Costing & VA/VE Manager

About Horse Powertrain

Horse Powertrain Limited is an independent new powertrain solutions business, with over 125 years of heritage from Renault and Geely. We develop and produce world-class hybrid and combustion engines and transmissions to move our industry forward, offering many different paths to net zero.

Horse Powertrain has 19,000 dedicated and determined employees, working in 17 manufacturing plants, and 5 R&D centers on three continents. This role is employed by Horse Powertrain and is based at our office in Southfield Michigan, with occasional travel possible to Horse Powertrain’s other sites.

Why join us?

At Horse Powertrain, you’ll have opportunities to grow your career while making a difference. This is a dynamic, international environment, staffed by caring and collaborative people. If you’re ready to create excellence with us, you’ll be appreciated and rewarded.

What You’ll Do...

Drive product cost competitiveness across engine and transmission programs by developing robust component cost estimates, North American cost benchmarks, and should-cost models to support RFQs, sourcing decisions, supplier negotiations, and cost optimization.

• Develop component cost estimates and should-cost models based on North American manufacturing economics and supply market conditions

• Build and maintain regional cost benchmarks for materials, manufacturing processes, labor, tooling, logistics, overhead, and other key cost drivers

• Analyze and validate supplier quotations and cost breakdowns, identifying gaps, risks, and cost optimization opportunities

• Support RFQs, supplier selection, sourcing decisions, and commercial negotiations with fact-based cost analysis

• Drive Design-to-Cost, Value Engineering (VAVE), and early supplier involvement / Simultaneous Engineering activities, working with suppliers, Engineering, and Purchasing to optimize component designs and manufacturing processes for cost and manufacturability

• Maintain strong knowledge of the North American automotive supply base, manufacturing capabilities, cost structures, and market dynamics

• Partner cross-functionally with Purchasing, R&D, Manufacturing, Finance, and global teams to establish cost targets and identify optimization opportunities

• Evaluate localization and local-versus-global sourcing opportunities based on total cost and regional competitiveness

• Build and maintain a reliable, structured North American component cost database and continuously improve cost estimation methodologies and tools

• Support program cost tracking, variance analysis, and corrective actions as programs progress from RFQ through industrialization and production

What you will bring...

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Business, Engineering, Supply Chain or related field

• 5+ years of Automotive product cost engineering, should-cost analysis, purchasing cost analysis, or supplier cost engineering experience; powertrain experience strongly preferred

• Strong understanding of engine and transmission components, manufacturing processes, and associated cost structures

• Demonstrated knowledge of the North American automotive supply base and regional manufacturing economics

• Ability to develop bottom-up component cost models based on drawings, specifications, manufacturing assumptions, and supplier information

• Strong knowledge of key automotive cost drivers, including materials, manufacturing processes, labor, tooling, logistics, overhead, and supplier economics

• Experience analyzing supplier quotations and supporting RFQs, sourcing decisions, and commercial negotiations

• Advanced analytical skills and proficiency in MS Office; experience with automotive costing tools and databases is a plus

Equal opportunities employer

As a company, we are committed to equal opportunities, and recruit people based on their competencies and qualifications.

Horse Powertrain Limited is a global leader in powertrain solutions. Learn more at www.horse-powertrain.com