Program Manager, Cost Reduction

Slate Auto•Troy, MI

About The Position

Slate Auto is on a mission to build an affordable, capable truck for everyday Americans. The Cost Reduction Program Manager is a critical role in making that mission a reality. This position is responsible for leading the cost reduction workstream end to end, converting the pipeline into signed, supplier-validated, governance-tracked commitments, and coordinating the cross-functional team to execute batch implementation of cost reduction items prior to Job 2 and through the Job 2 launch.

Requirements

Minimum of five years of program or project management experience in automotive, EV, or adjacent manufacturing environments, with direct involvement in cost reduction, VAVE, or engineering change programs.
Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional workstreams across engineering, purchasing, manufacturing, and finance simultaneously, with clear ownership and accountability structures.
Experience with supplier commercial negotiations, should-cost analysis, and BOM-level cost tracking.
Familiarity with change management governance processes including CR/CN workflows, tooling lead times, and supplier delivery commitments.
Strong communication and facilitation skills.
Ability to synthesize complex program status into clear leadership-facing materials and drive alignment across functions with competing priorities.
Comfort operating in a fast-paced, resource-constrained environment where processes are still being built.
Willingness to own the workstream end to end, not just coordinate it.
Experience managing engineering change and cost-down programs in an automotive or EV launch environment.
Understand how to move items from engineering estimate to supplier commitment to production implementation.
Ability to coordinate a cross-functional team around a shared plan when everyone has competing priorities.
Comfort with BOM-level cost structures, change management governance, and supplier commercial negotiations.
Ability to communicate clearly with executive leadership and hold owners accountable without losing the relationship.
Operate effectively at a startup pace with incomplete data and moving targets.

Nice To Haves

Experience with aPriori, Project X, or similar cost engineering tools is a plus.
PMP or equivalent program management certification is a plus but not required.

Responsibilities

Lead the cost reduction operating cadence: governance meetings, a supplier-by-supplier commitment register, accountability per targeted component, and launch-risk flags on every open item.
Maintain clear separation between bookable SOP savings and pipeline items in all leadership materials, and drive the workstream from identification through feasibility, supplier confirmation, and commercial close.
Lead the planning and execution of batch cost reduction implementations ahead of Job 2 and within the Job 2 program.
Drive cross-functional alignment across Engineering, Purchasing, Cost Engineering, Quality, and Manufacturing to sequence change actions in a way that minimizes disruption to production, consolidates supplier change events, and maximizes the number of items implemented cleanly at defined production milestones.
Ensure every item has a confirmed timing commitment against a production build event.
Lead the Job 2 workstream through planning, execution, and launch across the primary cost-down programs.
Drive program timing, supplier feasibility and quote confirmation, and validation and re-certification sequencing.
Ensure Job 2 exits with a clean, fully implemented BOM.
Partner directly with the Chief Engineer to align on priorities, sequence change actions, and drive implementation decisions across the program.
Align Purchasing, Cost Engineering, FP&A, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Quality around a shared implementation plan and hold each function accountable to their commitments.
Surface cost and timing conflicts early, escalate where needed, and ensure cost reduction does not become a source of launch risk.
Represent cost reduction status in Ops/Business Reviews and Industrialization Governance.