Senior Electronics Cost Estimator

Flex-N-Gate • Warren, MI

1d

About The Position

The Electronics Cost Estimating Engineer supports new-business RFQs, engineering changes, and active programs by translating customer requirements into practical, cost-conscious electronics solutions and estimates. The role reviews customer Statements of Work, specifications, drawings, and other technical information; works with Electrical/Electronics and Systems Engineers to define designs that meet customer requirements; and develops costed electronic Bills of Materials (eBOMs) and supporting estimates.

This position is suited to an electrical or electronics engineer with hands-on design experience and an interest in understanding design function, cost drivers, and opportunities to simplify or optimize designs. Dedicated cost-estimating experience is helpful but not required. The engineer may support several estimates simultaneously, using engineering tools, supplier information, internal cost data, and approved AI tools to research requirements, compare design options, and produce timely, consistent estimates.

The role also supports cost-conscious design, cost walks, awarded-program cost updates, reverse engineering and benchmarking, supplier and Purchasing coordination, and alignment with PCBA manufacturing and global engineering teams. AI-assisted outputs must be reviewed and validated before being used in official estimates or engineering deliverables.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a closely related engineering field.
• Approximately 3–5 years of relevant electrical/electronics design engineering experience.
• Working knowledge of electronic circuit design, schematics, component selection, and eBOMs.
• Ability to read customer SOWs and technical requirements and understand their effects on electronics design.
• Ability to evaluate whether a proposed design meets stated customer requirements and recognize when clarification is needed.
• Basic understanding of electronic component, PCB, and PCBA cost drivers, or the ability and interest to develop this knowledge.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to work on multiple estimates or projects simultaneously.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills and ability to collaborate with Engineering, Purchasing, suppliers, and Manufacturing.
• Comfort working with spreadsheets and engineering data to organize cost information and compare design alternatives.

Nice To Haves

• Automotive electronics, lighting electronics, or other high-volume electronic product design experience.
• Experience with Altium Designer or similar schematic/eBOM tools.
• Exposure to electronics cost estimating, value engineering, cost reduction, or supplier component pricing.
• Experience with reverse engineering, teardown analysis, or competitive benchmarking.
• Familiarity with PCB/PCBA manufacturing processes and cost drivers.
• Familiarity with automotive development processes such as ASPICE or structured requirements traceability.
• Experience using AI-assisted research, engineering, or productivity tools.

Responsibilities

• Review customer RFQ packages, SOWs, specifications, drawings, and other technical documents to identify electronics requirements affecting design and cost.
• Work with Electrical/Electronics and Systems Engineers to ensure proposed designs address applicable customer requirements.
• Identify missing, unclear, or conflicting requirements and help develop questions or assumptions needed to complete estimates.
• Support RFQ meetings and technical reviews by summarizing electronics requirements, assumptions, and cost impacts.
• Develop or review preliminary electronic architectures, schematics, and eBOMs for quotations and design studies.
• Develop costed eBOMs using supplier quotations, Purchasing pricing, internal cost information, distributor pricing, and reasonable volume assumptions.
• Compare design alternatives and identify cost drivers related to components, PCB construction, assembly, testing, programming, and other PCBA manufacturing content.
• Use schematic capture and engineering tools to review or develop quote-level designs.
• Document assumptions and pricing sources so estimates can be updated when requirements, designs, or commercial inputs change.
• Prepare internal electronics cost-estimate summaries and communicate changes, risks, and opportunities to project teams.
• Evaluate component selections, circuit approaches, PCB size and construction, and electronics architecture using a cost-conscious design mindset.
• Support cost walks between design revisions and explain the technical reasons for cost increases or decreases.
• Recommend practical cost-reduction opportunities that continue to meet customer requirements, product performance, quality, and manufacturing needs.
• Update eBOM costs as awarded-program designs mature and help maintain visibility into electronics costs.
• Support teardown and reverse-engineering activities for benchmark, competitor, customer, or existing production electronics.
• Identify major components, circuit functions, PCB construction, and design approaches to develop reasonable cost estimates or reconstructed eBOMs.
• Compare benchmark designs with internal designs and share lessons, lower-cost approaches, component alternatives, and simplification opportunities with the engineering team.
• Work with Purchasing and electronics suppliers to obtain component pricing, identify alternatives, and understand new products or cost opportunities.
• Help maintain current component-cost information in approved engineering tools and databases.
• Coordinate with PCBA manufacturing and global engineering teams to align engineering estimates with manufacturing quotation inputs.
• Build working knowledge of semiconductor, LED, passive-component, connector, and PCB/PCBA suppliers relevant to the product designs.
• Use approved AI tools, when appropriate, for technical research, RFQ/SOW review, requirements organization, component research, eBOM comparisons, cost-delta analysis, and engineering summaries.
• Use AI and productivity tools to manage concurrent estimates while maintaining traceability and engineering accuracy.
• Review and validate AI-assisted outputs before using them in official estimates or engineering deliverables.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, prescription, vision, life, and disability insurance.
• Flexible spending account.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with company match.
• Safety training, new-hire orientation, and continuous learning and development programs.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Paid holidays and vacation time.

What This Job Offers

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