Cost Engineer

Trojan Battery Company is committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business. The Cost Engineer applies advanced cost engineering expertise to drive structural cost reduction across battery platforms, collaborating closely with various departments to enable Design-to-Cost decisions and engage suppliers in cost discussions.

Responsibilities:

• Develop part-level and system-level should-cost models for Lead-Acid and Li-ion battery components
• Direct materials (Cabinet/Racks, Separators, Plastics, Lead Terminals, Chemicals, Li-ion battery packs, cathode/anode materials) and MRO
• Battery management systems (BMS), modules, and packs
• Build commodity-level cost intelligence covering raw materials, conversion costs, yield losses, scrap, and energy consumption
• Create and maintain target cost frameworks aligned with product roadmaps, volume ramps, and margin objectives
• Partner with Product Engineering and Manufacturing to influence design decisions through Design-to-Cost (DTC) initiatives
• Support value engineering and process optimization efforts focused on manufacturability, automation, yield improvement, and capital efficiency
• Provide cost guidance during new product introduction (NPI), technology transitions, and platform refreshes
• Interface directly with commodity managers to develop mutually agreed-upon cost models to understand cost drivers for use in pricing negotiations and ongoing cost reduction activities
• Act as a lead or key contributor in supplier negotiations related to cost, productivity, and long-term agreements
• Analyze supplier quotations and identify cost drivers (materials, labor, overheads, tooling, logistics, profit margins)
• Implement Power BI dashboards to focus on spend management
• Review existing cost management processes and implement improvements to drive standardization, transparency, and repeatability
• Contribute insights on contract performance, cost trends, and market dynamics to inform sourcing strategies and contract renewals
• Develop new cost tools, digital models, and virtual production simulations to improve cost visibility and decision-making
• Facilitate training on cost tools
• Manage and coordinate with external consultants supporting cost modeling or benchmarking efforts

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, finance, or related field
• 5-10 year track record of success in Cost Engineering
• Strong Excel and cost management system experience
• Experience and demonstrated skill in establishing criteria for cost management activities
• Demonstrated skill in identifying, analyzing, and solving problems driven by data
• Must have excellent communication and presentation skills to combine sound analytical cost engineering principles with the ability to summarize, reach appropriate conclusions, and present to management teams
• Ability to travel as needed
• Proactive, results-oriented, and have strong attention to detail
• extensive experience in cost engineering, cost estimation, and cost control within battery manufacturing, energy storage, automotive, or related industrial fields
• hands-on experience working with global suppliers of battery raw materials and components (e.g., lead, lithium compounds, nickel, cobalt, graphite, separators, plastics, sheet metal)
• strong strategic and analytical skills, with the ability to identify key factors
• superior project management, collaboration, and communication abilities