeoff decisions—such as make vs. buy, tooling investments, and Design for Manufacturing (DFM) options—with clear financial impact analysis.
  • Perform ad hoc analysis as requested to support various leadership initiatives and strategic decisions.
  • Planning & Reporting:
  • Own the forecast and budget cycles for manufacturing and engineering spend areas, ensuring transparency and accountability across teams.
  • Build financial dashboards and tooling to improve visibility into BOM drivers, absorption trends, and program-level cost performance.
  • Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
  • 10+ years of experience in a cost engineering, financial analysis, or program finance role, preferably supporting a Aerospace hardware, manufacturing, or consumer electronics environment.
  • Solid foundational understanding of manufacturing processes, product lifecycle management (PLM), and cost accounting principles (e.g., standard costing, variance analysis).
  • Exceptional analytical and financial modeling skills, with expertise in building complex, multi-variable cost models.
  • Advanced proficiency in data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) and Microsoft Excel.
  • Experience working on Bus systems, Fabricated Metals, Printed Circuit Boards or Optical payloads in a technical or procurement analyst capacity.
  • Thorough understanding of PLM systems like Arena, Teamcenter etc.
  • Ability to analyze and manage complex structured BOMs and configurations.
  • Ability to manage conflicting priorities with frequent context switching.
  • MBA or advanced degree is a plus.
  • Ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct reporting authority.
  • Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision plans
  • Health Savings Account (HSA) with a company contribution
  • Generous Paid Time Off in addition to holidays and company-wide days off
  • 16 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave
  • Wellness Program and Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Home Office Reimbursement
  • Monthly Phone and Internet Reimbursement
  • Tuition Reimbursement and access to LinkedIn Learning
  • Equity
  • Commuter Benefits (if local to an office)
  • Volunteering Paid Time Off
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