Strategic Sourcing & Cost Estimation Engineer

Cadence Inc•Staunton, VA

About The Position

The Strategic Sourcing & Cost Estimation Engineer plays a critical role in driving the technical sourcing lifecycle for raw materials, outside services, custom components, subassemblies, packaging, and capital equipment. This role supports medical device programs from initial quoting through manufacturing and is central to building a resilient, cost-effective supply chain. As a contract manufacturer for medical device companies, Cadence supports products that directly impact patient care and clinical outcomes. In this role, you will help ensure that critical medical technologies are sourced reliably, manufactured efficiently, and delivered with the highest standards of quality and compliance. You will partner cross-functionally with New Product Introduction (NPI), Quality, Engineering, and Operations teams to identify best-fit suppliers, develop accurate costed Bills of Materials (BOMs), and guide sourcing decisions through the quote-to-award process—supporting both customer success and Cadence’s continued growth.

Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, or a related technical field.
Experience: 5+ years of experience in sourcing, engineering, manufacturing, or a related technical role. Experience in medical device or high-precision manufacturing is strongly preferred.
Technical Proficiency: Strong ability to read and interpret technical drawings, GD&T, tolerances, and a wide range of manufacturing processes and capabilities.
Cost Management: Demonstrated experience with cost modeling, supplier quoting, and complex negotiations.
Regulatory Knowledge: Familiarity with ISO 13485, FDA QSR, MDR, and quality system requirements.
Analytical Skills: Ability to evaluate custom-engineered components, supplier strategies, and manufacturing capabilities with technical rigor.
Project Management: Proven ability to manage multiple high-priority cost estimates simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Comfortable working at the intersection of engineering, operations, quality, and supply chain
Detail-oriented with the ability to balance technical depth and business judgment
Proactive, self-directed, and comfortable driving ambiguity to resolution
Strong communicator who can translate technical complexity into clear commercial decisions
Collaborative mindset with the confidence to challenge assumptions constructively
Results-oriented with a continuous improvement mentality

Responsibilities

Develop comprehensive, costed Bills of Materials (BOMs) for external spend on new RFQ requests by aligning technical requirements with supplier capabilities.
Leverage competitive quoting, cost analysis, and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) to inform sourcing decisions.
Partner with Supplier Quality to evaluate and qualify suppliers for Approved Vendor List (AVL) inclusion, ensuring compliance with capacity, quality, and regulatory requirements (ISO 13485, FDA, MDR).
Align supplier selection with Design for Manufacturing (DFM), tolerance requirements, and process capability expectations (Cpk, GR&R, PPAP, FAIR).
Own the end-to-end execution, accuracy, and timing of supplier-driven cost estimates from initial RFQ through project award.
Collaborate closely with Cost Estimating, Project Leaders, and technical subject-matter experts to resolve ambiguity and refine assumptions as designs evolve.
Maintain clear documentation of assumptions, risks, and cost sensitivities to ensure transparency.
Ensure continuity of cost assumptions from RFQ through project kick-off.
Serve as the primary bridge between engineering requirements and supplier-ready RFQs and commercial terms.
Drive alignment between design intent, manufacturability, and cost.
Identify technical and commercial risks early and develop actionable mitigation plans.
Manage sourcing and quoting for customer-owned tooling, manufacturing equipment, and Cadence capital purchases.
Ensure technical fit, competitive pricing, and realistic lead times for capital investments.
Provide sourcing expertise for major capital purchases supporting both new programs and ongoing operations.
Lead negotiations for pricing, supply agreements, and commercial terms at project award.
Establish continuity and risk mitigation plans for costed BOMs and capital purchases to protect supply chain stability.
Proactively identify opportunities for cost reduction through negotiation, supplier consolidation, re-sourcing, or insourcing of technical goods and services.