Chief costing Engineer

We are looking for a highly experienced Chief Cost Engineer to lead and develop our manufacturing cost engineering and should-cost analysis capabilities.

The ideal candidate will possess strong technical expertise in manufacturing processes, product costing, cost estimation, and value engineering, combined with proven experience in managing and mentoring engineering teams.

The role requires a hands-on technical leader capable of independently managing complex costing assignments, developing robust cost models, and delivering actionable cost optimization recommendations for domestic and international clients.

Key Responsibilities

1. Cost Engineering & Should-Cost Analysis

• Lead detailed should-cost and clean-sheet cost modelling for manufactured components, assemblies, and industrial products.
• Develop comprehensive cost breakdowns covering raw materials, manufacturing processes, labour, machine-hour rates, tooling, overheads, and supplier margins.
• Analyse engineering drawings, specifications, Bills of Materials (BOM), and manufacturing processes to establish accurate cost estimates.
• Conduct supplier quotation analysis, cost benchmarking, and cost competitiveness assessments.
• Identify cost reduction opportunities through Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VA/VE), process optimization, and alternative manufacturing methods.

2. Manufacturing Process Expertise

• Provide technical costing expertise across manufacturing processes, including CNC machining, casting, forging, sheet metal fabrication, welding, injection moulding, and mechanical assembly.
• Evaluate manufacturing cycle times, material utilization, scrap rates, production efficiencies, and tooling requirements.
• Support Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFM/DFMA) initiatives to improve product cost competitiveness.

3. Team Leadership & Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of cost engineers and analysts.
• Plan project resources, assign responsibilities, and monitor execution.
• Review and validate costing models, technical assumptions, and project deliverables.
• Establish standardized costing methodologies, templates, best practices, and reference databases.
• Support the recruitment, training, and development of cost engineering professionals.

4. Project & Client Management

• Independently manage cost engineering assignments from initial scope definition through final delivery.
• Engage with client engineering, procurement, sourcing, and manufacturing teams to understand project requirements.
• Present costing findings, recommendations, and cost optimization opportunities to stakeholders.
• Support technical discussions with suppliers and procurement teams.
• Coordinate with international clients and ensure timely, high-quality project delivery.