Lead Value Engineer

Graco•Rogers, MN

About The Position

The Lead Value Engineer leads Graco’s enterprise value engineering and cost optimization portfolio. The role establishes project governance, prioritizes opportunities, tracks committed and realized benefits, and advises leaders on resource allocation based on value, feasibility, timing, and risk. The position leads high-value, cross-functional projects spanning product design, sourcing, manufacturing, product management, and operations. It coordinates technical decisions, resources, risks, schedules, and customer or quality tradeoffs while aligning value engineering, design-to-value, complexity reduction, product line simplification, and cost reduction initiatives. The role also develops value analysis and value engineering methods, coaches teams, builds reusable tools and learning, partners with Finance to strengthen business cases and validate savings, and communicates portfolio performance and risks to operational and executive audiences.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, finance, business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
At least 5 years of product cost, value engineering, sourcing, manufacturing engineering, or cross-functional program leadership experience.
Demonstrated experience leading cost reduction or value creation projects from opportunity through implementation.
Knowledge of product cost, financial analysis, value methodology, design tradeoffs, and manufacturing processes.
Ability to lead through influence, resolve cross-functional tradeoffs, and communicate with technical, financial, and executive audiences.
Legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent and unrestricted basis; the position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship, and candidates working under temporary employment authorization are ineligible.

Nice To Haves

SAVE International certification or formal value methodology training.
Master’s degree, MBA, or Lean Six Sigma certification.
Experience with engineered products, design-to-value, product line simplification, or complexity reduction.
Experience managing an enterprise cost optimization portfolio.

Responsibilities

Build and prioritize the enterprise value engineering and cost optimization pipeline using clear selection criteria and business priorities.
Establish governance for project decisions, escalations, benefit commitments, and sustainment.
Provide leaders visibility into committed, completed, at-risk, and remaining opportunities.
Recommend portfolio priorities and resource actions based on value, feasibility, timing, and risk.
Lead high-value cross-functional projects involving product design, sourcing, manufacturing, product management, and operations.
Coordinate technical decisions, resources, risks, timing, and customer or quality tradeoffs through project implementation.
Align value engineering, design-to-value, complexity reduction, product line simplification, and cost reduction work.
Ensure project plans define ownership, required decisions, measurable benefits, and sustainment expectations.
Develop and maintain value analysis and value engineering methods, standards, and review practices.
Coach project teams in opportunity definition, business case quality, cross-functional decision making, and implementation discipline.
Create reusable tools and learning to improve the quality and consistency of value engineering across Graco.
Partner with Finance and program analysis resources to strengthen business cases and validate savings.
Partner with functional leaders to identify barriers, resolve priorities, and maintain accountability for results.
Communicate portfolio performance, decisions, and risks clearly to operational and executive audiences.