Manager, Cost Engineering

Jakks Pacific Inc • Santa Monica, CA

6d • $80,000 - $90,000 • Onsite

About The Position

JAKKS Pacific, Inc., a leading designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, with a wide range of products that feature some of the most popular brands and children's toy licenses in the world, currently seeks an experienced, energetic, self-starter for the role of Cost Engineering Manager for our headquarters in Santa Monica, CA.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in cost engineering, product development, manufacturing engineering, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing product cost models, value engineering initiatives, and manufacturing cost optimization.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes including injection molding, tooling, electronics, metal fabrication, assembly, and packaging.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence engineering, sourcing, and manufacturing decisions.
• Excellent analytical, negotiation, communication, and project management skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and cost analysis tools

Nice To Haves

• Experience working 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 objectives while supporting design innovation and product quality.
• 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.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, disability, life & accident insurance and employee assistance program
• 401K matching, pre-tax spending accounts, and employee discount programs
• Competitive salary

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager