Should Cost Manager

Job Overview

The Should Cost Manager’s primary responsibility is to develop a robust costing methodology based on should costing principles tailored to ICT business requirements. Enabling realistic and achievable cost estimations while highlighting areas for improvement through cross-functional teamwork.
Actively contributing to implementation and continual improvement on organization of should-cost strategy.
Collaborating across different departments, consolidating cost and process information, ensuring compliance, and provides insights for increase profitability.

Your Main Tasks

1. Should Cost Model development and implementation:
• Implementation and organization of should-cost model/ target cost activities with external partners for the continuous improvement of the price level and standards
• Estimate costs based on defined product basis (BOM), utilizing should cost calculation system and database.
• Maintain consistency between costing, product process definition, and support functions' inputs.
• Provide real-time updates, gap analysis, and directional cost assessments to internal customers.

2. Cost Information Analysis:
• Analyse and challenge provided cost information.
• Gather and consolidate part prices, investments, and costing data for defined products and potential industrial paths.
• Provide cost information status and ongoing monitoring with detailed follow-up and traceability.

3. Key function for Engineering, PM, PjM, Procurement and Plant Finance
• Work closely with product engineering during the product development phase and support analysis of component cost to help drive margin improvement.
• Participate in technical choices and hypotheses during the sourcing phase together with acquisition team.
• Support sales and purchasing in customer and external supplier negotiations (CBDs).
• Support PjM/PM in preparing CER financials, including risk and opportunity TPA estimates.
• Work with Plant finance for forward costing opportunities and make vs buy.

4. Team Management and Continuous Improvement:
• Enhance and utilize existing software to support these processes (tSet)
• Ensure templates are up-to- and extend them for project finance activities.
• Manage and coach should cost engineers.
• Support continuous improvement processes related to tools and methodologies.

Your Ideal Background

• Master's degree in engineering with a specialization in Production and Finance
• Minimum 5 to 10 years of experience in an industrial environment, including technical experience in production or manufacturing engineering // Automotive industry experience is preferred.
• Technical knowledge in products and manufacturing processes
• Ability to provide qualitative and reliable information
• Strong communication skills and autonomy.
• Fluent communication in English.

Competencies